Why can oriental priests be married and those of the West are prohibited?

The permanent deacon can be married as long as it is ordered more than five years after the marriage, that the wife authorizes, in writing, the husband to take this post and that the couple keep a routine consistent with Christian values. If the deacon becomes widowed, he cannot marry again.

The Bible does not prohibit marriage, but does not recommend it to those who intend to become a religious leader. “The man who is not married worries about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But the married man cares about the things of this world, how to please his wife, and is divided,” wrote the apostle Paul in letters to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 7: 32-35).

For Christianity, the priest represents Jesus Christ, who was chaste and single. By remaining this way, the priests get closer to their model figure. But celibacy became mandatory only from the Lateran Council in 1123.

In addition to the Roman Catholic Church, there are 23 denominations of Catholic churches with oriental rites, such as the Maronite Church, the Syriac Catholic Church, the Melquita Greco-Catholic Church and the Caldeia Catholic Church, which concentrate their faithful in countries such as India, Ukraine, Lebanon and Syria.

In 21 of these 23 churches, priests can be married-unique exceptions are the two Indian, Siro-Malabar and Siro-Malancar Catholic churches.

In these 21, the rule is the same as the deacons of the Roman Catholic Church: the married man can be ordained priest, but the priest cannot marry. Thus, if a single man is ordained priest, he can no longer marry. And if the priest (ordained after marriage) becomes widowed, he cannot marry again.