First married Catholic priest ordained in Buffalo, NY under papal celibacy exception rule

like ive always said,its a chameleon,it will adapt,sickening.

Eiriamach, while I can't buy into SD's comments, I must commend your own. However, do let me offer a slightly different perspective. As an ardent though dissident Catholic myself, I hope what's happening will by the law of unintended consequences result in FORCING more inclusive acceptance into the Church. Sometimes all it takes is a few cracks in the door to let in some fresh air and sunshine; I stand ready with my own little hatchet to help in that way. The more declining membership and clergy force the admission of already-married clergy, the sooner those who entered service under the celibacy rules will demand equal rights. The Church may have grown creaky with age, but it's made up of people, and the vast majority demand freedom. (Not license; that's another story.) God bless 'em, the Jesuits might even lead the charge. Wouldn't that be a beautiful sight?

The Anglican priests fleeing change in their churches by entering the ordinariates set up by the Vatican don't seem to mind that they are buying into a profound change -- not for themselves but for the next generation of their priests. Those who enter the ordinariates as married priests may stay married, but all new priest candidates in the ordinariates must be celibate. What kind of "unchanging tradition" are they safeguarding for their brethren? And what other changes will the Vatican impose on the ordinariates?

@Jacers, like other converts from Anglican churches, Fr Cornelius does not deal well with change or with Christianity as an inclusive community. He left his Episcopalian ministry because ECUSA had ordained gay males and women. He explained to a Boston newspaper, “I’m a traditionalist in a lot of ways.” He has never said publicly that he found the one true faith in the Catholic Church. In fact, he had also affiliated with Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Baha'i, and Hare Krishna before he settled into his current stodginess. For people like Fr Cornelius, religion is a set of unchanging cultic practices that provide a psychological barrier against the civic virtue of justice and the theological virtue of inclusive love. Jesus prayed for a unified church, not churches divided by politics, not tradition vs reform, but 'ecclesia semper reformanda.'

The NY Daily News is a rag sheet. It would be the height of absurdity to believe them (or Faux TV) about anything. Ridiculous as the Church can be sometimes, they're not so foolish.

The N.Y. Daily News printed a shocking article today. It said that Father John Cornelius would be prohibited from sleeping with his wife, once he is ordained! Can anyone verify if this is true? If so, it is the height of absurdity, which the new priest should openly defy. "Yes, I slept with my wife: what are you going to do about it, Bishop, Cardinal, or even Pope Benedict XVI"? If he is then kicked out of the priesthood, the Church will be ridiculed mercilessly!

I guess if the article had been more grammatically correct, it would have been ok, but he may be the first Buffalo Episcopal Minister to be made a priest, but a newfound relative Rev. Scott Caton of Rochester, NY, predates him. We're both descended from John Gilligan.

As an ardent if dissident Catholic, I wish to remind everyone that many of the earliest clergy WERE married, and the official prohibition against married clergy didn't come along for quite a few centuries. Don't ask me exactly when, I've just had my meds; look it up for yourself. It's there. Besides, many of the early church fathers including more than one on the Seat of St. Peter went forth and were fruitful w/o benefit of marriage; so where does the moral authority originate to burden any servant of God with required celibacy? I rather prefer it myself at this stage of life, but it is a personal choice. Besides, with all the pedophile scandal - which cannot be laid at the door of celibacy, btw - the Pope and magisterium pretty well lost their iron grip on the faithful. I'd rather stay with the church and help cleanse it, but I'll not live my life under the rule of those with no room to preach to the rest of us. Actually, I stay as much for the sake of honest and good priests past, present, and future, as for any other reason. I could switch to high-church Episcopal w/o batting an eye; they'll even let me keep my saints and devotion to Mary. Regardless, for many reasons it's crucial to the health of the Catholic church to bless priests who marry even AFTER ordination.

This is incorrect. Father Van K Thompson, and episcopal priest who taught at Providence College in Rhode Island, Was ordained a catholic priest.He was married an had children,who went to catholic school.There have been many ordinations of married men in the united states.

