How to become a married priest, write to the Press Gazette

GREEN BAY – A priest shortage is offered as a reason for transferring the Rev. Guy Blair from one local Catholic Church to another, each within throwing distance of the other. I believe there are more than 200,000 married priests worldwide, some of whom might be willing to help ease the critical mass of the shortage (not to use a pun) if an invitation was extended to them. Perhaps the Green Bay diocese should conduct a survey (and several national surveys have been conducted) [Yes! I forgot the infallible way of choosing the right course of action, the Holy Survey!] of the Catholic population to discern what percentage would be in favor of married priests helping to fill the gaps so to speak. My guess would be about 70 percent. [oh good, you already knew the answer, I couldnt take the suspense] Since I attend the Eucharist weekly, I would be more than happy to preside at the Eucharist as a married priest. I don't think I would contaminate anything or anyone. [LOL!] And, I would give a fairly decent homily giving the word of God an added spiritual and sacramental dimension. [plus he as already agreed to not contaminate anyone.  I think Joseph Smith "added" to the Word of God too, so there is precedence.]

Will this happen in my lifetime or yours? Historically there was a change from married priests to celibate priests for various reasons. Maybe now it is time for us to return to our earlier Christian roots . [How he avoided using "The Spirit of Vatican II" I'm not sure.]

Roger J. Vanden Busch

Gazette

LOL, okay, at first my heresy alarm went off, but each time I read it, I laugh harder.  This is funny if its a letter to the chancery, but even funnier if its a letter to a newspaper.  Why not ask to become bishop though?  And then conduct a survey by "guessing" how many people would be in favor of it.  Although he is happy to "preside at the Eucharist," I wonder if he would ever consider assisting at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass?  The last paragraph he says there was a "change" in the priesthood, which we can only assume means that all priests(including Christ?) were married prior to the "change."  The reason for these changes?  "for various reasons."  So were those reasons good or bad, or just various?  

I hope this is no indicator of what Fr. Blair has been preaching...

I hear people argue for (Latin Rite) married priests from time to time.  Unfortunately, it's a shallow take.  Any worthy man can become an Eastern Rite Catholic and become a married priest.  So maybe that is something that Mr. Busch(or is that Fr. Busch) should consider. 

In Matthew 19:12, Christ clearly commends those who, "for the sake of the kingdom of God", have held aloof from the married state, though He adds: "he who can accept it, let him accept it". St. Paul is even more explicit:

I would that all men were even as myself; but every one hath his proper gift from God .... But I say to the unmarried and to the widows, it is good for them if they so continue, even as I.

And further on:

But I would have you to be without solicitude. He that is without a wife is solicitous for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please God. But he that is with a wife, is solicitous for the things of the world, how he may please his wife: and he is divided. And the unmarried woman and the virgin thinketh on the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit. But she that is married thinketh on the things of this world how she may please her husband. And this I speak for your profit, not to cast a snare upon you, but for that which is decent and which may give you power to attend upon the Lord without impediment. (1 Corinthians 7:7-8 and 32-35)

Celibacy of the Clergy, Catholic Encyclopedia