In recent years and decades, there have been exceptions to the Latin law of celibacy. An increasing number of married non-Catholic priest and ministers who have converted to Catholicism and have sought to become priests have been granted special permission to be ordained and function as Roman Catholic priests in North America and Europe.
In general, the Eastern Catholic Rites follow a different tradition from that of the Latin Rite. In the Eastern Rites, married men may be ordained both to the deaconate and to the priesthood, but not to the episcopate. However, widowers may become Bishops. No marriage is allowed after ordination to any of the three orders.
While the above is true for most of the Eastern Catholic Rites, for some of them Western-style celibacy has become the rule as a result of strong Latin influence. In the Syro-Malabar Rite, priests must be celibate. This had also become the rule for the Syrians in 1888, and for the Copts in 1899, except in the case of converts from Orthodoxy. The Abyssinians also require priestly celibacy, but Bishops may grant a dispensation.
Another major exception to the Eastern Catholic tradition is the restriction that has been imposed on clerical marriage in the Americas and Australia. In 1929, the decree _Cum data fuerit_ prohibited the ordination of married men to the priesthood in the Americas and Australia. One lamentable result of this decree was the schism of a large number of Eastern Rite Catholics affect by it.
Since this decree has been issued, there have been attempts on the part of the Eastern Catholic Rites affected by it to have it repealed in order to be able to practice the Eastern tradition of ordaining married men. However, these efforts have not been successful.
But in spite of this, some Eastern Catholic Bishops in North America have been able to obtain married priests, partly through immigration, and partly by taking trained seminarians to Europe for ordination, and bringing them back for service. Apparently, married priests who were sent abroad for ordination are considered to be "on loan" in North America, and therefore they do not require a special dispensation from the Holy See.
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Most of the information in this articles is based on the following
sources:
Babych, Art. "Ukrainian bishop fights to hold eparchy." _National
Catholic Reporter_ 24 September 1993: 7.
Babych, Art. "Lawsuit filed as two bishops battle for see." _National
Catholic Reporter_ 4 Feb 1994: 8.
"Celibacy, Canon Law of." _New Catholic Encyclopedia_. 1967 ed.
"Celibacy, History of." _New Catholic Encyclopedia_. 1967 ed.
Fichter, Joseph. _The Pastoral Provisions--Married Catholic Priests_.
Kansas City: Sheed & Ward, 1989.
"On File." _Origins_. vol. 5. 1976. p. 694.