Pardon me mistypo in - “Go tell everyone…” That appears to have been His choice and I, and nobody else as well have a say in that choice" It should read "not" ...

(…more) On the third part of Scott’s post, I agree – there is nothing except RCC Canon Law (which is changeable) to stop married men being priests, or being unmarried priests and being allowed to marry… and perhaps the day may yet come when Canon Law changes to allow them to go about Christ’s mission if they are called to do so in those ways. I trust in the Holy Spirit of Wisdom’s guidance on that for now and in the future.

(…more) On the third part of Scott’s post, I agree – there is nothing except RCC Canon Law (which is changeable) to stop married men priests, or being priests and being allowed to marry… and perhaps the day may yet come when Canon Law changes to allow them to go about Christ’s mission if they are called to do so in that way. I trust in the Holy Spirit of Wisdom’s guidance on that for now and in the future.

(…more) I encourage all to visit Mary Magdalene’s cave (plan to linger at your leisure, after the time it takes you to get there, for a few hours when you get there, say 3-5 hrs all-in, including some thought-time, which is unbelievably unavoidable for non-believers, or prayer-time or refreshing tea or beer time; I did it in 3.5 hrs, excluding beer time. Be ready, though, for the walking climb up to the cave and back down again! – take the easy route built for the once-time kings and queens of Europe on their pilgrimage route to San Diego de Compestela. I took the easy route up to the cave and the gloriously enjoyable old real and (back in old times) only original hard route up and down, back down through the forest (tough walking shoes/boots only, none of them pretty fashion shoes on yr feet advised; lotsa steep stone-stepping involved in the forest route, great for sport adventurers like me). Alternatively, you can choose the hard way up (Steep leg muscle-sapping stepping, 1 hr) or the easy way down (a stroll down the gentle hill of kings and queens), both clearly marked and shown by signs for yr choice. Also visit the local church in the convent on the grassy plain below the Ste Baume Mountain, where you can see nuns daily constantly honouring Mary Magdalene. (… even more on Scott’s post)

(…more) (flippn’ repeats!) I once visited the cave where Mary Magdalene lived out her last 30yrs of life as a hermit, in the mountains of Ste Baume in France (Google Earth it) and I saw her skull in the nearby town of Sainte Maxime, named after her close friend Maxime, the first ‘bishop’ of that area of Sth France, who buried her in a stone casket beneath the church he raggedly built as was normal in his day. (The traditional historical story told by the people who live in the area there has it that she died in Maxime’s arms. The spot where she died is still marked to this day by an old, beautifully carved and engraved Roman column that was part of the old Roman towngate, which was preserved by all the Christians living in the area throughout the centuries since (despite development of other things around it, like its immediate fast-moving traffic road, feranbegawd’s sake, no chance to stop and take a photo of it). It still stands to this day for all to see as you enter the now-big town of Ste Maxime. I saw the column (almost missed seeing it but be jaysus wasn’t I lucky to see it as I drove by it into the town to visit St. Maxime’s Church where St Mary Magdalene’s skull can be seen by all, at no price charge. (Even more on Scott’s post…)

@ ScottMcGowan: Great truth in the first part of yr post but the second bit regarding women priests is unfortunately just a never-achievable aspiration for many of us lay Catholics – a true test of our humility before God’s judgement against our own wishful human-equality thinking. As for Mary Magdalene, who was called the “Apostle of the Apostles” by St. Thomas Aquinas, you have to remember that “Apostle” means Messenger. St Mary Magdalene was the one who carried the message of Christ’s Resurrection to the others… she was the Messenger (of the Resurrection) to the Appointed Messengers to the world, the ones that our Lord appointed to “Go tell everyone…” That appears to have been His choice and I, and nobody else as well have a say in that choice, not even the Vatican and other Catholic Churces Popes have either. In fact, she was the “Apostle TO the Apostles”. (More…)