Former Anglican priest to be ordained as P.E.I.'s first married Catholic priest

From Canada-

For the first time in P.E.I., a married man was to be ordained as a Roman Catholic priest on Sunday.

Martin Carter, 63, said the Pope occasionally grants special permission for married men to become priests in cases where they've converted from other Christian churches.

The former Anglican clergyman said the church has made provisions for some cases, but he doesn't anticipate a shift in the traditional approach to priests marrying.

"Not that there is anything wrong with marriage, it's a status of life, but for the work of the church, the church becomes your bride in a sense," he said.

"That's a church law and there can be some exceptions."
Carter's ordination was to take place in an evening mass at St. Dunstan's Basilica in Charlottetown.

He said married men have been able to seek permission to be ordained for about 30 years.
About a dozen married men have been ordained in Canada in that time, and there's about 100 cases in the United States, he said.

The exception doesn't just apply to Anglican priests. Carter said he's heard of instances where married Lutheran and Baptist priests became Roman Catholic priests.

However, the father of three grown children said it's still rare, and he doesn't expect there will be a rapid growth in the number of married Catholic priests.

"It's not that common and it probably won't be ever that common," he said Saturday from Charlottetown.

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