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Category Archives: Holy Orders
Can the Bishop Refuse to Ordain Me Because I’m Too Old?
Q: I’m interested in becoming a permanent deacon, but the director of the program in my diocese says the upper age limit, which I have passed, is set by canon law. He wrote to me, “The upper age limit for … Continue reading
Posted in Clergy Issues, Holy Orders
Tagged canon law, Catholic, deacon, diaconate, ordain, ordination
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Why Can’t These Priests Ever Celebrate a Valid Catholic Wedding?
Q1: Can a laicized Catholic priest ever validly marry a Catholic couple? —Courtney Q2: My best friend is going to marry a divorced Catholic man, and she asked me to be a bridesmaid… her pastor said that her fiancé would … Continue reading
Posted in Holy Orders, Marriage, Sacraments
Tagged canon law, Catholic, marriage, priest, validity
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Can a Priest Have His Ordination Annulled?
Q: Some years ago my diocese had to settle a number of sex-abuse lawsuits, all involving the same priest. More recently I learned that in the chancery, the diocesan staff had considered making the claim that the priest’s ordination was … Continue reading
Posted in Clergy Issues, Holy Orders, Sacraments
Tagged canon law, Catholic, ordination, priest, validity
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What Do You Do With the Deacon Who Refuses to be Ordained a Priest?
Q1: We have a seminarian in our diocese, who spent a summer in my parish. He was expecting to become a priest several years ago, but the bishop declined to ordain him. Nobody knows why. Today he’s just a deacon … Continue reading
Posted in Clergy Issues, Holy Orders, Sacraments
Tagged canon law, Catholic, deacon, diaconate, ordination
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Why Would an Illegitimate Man be Barred from the Priesthood?
Q: I heard about a boy who wept when he found out that he could not be admitted to our local seminary. The reason I heard was because he was an illegitimate child. I also read in the Catholic Encyclopedia … Continue reading
Posted in Clergy Issues, Holy Orders
Tagged bishop, canon law, Catholic, illegitimate, ordination, priesthood, seminarian
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