Kiev
The New York Times has discovered the existence of an Eastern Catholic Church with a married clergy. Today’s issue contains a good article on Father Yuriy Volevetskiy and his six children.
The Times is also correct in that the attitude of the Vatican is more of toleration of the Eastern (or Greek Catholic) churches rather than an acknowledgment of their equal status.
At the insistence of the Irish-American bishops, the Vatican would not allow Eastern Catholic Churches in the United States to have married clergy, a prohibition which may still be in effect, although the Eastern Churches have started to ignore it.
I have heard stories that in the 1950s Eastern Catholic children were not allowed to receive communion in Latin churches, and just a few years ago the Baltimore Archdiocese claimed that a school stared by a Eastern Catholic parish was not a Catholic school because it was not under the jurisdiction of the Latin archdiocese of Baltimore.
The Eastern Catholics, as the Times stated, are only about 2% of the entire Catholic church, and the general Latin attitude to them does not bode well for good relations with Orthodoxy.
The Greek Catholic priests wisely shied away from any discussion of celibacy, especially in relation to the sexual abuse scandals in the Church.
All in all, I do not think that celibacy is the source of the abuse. Male sexuality and pathological narcissism are the sources of the abuse, and human irresponsibility, male and female, is the source of the toleration of abuse. Anglican and Episcopal churches have seen sexual abuse committed by married priests, and have tolerated it just as Catholic bishops have.
Celibacy brings problems, but so does a married clergy, as any married Protestant pastor can explain. The wife must be a good example, and the teenagers must not be rebellious (hah!). And then what do you with divorced priests or priests who have done something wrong but their families must also suffer any penalties the bishop imposes?
The Catholic Church is serious about reunion with the Eastern Orthodox. We have actually already reunited twice (in the 13th and again in the 15th century), but the reconciliation was in each case short-lived. There seems to be more openness than ever on the Orthodox side, let’s hope the current crisis doesn’t scare them away. As well, it’s essential Rome honors what was proclaimed about the Eastern Churches by the Second Vatican Council regarding their self-government and traditions. There is much beauty and strength in these Churches and a reunion could bring much vitality to the Catholic Church.
Some of the autocephalus Eastern Orthodox Churches are watching to see if Pope John Paul II is canonized.Also, certain Eastern Rite Catholic priests and Bishops are doing the same and wondering.
The late Pope’s action at the former Assisi Prayer Meeting was considered a scandal. By kissing the Koran he implied that a religion which does not recognize Jesus Christ as God, is acceptable to Christians . The Apostles said something quite different in the Scriptures.