Married Priests in the Catholic Church

by Adam A.J. DeVille (Editor)

These essays offer a historically rigorous dismantling of Western claims about the superiority of celibate priests.



Although celibacy is often seen as a distinctive feature of the Catholic priesthood, both Catholic and Orthodox Churches in fact have rich and diverse traditions of married priests. The essays contained in Married Priests in the Catholic Church offer the most comprehensive treatment of these traditions to date. These essays, written by a wide-ranging group that includes historians, pastors, theologians, canon lawyers, and the wives and children of married Roman Catholic, Eastern Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox priests, offer diverse perspectives from many countries and traditions on the subject, including personal, historical, theological, and canonical accounts. As a collection, these essays push especially against two tendencies in thinking about married priesthood today. Against the idea that a married priesthood would solve every problem in Catholic clerical culture, this collection deromanticizes and demythologizes the notion of married priesthood. At the same time, against distinctively modern theological trends that posit the superiority, apostolicity, and "ontological" necessity of celibate priests, this collection refutes the claim that priestly ordination and celibacy must be so closely linked.

In addressing the topic of married priesthood from both practical and theoretical angles, and by drawing on a variety of perspectives, Married Priests in the Catholic Church will be of interest to a wide audience, including historians, theologians, canon lawyers, and seminary professors and formators, as well as pastors, parish leaders, and laypeople.

Contributors: Adam A. J. DeVille, David G. Hunter, Dellas Oliver Herbel, James S. Dutko, Patrick Viscuso, Alexander M. Laschuk, John Hunwicke, Edwin Barnes, Peter Galadza, David Meinzen, Julian Hayda, Irene Galadza, Nicholas Denysenko, William C. Mills, Andrew Jarmus, Thomas J. Loya, Lawrence Cross, and Basilio Petr�.

376 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2021

About the author

Dr. Adam A. J. DeVille is associate professor and chairman of the Department of Theology-Philosophy, University of Saint Francis (Fort Wayne, IN).

Reviews

[Evan Groom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did you know the american orthodox church was founded by a former married catholic priest, who founded it because the Latin bishop of his area wouldn't let him practice his priesthood? Y I K E S

Virtually every essay from this book was eye-opening and enlightening, both about the theology of the married priesthood and it's operation in practice. I think it's really changed my perspective on the priesthood, celibacy, marriage and their proper interplay - one not being "better" than the other.

I think this quote from the book sums it up well:

"There are no longer any intellectually coherent or theologically defensible reasons why celibacy should be “privileged” in the Catholic Church to the exclusion or denigration of a married priesthood."

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great survey and objection to the ontological thesis that has crept into the church, as well as an honest assessment of married clergy by married clergy and family. I gave it 4, not 5 stars, only because it is a compilation of individually written chapters by separate authors. I see how this is good in some ways (and I admit many prefer this approach so my criticism is certainly relative), but the draw back of it is tone, style, and clarity of topics covered are varied and inconsistent. Many chapters were incredible (having underlined and highlighted much of it) while other chapters I didn’t get much from.