September/October 2011

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MarriedCatholicBishops

“Bishopsmustbeirreproachable,married onlyonce...Theymustbegoodman- agersoftheirownhouseholds,keeping theirchildrenundercontrolwithoutsacri- ficingtheirdignity.”(ITimothy3:2,4)A cursoryreviewofthefunctioningofthe Christiancommunitiesinthefirstthree centuriesrevealshowseriouslytheytook thosescripturaladmonitions.Candidatesfortheepiscopalofficewerechosenbythe localchurch,includingbothclergyand laity,inclearfidelitytothosewords.That methodofselectionstandsinstarkcontrast withthepracticeinCatholiccommunities today.

TheEarlyChurch

TheTestimonyofEusebius

InhismonumentalEcclesiasticalHistory, EusebiusofCaesarea(263-339)atteststo thefunctioningofprimitiveChristiancom- munitiesamidseverepersecution.Writing intheearlyIVcenturywhenthechurch wasabouttoarisefromaperiodofintense strife,thisFatherofchurchHistory

reflectstheturmoiloftheChristiancommunityduringtheprecedingthreecenturies.Histestimonyisnoteworthy.

EusebiusquotesClementofAlexandria (150-215)againstthosewhoconsidermar- riageinferiortovirginity,asserting:“Will theyrejecteventheapostles?ForPeter

andPhilipbegotchildren;andPhilipgave hisdaughtersinmarriage.”(BkIII,ch30) ThatPetertheApostlewasmarriedis clearlyattestedtoinScripture(St. Mt8:14). TheApocryphalActsofSS.Nereusand Achillesfurthermoreinformsusofhis daughter,Petronella.

Inthesamechapter,Eusebiusalsocites fromClementatouchingstoryabout Peter’swife:“Intheseventhbookofhis Stromata,he(Clement)writesasfollows: Theysay,accordingly,thatwhenthe blessedPetersawhisownwifeledoutto die,herejoicedbecauseofhersummons andherreturnhome,andcalledtoher encouraginglyandcomfortingly,address- ingherbyname,saying,‘ohthou,remem- bertheLord.’suchwasthemarriageof

theblessed,andtheirperfectdisposition towardthosedearesttothem.”

Lateroninhisclassicwork,Eusebius mentionsPolycratesofEphesus(c.130-

196)whowrote:“sevenofmyrelatives werebishopsandIamtheeighth.”(BkV, ch24)Thatclaimismadenotsheepishly, butproudly.EarlyChristianfamiliestook prideintheirperseveranceinthefaith. Theirlong-standingfidelitytoChristwasa heritagetheybequeathedtotheirprogeny.

Andwritingfurtheraboutthisperiodof intensepersecution,Eusebiusinformsus that“Chaeremon...bishopofthecity calledNilus...fledwithhiswifetothe Arabianmountainsanddidnotreturn.” (BkVI,ch42)Nothingelseisknown aboutthisbravebishopandhisfamily.

EusebiusalsotellsusofPhileas,bishopof thechurchofThmuisinEgypt,whowith Philomoros,agovernmentofficialin Alexandria,wasbroughtbeforethemagis- trateandentreatedtooffersacrificetothe godsandabjurefaithinJesusChrist.The judgeimploredthemto“havecompassion onthemselvesandshowmercytotheir childrenandwives.”(BkVIII,ch9)

Anthony P. Kowalsski, Ph.d., an educational Adminstrator at Universites and Trade Associations, has served on the national boards of Corpus and Future church. Earlier, he was a seminary rectory, officer of a diocesan Priests’ senateand delegate to the NFPC; After marriage he assisted his local parish as Lector, Eucharistic Minister, Worship Committee charir and RCIA team co-chair and lives with his wife at the former St. Charles College/St. Mary’s Seminary College in Catonsville, MD, he is Author of “Married Catholic Priests” (Crossroad, 2005).

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Neitherwoulddoso.Theywerebeheadedduringthepersecu- tionofEmperorMaximinus.

TyrannusRufinusofAquileia(c.345-410)translatedEusebius EcclesiasticalHistorytoLatin,addingBooks10and11.His appendedbookscontainthefollowing:“Spyridon,abishopof Cyprus...hadadaughternamedIrene...”(Bk10,ch.10.5)

TheTestimonyofJerome

JeromereferredtohiscontemporaryAnastasiusI,asamanof greatholiness.ThelatterwasborninRome,andservedaspope from399to401.morepertinently,uponhisdeaththeclergyandlaityofRomebyunanimousvotecalledonAnastasius’son, Innocent I, to succeed his father as bishop of Rome. He reigned inthatcapacityfrom401to417.

