WI: Priests can marry but not become bishops
- Thread starter acgoldis
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I was to comment that, like Orthodox churches, maybe we got more priests and less bishops meaning an early dislocation with people. We could see an earlier reform ittl
You're both wrong Married men can be ordained but once ordained priests cannot marry in the Orthodox churches
Yeah, whatever your current status is when you are ordained is what you have to stay as. So men who want to be married and have families need to get married before they get ordained.
That's pretty much OTL*. The Eastern rite churches ordain married men, and the Latin Rite occasionally makes exceptions such as converted Anglican priests.
* A married man can be ordained but an ordained man cannot marry.
* A married man can be ordained but an ordained man cannot marry.
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Yes, but there would be many widower bishops. About 10 percent of Orthodox bishops are widowers, are rarely, ecclesiastical divorces (i.e. wife becomes a nun). Even until the 7th century there were Bishops with wives that if my memory serves me right, even lived with them (canons required taking care of one's wife). And so, theoretically this canon can be reversed simply because it is disciplinary. However, theoretically bishops who cohabitated with their wives were not supposed to be sleeping with them.
Apostolic Canon 6:
Let not a bishop, presbyter, or deacon, put away his wife under pretence of religion; but if he put her away, let him be excommunicated; and if he persists, let him be deposed.
Canon 12 of Trullo:
Moreover this also has come to our knowledge, that in Africa and Libya and in other places the most God-beloved bishops in those parts do not refuse to live with their wives, even after consecration, thereby giving scandal and offense to the people. Since, therefore, it is our particular care that all things tend to the good of the flock placed in our hands and committed to us — it has seemed good that henceforth nothing of the kind shall in any way occur. And we say this, not to abolish and overthrow what things were established of old by Apostolic authority, but as caring for the health of the people and their advance to better things, and lest the ecclesiastical state should suffer any reproach.
Canon 48 of Trullo:
The wife of him who is advanced to the Episcopal dignity, shall be separated from her husband by their mutual consent, and after his ordination and consecration to the episcopate she shall enter a monastery situated at a distance from the abode of the bishop, and there let her enjoy the bishop's provision. And if she is deemed worthy she may be advanced to the dignity of a deaconess.
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I believe exceptions do get made on a case-by-case basis for widowed priests with children who wish to remarry (similarly to widowed priests in the Eastern Catholic churches, and widowed permanent deacons in the RCC).
Bishops have bishoprics, what to lower level priests have?
I'd assume the position and property of those lower level priests would end up being inherited in families.
What will it mean for nobility, since you have to make sure unwanted heirs become bishops at least to avoid descendants popping up later.
I'd assume the position and property of those lower level priests would end up being inherited in families.
What will it mean for nobility, since you have to make sure unwanted heirs become bishops at least to avoid descendants popping up later.
Parishes.
For nobility, it means more sons joining the religious orders specifically.