Comments on: Anglican Priests Turned Catholic http://www.timboucher.com/journal/2006/05/04/anglican-priests-turned-catholic/ public domain playground. friendly entities welcome. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:08:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Gary Kim http://www.timboucher.com/journal/2006/05/04/anglican-priests-turned-catholic/comment-page-1/#comment-12658 Gary Kim Fri, 05 May 2006 01:35:09 +0000 http://www.timboucher.com/journal/2006/05/04/anglican-priests-turned-catholic/#comment-12658 Also, Latin rite Catholics recognize the validity of holy orders administered in the Eastern Orthodox, Polish National, Oriental Orthodox, and Old Catholic churches and the Assyrian Church of the East because they believe those churches have maintained the apostolic succession of bishops. To wit, their bishops claim to be in a line of succession dating back to the Apostles, just as Catholic bishops do. Consequently, if a priest of one of those eastern churches converts to Catholicism, he is automatically a Catholic priest. Eastern Orthodox bishops can, and frequently do, grant recognition to the holy orders of converts who were earlier ordained in the Roman Catholic church (though there is much debate in the Orthodox Church about this); that is part of the policy called church economy. Anglican churches, unlike most Protestant churches, maintain what the Latin rite considers valid succession. Anglican bishops are successors of English bishops who converted to Protestantism in the 16th century. Eastern (Orthodox) bishops have, on occasion, granted "economy" when Anglican priests convert to Orthodoxy. The whole matter of "validity" of ordination and apostolic succession will appear arcane to outside observers, I am sure. Also, Latin rite Catholics recognize the validity of holy orders administered in the Eastern Orthodox, Polish National, Oriental Orthodox, and Old Catholic churches and the Assyrian Church of the East because they believe those churches have maintained the apostolic succession of bishops. To wit, their bishops claim to be in a line of succession dating back to the Apostles, just as Catholic bishops do. Consequently, if a priest of one of those eastern churches converts to Catholicism, he is automatically a Catholic priest. Eastern Orthodox bishops can, and frequently do, grant recognition to the holy orders of converts who were earlier ordained in the Roman Catholic church (though there is much debate in the Orthodox Church about this); that is part of the policy called church economy.

Anglican churches, unlike most Protestant churches, maintain what the Latin rite considers valid succession. Anglican bishops are successors of English bishops who converted to Protestantism in the 16th century. Eastern (Orthodox) bishops have, on occasion, granted “economy” when Anglican priests convert to Orthodoxy.

The whole matter of “validity” of ordination and apostolic succession will appear arcane to outside observers, I am sure.

]]> By: Gary Kim http://www.timboucher.com/journal/2006/05/04/anglican-priests-turned-catholic/comment-page-1/#comment-12657 Gary Kim Fri, 05 May 2006 01:17:05 +0000 http://www.timboucher.com/journal/2006/05/04/anglican-priests-turned-catholic/#comment-12657 Of the 20-something Rites within the global Catholic Church are Eastern or "Othodox" rites that have their own internal rules, such as allowing married priests. If the Eastern and Western Churches ever were to reunite, the existing rules on marital status of clergy undoubtedly would remain in force. At earlier times in the Latin rites part of the Church (what some people call the "Roman Catholic" Church), we have had married clergy. But clerical celibacy now is the preferred rule for the Latin rite. Of the 20-something Rites within the global Catholic Church are Eastern or “Othodox” rites that have their own internal rules, such as allowing married priests. If the Eastern and Western Churches ever were to reunite, the existing rules on marital status of clergy undoubtedly would remain in force. At earlier times in the Latin rites part of the Church (what some people call the “Roman Catholic” Church), we have had married clergy. But clerical celibacy now is the preferred rule for the Latin rite.

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