He can't end it, he will always be a priest. This excludes the priests who have been removed from the priesthood by the Vatican because of public scandal. It would, however, be illicit. Practically speaking, this would mean that a priest no longer functioned outwardly as a priest. She founded this website to provide clear answers to canonical questions asked by ordinary Catholics, without employing all the mysterious legalese that canon lawyers know and love. The prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for Clergy said Wednesday that priests with children should leave the priesthood and fulfill their parental responsibilities. But in any case, a previously-laicized priest returning to ministry would not be ordained again, as he would still be an ordained priest already. The fact that it is impossible to “un-ordain” a priest explains the otherwise curious wording of canon 976. First, no priest ever leaves the priesthood. This means that practically speaking, while a priest can receive permission to leave the active priesthood, he frequently will not receive permission to marry. Similarly, canon 290 of the Code of Canon Law states bluntly that once a man validly receives sacred ordination, the sacrament never becomes invalid. Soon he was the only priest assigned to his church, living alone in the rectory, which isn’t uncommon as the Catholic Church faces a priest shortage … So if David has in fact met one or more married men who have said that they were former … Unsigned/anonymous questions are not read, much less answered (why is it necessary even to mention this?). The fact that one nevertheless occasionally encounters an “ex-priest” would therefore appear to be a contradiction. Through the ministry of the priest, Christ’s lay faithful are nourished with the Word of Life and the Bread of Life; their sanctification makes possible the sanctification of the world. When (and How Much) Can a Bishop Tax a Parish. Answer Save. marries in a non-Catholic ceremony without receiving any permission from proper church authorities, the marriage will not be recognized by the Catholic Church as a valid marriage anyway (see “Can a Catholic Ever Get Married in a Non-Catholic Church?” for further discussion about the canonical form of marriage).Thus this terminology is very exact. For any number of reasons, he may conclude that he cannot continue living the life of a priest. You can leave because you’re not married yet. But sometimes, hopefully in rare cases, an ordained priest finds himself in crisis and unable to cope. Some of them joined because their fathers ir mothers had the vocation, not them. Relevance. So what happens when a priest leaves the priesthood? Even the Pope himself starting out as a humble seminarian. We too should pray for those priests who have left the active ministry, that if possible, they will return to the vocation to which they were called and exercise the great gift of priesthood they have received. a) A priest/pastoral coordinator will be eligible for a sabbatical after each ten years of service in or for the diocese. Can I leave the priesthood if I want, and is there any support if I do? Favorite Answer. Topics I believe there needs to be more emphasis on the theological truth, goodness, and beauty of the Catholic priesthood. When a man is ordained he makes a commitment for life. One can leave and later be officially laicized, but that does not mean they cannot make a free decision to pursue a different life before that. But in theory, if a laicized priest were to say Mass, it would be a valid Mass, since he never loses the ability to celebrate the Eucharist. Refusing First Holy Communion to Children Who Are Ill-Prepared, Ecclesia Supplet: Making Invalid Sacraments Valid, Invalid Baptisms and Unaccountable Clergy. Even though the cleric has been laicized and no longer functions as a deacon, priest, or bishop, he still has the sacramental character of Holy Orders. b) Every reasonable effort will be made to provide sabbatical leave for individual priests/pastoral coordinators when requested. You cannot be unbaptized and you cannot erase the Sacrament of priesthood. If they are called to married life, then after a period of discernment they should leave. Instead, he would make a good confession and receive absolution, and then make a Profession of Faith. Why would a priest lose the clerical state? No priest, obviously, would undertake this commitment lightly. What Happens When a Religious Who’s Vowed Poverty Becomes a Bishop? . Re-post: Confession and General Absolution. All rights reserved. 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