JerometellsusfurtheraboutSt.Pavian(310-371),thesecond bishopofBarcelonainSpain,whowaspraisedforhiselo- quenceandholinessoflife. Pavianwasmarriedandhadason namedFlaviniusDexter,whobecameafriendofJeromeandto whomJeromededicatedhisDeVirisIllustribus.

TheWitnesssoftheCappadocianFathers

Thereligiouscustomofthetimesisreflectedinthelivesofthe illustriousCappadocianFathers.St.GregoryNazianzen(c.329-390)thefamedArchbishopofConstantinopleandDoctorofthe church,wasdeemedthemostaccomplishedrhetoricalstylistof thepatristicage.HisparentswereNoonaandGregory,wealthy landownerswhohadconvertedtoChristianity.Gregory,the father,hadbeenordainedbishopofNazianzusin328or329andwouldlaterordainhissonapresbyter.Theyounger Gregoryreturnedtoassisthisdyingfather,andlateraccepted leadershipofthechurchinConstantinople.

AnotherCappadocianFather,GregoryofNyssa,brotherof BasiltheGreat,initiallybecameaprofessionaloratorandmar- ried.However,hisbrotherBasilandhisfriend,Gregory Nazianzen,encouragedhimtobecomeapriest,whichhedidin

362.Thereisnoindicationthatitaffectedhismarriage.He lateracceptedthebishopricofNyssa,asmalltowntenmiles

fromCaesarea.Heisprincipallyrememberedasawriteron thespirituallife.

OtherEarlyWitnesses

RecordsintheearlyfourthcenturyalsoverifythatGregory theIlluminator(257-331),amarriedbishop,wassentas apostletotheArmenians.Thisreveredleaderordainedhis twosonsasbishopsandretainedthetitleofKatholikoswith- intheirfamilyforoveracentury.Armenianstothisday regardhimastheirpatronsaintwhoturnedthemawayfrom paganismtoChristianity.Armeniawasthefirstnationto adoptChristianityasitsofficialreligionin301AD.

InthesameperiodwelearnthatSt.Hilary,bishopof PoitiersandDoctorofthechurch(c.300-368),wasmarried andhadadaughternamedApria.Hilaryandhiswifeand daughterhadconvertedfromNeo-platonismtoChristianity. SohighlywasheheldbythecitizensofPoitiersthatin353, whilestillamarriedman,thecitizensunanimouslyelected himtheirbishop.Becauseofhisstrongdefenseofthefaith againstArianism,heisregardedastheAthanasiusofthe West.

Besidethealreadynamedbishops,onecouldreadilycitethe followingmarriedbishopsinthefirstthreecenturies:Ajax, bpofBotoulos,Syria;Antonius,bpofasuburbandiocesein Rome;Artemius,bpofAuvergne;Asrug,bpofPakravanti, Armenia;Carterius,aspanishbp;Cereman,bpofNilopolis; Demetrian,bpofAntioch;Demetrius,Patriarchof

Alexandria;Eulalius,bpofCaesareainCappadocia;Khat,bp ofPakravant,Armenia;Leo,bpinItaly;Leontius,bpof Tripoli;Marcellus,bpofAparnea,Syria;Martial,bpof Merida;Memorius,bpinsouthernItaly;Nerses,thegreat ArmenianKatholikos;Pharen,ArmenianPatriarch; Philogonius,bpofAntioch;Reticius,bpofAutun;

Symposius,bpofAstiorga,Spain;Urbicus,bpofClemont; Verthanes,ArmenianPatriarch;Victor,bpofVenesium, NumidiaandYusik,ArmenianKatholikos.Thelistofmarriedbishopsintheimmediatelysucceedingcenturiesiseven larger.

Anenlighteninghistory

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TheXX-XXICentury

JumptotheXXcentury.celibacy hasnowbeenstrongly enforcedinchurchlawforninecenturiesintheRomanCatholicchurch.Anallmaleclericalismisdeeplyentrenchedinthe Romansystem.Onewouldexpectalltobesereneandpeaceful. Thatisnotthecase.Belowthesurfacemonumentalchangesare takingplacebothwithinandoutsideofcanonicalstructures.Let menotesomerecentdevelopments.

Intheearly60sPopeJohnXXIIIreconciledtothechurchBp. SalomeoFerraz,amarriedoldCatholicbishop.Ferrazwould thenserveasauxiliarybishopinRiodeJaneiro.HealsoparticipatedintheIIVaticanCouncil.

