Frequently asked questions
1. Are priests allowed to marry?
Yes. Celibacy is not part of our idea. We believe that our priests should be people who
lead lives just as any other. They should be able to have families of their own.
Furthermore, as any member of the Rite may become a priest, irrespective whether or not
they intend to become officiants at public services, our idea of the priesthood is really
about being in society and not separated from it.
2. Do you also ordain women?
Yes. Even though the orthodox catholic view opposes this, we believe that it was never
the intention to exclude women from the apostolic succession. We also believe that the
feminine aspect was never meant to be excluded from the image of divinity either. We
believe in a God who is neither male nor female and at the same time both masculine and
feminine. We believe that the priesthood is a function that all humanity is imbued with.
Unfortunately it lies dormant in most, but every man or woman has the ability to activate
such priesthood.
3. Who gets paid and where does the money come from?
Nobody is paid for their services. Of course there are expenses that need to be
covered. These are all paid for by voluntary gifts. We do not charge a tarif in order for
someone to receive a sacrament. We believe that sacramental power is given freely to the
priests and bishops of our rite and that they should in their turn give the sacraments
freely to whoever asks for them. A priest or bishop may however charge a reasonable hourly
rate for the time expended, if the service falls outside the ordinary schedule of
public services. As they need to give up time otherwise spent in earning a living, this is
nothing more than reasonable. Some priests and bishops make a living out of weddings,
funerals, etc., next to their regular (Sunday) services.
4. What is the view on vegetarianism, teetotaling, etc?
The Young Rite prefers its celebrants to abstain from consuming alcohol,
smoking and eating meat. The reality is that this lifestyle is not everyone's cup of tea.
Neither does the Young Rite wish to prescribe, as we are primarily a group in which own
responsibility and own choice is paramount. So we do not limit anyone's freedom of choice
in this respect either.
