Married Iowa Man Allowed to Become a Catholic Priest; Says he Will Practice Celibacy

Chris Young began teaching high school students years ago in Tuscon, Ariz. After attending seminary to become an Episcopalian priest, he also taught in Southern California. These days, Young is married and has three children. He will become a priest in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport on June 7. (Larry Fisher, Quad City Times)

An Iowa man will remain married when he’s ordained this summer as a priest in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport.

Chris Young, who has been married 29 years, will join the Catholic clergy thanks to a 1980 dispensation from Pope John Paul II, according to the Quad-City Times. The pastoral provision, applies to former clergy of the Episcopal Church.

The 53-year-old Young will be one of about 100 men in the U.S. who became Catholic priests through such a process.

Young was a lifelong Episcopalian until eight years ago and had served as priest at Christ Episcopal Church in Moline, Ill., but says he was drawn to “unequivocally belong to the church that our Lord himself had founded.”

Young said he’ll practice celibacy upon becoming a Catholic priest. His wife, Jody Young, said it’s an unusual change but one she accepts.

SOURCE: The Associated Press