WorkingbehindtheIroncurtaininthe60s,70sand80s,espe- ciallyinCzechoslovakia,wasinmanywayssimilartotheplight oftheearlyChristians.Bp.FelixMariaDavideklaboredunder heavypersecutiontoprovidesacramentalministrytohispeople. Thishighlyeducatedanddedicatedbishopmadethedecisionto ordainperhaps200marriedmen...Hedeemed that necessary to bring the saving message of Christ to his people. He also consecrated as bishops a few married men: JanKrett,FridolinZahradnikandKarelChytil.

thehighlyclericalizedculturein whichwelivetodayinthe Catholicchurchstandsinstark contrasttotheearlychurch.

PopeJohnPaulIIin1980establishedthepastoralprovisions,a canonicalprocedureunderwhichEpiscopalpriests,evenifmar- ried,couldbecomeCatholicpriests.Anumberofhigh-profile marriedbishopconvertswerealsoadmittedundertheseprovisions:ClarenceC.PopeofFt.WorthTX,JeffreyStevensonof RioGrandeNm,DanHerzogofAlbanyNYandGraham LeonardofLondon.

InthepastfiftyyearsanumberofCatholicbishopsworld- widehavechosentomarry.TheyincludeJamesShannonof St.Paul,MN;RaymondDumaisofCanada;Jeronimo PodestaofArgentina,TamasSzaboofHungaryand EmmanuelMilingoofZambia,amongothers.Archbishop MilingosubsequentlyconsecratedasbishopsintheUnited Statesthefollowingmarriedpriests:PeterPaulBrennanof HempsteadNY,JosephGuthroofLasVegasNV,George AugustusStallingsJr.ofWashingtonDC,andPatrick TrujilloofNewarkNJ.AndPeterPaulBrennanhasrecently consecratedasbishopWilliamManseauofBostonMA.

Wheredowegofromhere? TheFuture

Thehighlyclericalizedcultureinwhichwelivetodayin the(Roman) CatholicChurchstandsinstarkcontrasttotheearly church.Bishopsarenolongerchosenbypriestsandpeople, butbyRome.Theyfunctionnotwithaccountabilitytothe people,butwithaccountabilitytoRome.Theiradvancement tolargerseesandtoprominentpositionsinthechurch dependsprincipallyontheirloyaltytoRome.Andthetenor attheepiscopallevelisparalleledattheparishlevel. Pastorsareappointedbythebishopalone,withnoinputfromthe people.Thepastorperceiveshimselfasaccountablenotto thepeople,buttothebishop.Andifheseekspromotiontoamoreprominentoffice,thepastormustseektopleasethebishop.

HowremovedallthisisfromthewordsofJesuswhospoke

directlytotheTwelvesaying:“Youknowthattherulersofthe

Gentileslorditoverthem,andtheirgreatmenexerciseauthori-

tyoverthem.ITSHALLNOTBESOAMONGYOU;but

whoeverwouldbegreatamongyoumustbeyourservant,and

whoeverwouldbefirstamongyoumustbeyourslave.”(St. Mt

20:25-27)

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NotwithoutmeritdidtheAmericanCatholiccouncil-two thousandwell-educatedfaithfulCatholicsgatheredinDetroitin June2011-affirminitsunanimouslyendorsedBillofrights: “EveryCatholicandeveryCatholiccommunityhastherightto meaningfulparticipationindecision-making,includingthe selectionofleaders.”Thisisinnowayaninnovation,buta restorationofawell-documentedtraditionintheCatholicChurch.AndCatholicsarebigontradition.

WhatemergesfromthewordsandexampleofChrist,andthe livedexperienceofdevoutfollowersofChristisapowerful image.Theessenceofdiscipleshipremainsforalltimeswhat Christtaughtus:“YoushalllovetheLordyourGodwithall yourheart,andwithallyoursoul,andwithallyourstrength, andwithallyourmind;andyourneighborasyourself.”(St. Lk10:27-28)Andbasedontheearlychurchexperience,so deeplyrootedinthescripturaladmonitions,wemustcon- cludethatmarriage,familyandwomanhoodstandatthe heartofChrist’smessage.

Marriage,basedinthemutualloveoftwohumanbeings,is reflectiveofthemysticalunionofGodandman.Howcanit besubordinatedamongitsleadersintheChristiancommuni- ty?Andfamily-mother,fatherandchildren-isreflectiveof thesublimelovewithintheTriuneGod.HowcanbasicfamilylifebeconsideredinimicaltoleadershipintheChristian community?Buttheessentialingredientinbothiswoman- equalintalent,equalindignityandequalinleadershipcapa- bility.Howcoulditbeotherwise?Untilthatisclearlyrecog- nized,therecanbenogenuinereformintheCatholic Church.SuchsurelyisthemindofChrist;suchsurelyisthe willoftheLivingGod.