EP reportedly to announce possibility for 2nd Marriage for some Priests

[Aristobolus]

This is not official yet, but is being reported on some news agencies:  http://www.romfea.gr/epikairotita-xronika/23626-apofasi-tou-oikoumenikou-patriarxeiou-gia-deutero-gamo-iereon .

 

[scamandrius]

National Herald=grain of salt.

 

[Justin Kolodziej]

Google Translate told me it's "403 (Forbidden)!!1" to translate that page! LOL

It's probably something they broke for non-Chrome browsers, but it's more fun to blame the Masons, Illuminati, Borg and Q Continuum for the interference  ;D

 

[Aristobolus]

http://orthochristian.com/115501.html

 

[Aristobolus]

This is not official yet, but is being reported on some news agencies:  http://orthochristian.com/115501.html .

 

[IreneOlinyk]

I thought the Patriarchate of Romania already allows re-marriage of some priests on a case-by-case basis.

 

[Jackson02]

I'd just wait and see. Don't want to jump to conclusions.

 

[Justin Kolodziej]

I thought the Patriarchate of Romania already allows re-marriage of some priests on a case-by-case basis.

Sounds similar except in the Ecumenical Patriarchate, assuming the National Herald isn't doing its best Weekly World News impression.

 

[Volnutt]

Whatever's really going on... I'm so very looking forward to seeing it brought up in RCC/EO polemics from now until the Sun explodes, boy howdy!

 

[biro]

Does this count for divorcees, or only widowers?

 

[PJ26]

Would this mean then that a priest who, for whatever reason, decided not to get married prior to ordination could now get married?

 

[Jetavan]

Would this mean then that a priest who, for whatever reason, decided not to get married prior to ordination could now get married?

Even a non-Orthodox knows the answer to that: No.

 

[biro]

Oh, okay, it's only widowers. Just read it.

 

[Tzimis]

So. If a husband killed his wife. He can become a priest.

 

[Volnutt]

So. If a husband killed his wife. He can become a priest.

No, because there's still the prohibition of a killer becoming a priest.

 

[Tzimis]

So. If a husband killed his wife. He can become a priest.

No, because there's still the prohibition of a killer becoming a priest.

Thank god

 

[scamandrius]

Would this mean then that a priest who, for whatever reason, decided not to get married prior to ordination could now get married?

No.  Based on what the National Herald reports (and again, cum grano salis), petitions for a second marriage would be considered case by case (economia, which is already how things are/should be handled) for men who are widowed or whose wives left them.  I do know of a priest who was widowed and was allowed to remarry since he was bringing up four kids then by himself.  So, this already does happen, to an extent.  I don't think this is a story worthy of claiming "Orthodoxy abandoning her tradition." 

 

[augustin717]

I thought the Patriarchate of Romania already allows re-marriage of some priests on a case-by-case basis.

it used to be tolerated until 10 years ago or so when an ultimatum was issued to the remarried priests to choose between priesthood or spouses. About five or six hundred were supposedly affected.
Not sure how thoroughly this newly minted akrivia was implemented though.

 

[Ainnir]

I thought the Patriarchate of Romania already allows re-marriage of some priests on a case-by-case basis.

it used to be tolerated until 10 years ago or so when an ultimatum was issued to the remarried priests to choose between priesthood or spouses. About five or six hundred were supposedly affected.
Not sure how thoroughly this newly minted akrivia was implemented though.

Wait, as in break with their spouses in order to remain priests...?

 

[HaydenTE]

I thought the Patriarchate of Romania already allows re-marriage of some priests on a case-by-case basis.

it used to be tolerated until 10 years ago or so when an ultimatum was issued to the remarried priests to choose between priesthood or spouses. About five or six hundred were supposedly affected.
Not sure how thoroughly this newly minted akrivia was implemented though.

Wait, as in break with their spouses in order to remain priests...?

My bet is that they'd be expected to "live like brother and sister."

 

[RaphaCam]

Does this count for divorcees, or only widowers?

Blameless divorcees too. Orthodox canon law, like other ancient law systems, requires that at least one part is blamed for the divorce, while the other can be just a victim.

 

[augustin717]

I thought the Patriarchate of Romania already allows re-marriage of some priests on a case-by-case basis.

it used to be tolerated until 10 years ago or so when an ultimatum was issued to the remarried priests to choose between priesthood or spouses. About five or six hundred were supposedly affected.
Not sure how thoroughly this newly minted akrivia was implemented though.

yes

Wait, as in break with their spouses in order to remain priests...?

yes. The logic was that those marriages weren’t valid. At least as priests they could not have contracted them validly.

 

[IreneOlinyk]

I thought the Patriarchate of Romania already allows re-marriage of some priests on a case-by-case basis.

it used to be tolerated until 10 years ago or so when an ultimatum was issued to the remarried priests to choose between priesthood or spouses. About five or six hundred were supposedly affected.
Not sure how thoroughly this newly minted akrivia was implemented though.

Thank you.  From the new release from 2000, it sounds like the Church was trying to deal with an existing problem and prevent the problem from happening in the future:
http://www.roeanews.info/2010/03/15/bor-%e2%80%93-divorced-andor-remarried-priests/

…The Chancery of the Holy Synod has determined that as of 2009, there are 570 priests that are divorced priests and/or divorced and remarried priests, and only 39 have received any kind of penalty for what had transpired, which is over 3.5% of all BOR priests who are not monks; a serious situation in terms of the level of morality of priests …

1) Their Eminences and local Bishops are obliged to strictly respect the Canons, constitutional and in the form of church rules, which do not admit the remarriage of clergy, and this in all cases.

2) No local Bishop is permitted to apply any form of dispensation, and this as of the date of adoption and communication of this Holy Synod decision, in regards clergy that are divorced or divorced and remarried, inasmuch as these are to be sanctioned by lowering their rank, or even by defrocking.  The same measure will apply to widowed priests who are remarried.

b) Divorced clerics, divorced and remarried clerics, as well as those widowed and having remarried, are not permitted to occupy the position of Parish Priest, which is a position of leadership, in parishes where there are multiple priests.  In rural parishes, in this very special case, this type of priest is kept on as Parish Priest, however he will not be promoted to superior category parishes; 

 

[Agabus]

So the headline is "Orthodox bishops may allow something that other Orthodox bishops already allow"?

 

[Fr. George]

So the headline is "Orthodox bishops may allow something that other Orthodox bishops already allow"?

Right.  If the Herald's report is correct, then what's really remarkable is that they're not allowing individual hierarchs to make the decision, and instead mandating synodal review.  And, as pointed out above, it's for both widowers (who have a more emotionally compelling case) and those who are divorced because of abandonment by their spouse.

I'm not in favor of it (for various reasons), but understand why it's being discussed.  While the report may indeed be true, the Herald also has an atrocious track record of reporting rumor as verified fact (according to my boss they're up to 0-for-19 on authoritatively reporting the ouster of Archbishop Demetrios - our running joke is that when he actually retires or dies, their headline will be, "See - I Told You So!").