Married man becomes Maronite Catholic priest in US

A married
priest has
been ordained
by the
Maronite
Catholic
Church in the
United States
for the first
time in nearly
a century. His
wife and
daughter were on hand to support him.
Wissam Akiki was welcomed by hundreds of
supporters during a ceremony Thursday night at
St. Raymond's Maronite Cathedral in St. Louis. He
called it a "historic day" and said he had been
given two great blessings: marriage to his wife of
10 years, Manal, and "the dream to serve the Lord
thanks and church as a priest."
Maronites are among more than a dozen Eastern
Catholic church groups in the U.S. that accept the
authority of the pope but have many of their own
rituals and liturgy.
Eastern Catholic churches in the Middle East and
Europe ordain married men. But the Vatican
banned the practice in America in the 1920s, after
Latin-rite bishops complained it was confusing for
parishioners.
Pope John Paul II called for greater acceptance of
Eastern Catholic traditions, and over the years
popes have made exceptions on a case-by-case
basis for married men to become Eastern Catholic
priests in America. Pope Francis gave permission
for Akiki to be ordained.
"Almost half of our priests in Lebanon are married,
so it's not an unusual event in the life of the
Maronite church, though in the United States it is,"
said Deacon Louis Peters, chancellor at St.
Raymond's.
The ordination ceremony featured several bishops
from within the Maronite rite. Many members of
the St. Raymond's congregation are of Lebanese
descent, and many of the prayers, hymns and
readings were in Arabic.
Members of the church said they were ready to
welcome the new priest.
"He'll be a wonderful priest," said 54-year-old Linda
Hill. "The fact that he's married will be exciting for
the church. It's tradition in the old country. I guess
we're finally catching up to the old country."
Stephanie Baker, a 57-year-old lifelong member of
the church, agreed.
"I really think it sets a precedent," Baker said.
"There are a lot of people who have it (the
priesthood) in their hearts. This opens it up for
other people."
That remains to be seen. Peters said the pope's
action does not lift the ban on married priests in
the U.S., but that it's simply an exception
Experts, too, cautioned against reading too much
into it.
"This is certainly not an automatic indication that
the mandate of celibacy within Roman rite will be
overturned," said Randy Rosenberg, a theological
studies professor at Saint Louis University.
Akiki, 41, emigrated from Lebanon in 2002, and
almost immediately became a subdeacon at St.
Raymond's, ascending to deacon in 2009. It was
about a year-and-a-half ago that he and the church
petitioned the Vatican to allow him to enter the
priesthood.
Akiki completed seminary studies at Holy Spirit
University in Lebanon, Our Lady of Lebanon
Maronite Seminary in Washington, D.C., and the
Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis.
He and his wife have one daughter, 8-year-old
Perla. She read a brief prayer at her father's
ordination.
Peters said that in the most recent Maronite
Patriarchal Synod, the church reaffirmed its
position in support of allowing married priests, a
tradition that, worldwide, dates back centuries.
In a statement, the Archdiocese of St. Louis
congratulated Akiki.
"The Archdiocese of St. Louis values its strong
relationship with the Maronite community in St.
Louis," the statement read in part.
Those attending the ordination applauded the new
priest several times, which clearly left him moved.
"It is a day of grace and of joy," he said.
Sent From David Aniemeka