The Vatican hierarchy recently invited members of the Anglican Church, including married Anglican priests, to join the Roman Catholic Church. Over 30,000 American Roman Catholic Priests have married in the last 40 years, but these have so far not been included in the invitation.

Over a half million people have been served by married Roman Catholic priests over the past 10 years, through their affiliation with CITI Ministries, Inc., a lay organization that promotes their availability via its website, www.rentapriest.com. Married priests have responded to requests for baptisms, first communion, first and subsequent marriages, anointing of the sick, funerals, anniversary celebrations and Eucharist services (Mass) in homes and elsewhere.

On October 15, 2009, CITI declared the next twelve months, The Year of the Married Priest, purpose of which is to honor especially married priests still exercising their ministry according to Canon Law (“once a priest, always a priest”). October 15 is the Feast Day of St. Teresa of Avila, a Carmelite nun who devoted her prayer life to the preservation of the Eucharist and the preservation of the priesthood with emphasis on integrity in the priesthood. She is the patron saint of married priests.

The early Christian church was served by a married priesthood. Priests, bishops and even popes were married until the year 1139. St. Peter, first church leader, was a married man. It has been documented that a major reason for the change was due to hierarchical need to own the homes of deceased priests. Women and children were in the way. (Thomas, Gordon. 1986. Desire and Denial: celibacy and the church)

Early activities planned during CITI’s celebration of The Year of Married Priest include a conference for priests’ wives in 2010. There will also be a special section on the rentapriest website that features a monthly spiritual message from different married priests. In addition, the story of the origin of CITI/rentapriest, a 501.c3 nonprofit ministry that was founded in 1992, is beginning to be told on the blog www.rentaprieststory.blogspot.com.

CITI is asking Catholics and others who have been served by married priests to write urging the Vatican to open the married priest invitation to our own as well. Contact information: His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, Apostolic Palace, 00120 Vatican City State, Europe; Email: BenedictXVI@vatican.va.

John Shuster, Married Catholic Priest, 360-949-2055