Marriage

Published by The National Herald, March 4, 2005

Second Marriage For Priests Should Be Reconsidered

BOSTON – One of the most serious ecclesiastical problems that our holy Orthodox Church should consider dealing with is the second marriage of its priests. The issue should be examined firstly on a local level by the Holy Eparchial Synod of America, and then examine it at the next level, the universal one.

Without question, any approach to this problem begins with knowledge of the existing canons and rules which apply to the issue, and I am not in any way suggesting that they should be abandoned or unilaterally overturned.

What I dare to do here, however, is simply to raise the issue and state in plain terms that it is time to stop arguing among ourselves about all the legalisms (e.g., the Charter issue) and begin to at least talk about essential issues and thereby contribute to some kind of renovation of our ecclesiastical life.

Under the current canonical framework, someone who has received the divine calling from God to become a priest, a klirikos (cleric), which means the chosen or the elected one, must get married prior to his ordination to the Diaconate (assuming he wants to be married). Once someone is ordained, he cannot get married. This should be reexamined also. Why should one sacrament be an obstacle to another one? I do not think there is any theological reason for that.

At any rate, the issue should be discussed, so that a young man who has been ordained to the rank of deacon might be permitted to marry the right person in a very respected, low-key ceremony without the usual social fanfare which tend to accompany weddings these days (to such a degree that we sometimes forget the sacramental nature of holy matrimony, and we seem to only care for its social aspect).

Considering another dimension to the problem, if a married priest loses his presvytera due to an illness or accident, he cannot remarry.

The same applies in cases of divorce. I am informed that close to 12 percent of married priests in our Holy Archdiocese of America end up getting divorced.

The issue of marriage in the clergy is not new. It was a matter of concern in the nascent Church from its earliest years and centuries. Space limitations do not presently permit a detailed analysis of the historicity of the issue, but it should be noted that the Penthekti (5th/6th) Synod spent a considerable amount of time and effort dealing with the issue and setting the canons for it.

Even from the time of the very First Ecumenical Council in Nicea (325 AD), the topics of marriage for, and the absolute celibacy of, the clergy were raised. Brother Kordoues, a monk from Spain, insisted on mandatory celibacy for the clergy of all ranks. But Saint Pafnoutios, a very strict ascetic himself, reacted strongly in favor of marriage for priests, exhorting his colleagues in the Synod not to place heavy burdens on the shoulders of the priesthood. Pafnoutios actually caused the freedom of choice to the married or to celibate life of the priests.

It is important to know that there were some very philanthropic and understanding voices in the Latin Church, as well, supporting second marriage for priests, such as Pope Kallistos of Rome.

Nonetheless, since the issue of second marriage is not a doctrinal one, the Church leadership should do something to help widowed or divorced priests in order to keep them in the priesthood. After all, they wanted to be married, and to enjoy the fruits of marriage: intimacy, companionship, children and so forth.

A manifestation of love, understanding and leniency is preferable to defrocking. I certainly respect the existing canons and regulations, which are part of the tradition of the Church. At the same time, however, the flowing of the Holy Spirit constantly nourishes the life of the Church, which means that reassessment, revisions and even reform of non-doctrinal issues should be possible.

Mr. Kalmoukos is longtime ecclesiastical and religious affairs correspondent for The National Herald.



Volume 7 Number 10 - Tuesday, March 8th, 2005	A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY