Kkottongnae to the World.

Happy anniversary kkottongnae
사랑합니다!

Stages of Formation in Religious Life.
♥Consider ★Religious★Life♥

Though the names and duration of the phases can vary, there are similarities among the stages of formation in a religious congregation. Much of the formation of religious is governed by Canon Law as well as by the Constitutions of the order.

Aspirancy /Candidacy/Postulancy

Becoming an aspirant means that you “aspire” to join an order. In this stage you would continue with your regular life, while growing in your knowledge and experiences with the order. It is a time of mutual discernment: the order with you and you with the order.

Postulancy

Postulancy refers to “one who asks,” and marks your official entry to an order. As a postulant you would live and pray with the order, take classes to learn more about the order and religious life, and could participate in apostolic works of the order.

Novitiate

The purpose of the novitiate is to prepare you to live a vowed life. It's a time to deepen in knowledge of the order's charism and spirituality, as well as of the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience. At the end of novitiate, with the approval of the order, you would profess your temporary vows.

Temporary Vows

The mutual discernment process continues after the first profession of poverty, chastity and obedience. You would still be in formation, learning about the order as well as particular skills you might need as a member (i.e., teaching or nursing). Participating more deeply in the life of the community, both the spiritual and apostolic dimensions, help to solidify your relationship with God as well as to clarify your call. You may renew the temporary vows, and after a period of time (3-6 years) and confirmation of your call by both you and the order, you would profess perpetual or solemn vows.

Perpetual Vows/Solemn Profession

Solemn Profession is a public declaration of your commitment and intention to give yourself completely to God and to the service of others though the specific charism of your order. The perpetual vows of poverty, chastity and obedience constitute a radical commitment for life which predetermines all other choices.

Formation as a religious continues beyond solemn profession, in order to help you continue growing in your relationship with God, your knowledge of the faith and of the spirituality of the congregation.

DO YOU KNOW KKOTTONGNAE?
[Fr John Oh Woong-jin-Founder]

It was night. I came across a brother who was lying on a dark street corner, moaning in the rain. As i drove on in the rain, with him now in my car, my heart was constricted with pain. I had this same experience many times after this incident.

"Even if you have only some strength to beg for food, it is a gift of God's grace"

When the beggars fall ill, they die on the street without anyone's knowledge. We urgently need a place to rest their bodies and souls. The place we desperately need is a Kkottongnae- a house of salvation in to prepare the beggars for eternal life, a house of resurrection to help them meet their death in peace.

Kkottongnae is not for sentimentality. The purpose of Kkottongnae is to protect and nurse the poor with our warm heart and love.

As small streams naturally forms a big river, i am convinced that our voluntary and active brotherly love will create a beautiful Kkottongnae. Let us give the courage to live and the joy of resurrection to these brothers and sisters in misfortune who are alienated and held in contempt. Love in Action.

Story of Uganda Kkottongnae

Foundation Background
A delegation of Kkottongnae Korea visited Uganda in Jan 2007 to assess the situation of the nation. They looked around not only the national medical center and AIDS clinics, but also shelters for AIDS patients located in rural areas. They witnessed the harsh reality of Bangladesh. As much as six percent of the population was suffering from AIDS. Furthermore, young children with the disease were only waiting for death, while being unable to go to school because their family could not afford the school fee, as little as five dollars. Afterwards, with the invitation of Ugandan Archbishop Paul K. Bakyenga of Mbarara Archdiocese to build Kkottongnae here, the Ugandan community started on May 30, 2007. Facilities for AIDS patients were constructed first, focused on fighting AIDS.

Since then, Uganda Kkottongnae is being operated by two brothers and two sisters of the Kkottongnae congregation. They concentrate on child education, taking care of 22 orphans with AIDS. They had rented a house from Yesu Ahuriire Community belonging to Mbarara Archdiocese before the completion of House of Love. Mbarara Archdiocese sits in a remote area, at an altitude of 1500 m, 29 km away from the capital city of Kampala. On Jan 9, 2009, Kkottongnae House of Love was built in Mbarara Archdiocese, paving the way for materializing the idea of Kkottongnae : Get rich by emptying yourself under God.

In order to spread the ’love spirit’, additional land for more welfare and education facilities was needed. Archbishop of Mbarara Archdiocese agreed to lease a substantial amount of land to Kkottongnae, allowing a building construction for a period of 20 years. The rental cost is only one dollar a year.

Love in ActionKkottongnae Bangladesh
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

Kkottongnae; a home of Love.
I love only you whether you are sinful or not.
(Fr john Oh- Kkottongnae founder)

Engrave my words on your mind.
I love only you.
I love only you even when you are still a sinner.
Just as I love you no matter what you have done, love anyone you meet no matter what they have done. Let all the people know my love personally.

Kkottongnae Spirituality House of Love

Founding Background and Purpose
Modern people, living in an era of advanced technologies and abundant wealth, feel scarcity in the midst of plenty. That is because material wealth does not make your life rich. What people in this time need is a spiritual living. Kkottongnae Spirituality House of Love (Our Father’s House) was designed to let you know that our Lord perfectly loves you and lead you to experience God. The house is a retreat center for spiritual renewal, opened to priests and religious brothers and sisters as well as to general people, while Training Institute of Love is a place for learning for general people.

Oh Most Merciful God, hear my cry and look to me with your merciful eyes. I may not be worthy of your presence Lord, but I strip myself of all connection to fleshly desires and bind myself to you. Father, show mercy upon me and stretch your hand towards me in time of need. Please, do not forsake me, hear me when I call, heal me of my pains, and set me up to live and proclaim your glory. Amen.

Kkottongnae Training Institute of Love
Founding Purpose

Our Lord is love.

Due to lack of love among ourselves, the poor people are left behind and some of them become even unable to beg for food. Training Institute of Love aims to address the main cause of the love deficiency. In so doing, we help bring happiness to individuals, families, nations, and further mankind. First of all, we try to let people understand the serious consequences coming from lack of love and then teach them to learn what true love is and how they can practice love in daily life.

History of Bangladesh Kkottongnae

The facility of the community is Kkottongnae House of Love.

Foundation Background

On Aug 24, 2004, four bishops from Bangladesh visited South Korea to attend a regular general assembly held in Daejon Catholic University. During the session they heard about Kkottongnae and decided to look around Eumsung Kkottongnae. The bishops were extremely impressed and amazed, seeing Kkottongnae family members smile all the time, despite their poor health condition. Besides, all the people serving them such as volunteers, workers, religious brothers and sisters did their work willingly and voluntarily. They immediately invited the Congregation of Kkottongnae brothers and sisters to their country, hoping that they could take advice in saving their own people in abject poverty.

Two brothers and two sisters of the Kkottongnae congregation flied to Bangladesh to respond to the bishops’ request, on Feb 22, 2006. Finally, Bangladesh Kkottongnae was founded. Bangladesh has been known for one of the poorest nations in the world. Strangely, however, the nation tops the list by far, when it comes to happiness index.

The dispatched brothers and sisters are exerting all their efforts to sow the seeds of love, in the hope of watching them grow. Poverty cannot stop them as they fully understand the value of sharing what they have with have-nots and the mechanism of true happiness and Jesus’ love. Even today, they pray and dream about ’what is not impossible’ : becoming one in love under God.

History of Kkottongnae University.

Founded 1998 as Kkottongnae Hyundo University of Social Welfare. Acquired present title 2011. Accreditation: Korean Council for University Education (KCUE) Funding: Private Grades 2 Bachelor's Degree, Master's Degree or equivalent Languages 1 Korean Divisions 2 Social Welfare Graduate School Fields of study: Business Administration, Social Welfare, Social Work, Welfare and Protective Services Social Work College Fields of study: Administration, Psychology, Social Welfare, Social Work

Kkottongnae University or 꽃동네대학교 (KHUSW) - private higher education institution in South Korea. KHUSW became active in 1997. The main campus of the university is located in Cheongju-si. Kkottongnae University is one of the top educational institutions in South Korea that never leaves the country’s top 5 places to study. Kkottongnae University ranks in the national rating of South Korea, this impressive result was achieved in less then 25 years.

Infrastructure of KHUSW. The library is available to all of the students. Kkottongnae University has a variety of sports facilities which might be important to many students.

Brief History of India Kkottongnae

Foundation Background

In 2007, a delegate of Kkottongnae Korea visited India, which is one of the four cradles of ancient civilization, boasting numerous cultural heritages and remarkable figures like Mahatma Ghandi and Mother Teresa. Marking the 31st anniversary of Kkottongnae foundation under the slogan : Kkottongnae to the world, the world to Kkottongnae, the visit was made as part of an effort to build Kkottongnae in India. On Nov 10, 2008, two sisters of Kkottongnae congregation were sent to India to perform ministry. They are witnessing God to the Indian people by practicing Jesus’ love in joy on a daily basis. Currently at St. Joseph’s Old Age Home Sachivothampuram.

The facility that this community has is St. Joseph Facility for the elderly. The person in charge is Sr. Kim, Duk-soon of the Congregation of Kkottongnae Sisters of Jesus

3,0 clock prayer of Divine Mercy.
Why do we pray Divine Mercy prayer?.
Writen by Prince Chidi Philip.
Divine Mercy is a prayer of mercy for our sins and the sins of the whole world that our Lord Jesus Christ gave to us through His servant Saint Maria Faustina. The main purpose of this wonderful prayer of divine mercy prayer is to appease for the just anger of the Holy Trinity. We plead for Gods mercy both for ourself and for the whole world 🌎.

The the recitation of Divine Mercy prayer, we also receive great mercy at the hour of death. We mostly recite the divine mercy prayer at 3,0 clock because it is the hour of the death of our Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins. Through this prayer, we immerse ourselves in the passion of jesus and pray with great love and gratitude to Him, thanking Him for His love for us. We pray both for ourselves and for all sinner.
For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

The Promise Of The Grace Of Mercy For The Dying
"It pleases me to grant everything souls ask of me by saying the chaplet. When hardened sinners say it, I will fill their souls with peace, and the hour of their death will be a happy one. Write this for the benefit of distressed souls; when a soul sees and realises the gravity of its sins, when the whole abyss of the misery into which it immersed itself is displayed before its eyes, let it not despair, but with trust, let it throw itself into the arms of My mercy, as a child into the arms of its beloved mother. Tell them no soul that has called upon My mercy has been disappointed or brought to shame. I delight particularly in a soul that has placed its trust in My goodness. Write that when they say this Chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My father and the dying person, not as the Just Judge but as the Merciful Saviour."

"At the hour of their death, I defend every soul that will say this Chaplet as I do my own glory. When this Chaplet is said by the bedside of a dying person, God's anger is placated and His unfathomable mercy envelops the soul."

"I desire that this mercy flow out upon the whole world through your heart. Let no one who approaches you go away without that trust in my mercy, which I so ardently desire for souls. Pray as much as you can for the dying. By your entreaties, obtain for them trust in my mercy, because they have most need of trust, and have it the least."

Topic: Why do Catholics receive Holy Communion?
Writen By Prince Chidi Philip

At the eve of the last super of our Lord Jesus Christ, on that faithful and risky night of his betrayal, Christ instituted the sacrament of the holy Eucharistic sacrifice of His Body and Blood. He did this so as to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross which He was about to accomplish. He entrusted to his beloved spouse, the church, a memorial of his death and resurrection; a sacrifice of love, a sign of unity, a sign of charity, and a paschal banquet of grace.

At the heart of the celebration of the holy Communion are the bread and wine which through the words of Christ and the invocation of the holy spirit become the body and blood of Christ. This we must continue as instructed by Christ himself until His glorious return. Through the offertory, we give glory to God for his creation of the bread and wine, the works of human hands, fruits of the earth, and the gift of the creator. In the old covenant, bread and wine were offered to God as a sign of grateful acknowledgement to the creator.
In the Exodus, the Israelite eats the unleavened bread every year of the passover which commemorate their liberation from the captivity in Egypt. While in the desert, the Israelite were fed by the manna which recall the word of God and the pledge of Gods faithfulness to His promise. The miracles of the multiplication of the loaves of bread which Christ gave to his disciples to feed the hungry multiple also prefigures the superabundance of the holy Communion and a quest to quench our thirsty of spirituality. The turning of water into wine at the wedding in cana signifies the new wine which has become the blood of Christ.

The sacrifice of Christ on the cross and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice because the victim (Jesus) is one and the same. Though the manner of the sacrifice are different but it is the same divine sacrifice. Christ offered himself in a bloody altar of the cross and now a priest of God offers the same sacrifice in an unbloody manner in commemoration of the bloody sacrifice.

The catholic church is united with the sacrifice of the holy Communion as it is termed the highest sacrifice and prayer In the catholic doctrine. It is a communion of both the living and the dead. It is a sacrifice of pardon for the faithful Christians who have died but are still in the state of purification in purgatory so that they may be able to see the light of heaven.

Why do we often see these four figures on the book of the Gospels?

These symbols came from Ezekiel 1:10 and the depiction of heavenly worship in Revelations 4:7:

"The first creature resembled a lion, the second was like a calf, the third had a face like that of a human being, and the fourth looked like an eagle in flight.

The four living creatures, each of them with six wings, were covered with eyes inside and out. Day and night they do not stop exclaiming:

'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty,

who was, and who is, and who is to come.'"

These four images symbolize, respectively, the noblest, strongest, wisest, and swiftest beings in creation. Each figure has six wings, similar to that of seraphim or celestial beings around the throne of God who take part in the heavenly liturgy. Being 'covered with eyes inside and out' suggests that they are enveloped with God’s knowledge and concern.

Brief History of the Congregation Kkottongnae

Kkotongne or "Flower Village" in English is a community of love and salvation founded in South Korea. It warmly welcomes and feeds those people who have been abandoned by their families and by society and who are silently wasting away on the streets and under the bridges because of lack of love. These people usually have no one to depend on nor even the strength to beg for the food. Kkottongne provides them with food, shelter, and clothing and give them medical treatments. kkottongne also introduces them to God's love and even provides funerals for them when they pass away.

Kkottongne was founded by Rev. Fr. John Oh Woong-jin, who has been devoting his entire life to the poor. Fr. Oh was born on March 22, 1944 to a family of farmers in Chungbuk Province in South Korea.

As a boy, Fr. Oh experienced the Korean War during his early years in elementary school. One day, while on the way home from school, he stopped to drink water at a nearby stream. At a stream, he saw a refugee and his daughter arguing over a shrimp. Taking a closer look, he realized that their argument was over who should eat the shrimp. The little daughter had a caught the shrimp in the stream and she wanted her father to have it. But the father was trying to give it to his daughter. The father had only one leg, as he had lost one of his limbs from a bomb blast. Upon witnessing this event, Oh Woong-jin, who was himself a very hungry boy, began to dream of becoming a person who devote his life for those who were dying from hunger. To make the dream come true he became a Catholic priest in 1976 and began his assignment at Geumwang Church.

An Encounter


On September 12, 1976 he had a providential encounter with an old man named Precious Son( Kwi-Dong: Peter Kyong- Lak Choi) that would change his entire life forever. That day Fr. Oh saw a beggar passing by his church. Out of curiosity, Fr. Oh decided to follow him. What he saw shocked and startled him. Living in a dugout at the foot of Yongdam mountain, eighteen beggars were huddled together with no one to help them and without the strength to even beg for food. The Group consisted of tuberculosis patients, mentally ill, alcoholics, blind, and a few cripples. Fr. Oh witnesses grandpa Choi Kwi-Dong distributing the food that he had collected from his begging to the group. When he had finished feeding the eighteen, he ate what little there was remaining.

Returning to his rectory, Fr. Oh could not sleep. He tossed and turned all night thinking about what he saw. After thinking over and over, at around dawn the next morning, he had a sudden flash of insight. He thought, " EVEN IF YOU HAVE ONLY THE STRENGTH TO BEG FOR THE FOOD, IT IS THE BLESSING OF THE LORD." Later that morning, using all the money that he had in his possession--1,300 Won ( 1 USD ), Fr. Oh bought some cement and began to make bricks to build his HOUSE OF LOVE for the beggars.

On October 15, 1976 he started construction of a house with 5 rooms at the foot of Yongdam mountain. The house was completed a month later on November 15 and housed the 18 beggars grandpa Choi Kwi-Dong took care. The people in the neighborhood called it "THE HOUSE OF LOVE".

This is the origin of the Congregation of the Kkottongnae Brothers and Sisters of Jesus

KKOTTONGNAE VOCATION PRAYER

God the Father, author of our lives, Christ the Good Shepherd, High Priest of the Church, God the Holy Spirit, Source of Wisdom and understanding. Guide young people as they discern their vocation.

Give them the wisdom to discover your plan for them and the courage to embrace your will. Give to the Church wise and holy priests, religious brothers and sisters. So that your Gospel may be taken to the ends of the earth. Your flock be built up in faith, hope and love and your name be praised without ceasing.

Amen...

WHY MUST WE PRAY?
Is Prayer Optional?

It unfortunate that sometimes we get the impression that prayer is a grocery list where we list to God all that we need without even paying any attention to His response: “Our Father, who art in heaven... Give me! Give me ! Give me! This is sort of a, “shop ‘til you drop” way of praying. Do we pray to God because we needed something from Him or because of our love for Him?

So I began to study how and why Jesus prayed. After all, He got more answers than anyone else and He always prayed for the right reasons. I was amazed! First, because He prayed all the time. The Bible says that “He would often withdraw to the wilderness and pray.” Often is right. He prayed just about every chance He got. He was perfect; so it wasn’t like He was praying for forgiveness of sin or anything like that.

Well, that’s the second reason I was amazed. The more I study, the more good motivating reasons I find to pray.

PRAYER BUILDS OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS
I am first called to prayer because it is a key vehicle to building my love relationship with Jesus Christ. Hear me now this is important. Christianity is not primarily rules. It is a relationship.

Aren’t you sick (I think everybody is) of “rules” Christianity? Every day somebody’s got another rule for us to follow to be “good” Christians. Don’t get me wrong. Certainly there are commands in God’s Word and promises. Certainly Christ has standards, but we don’t become Christians because we “receive standards.” We become Christians because we receive Christ, who loves us, died for us, lives in us daily.

What I need, then, is to build my love-grace relationship with Him. And I, like most of us, know so little about love-grace relationships. I have to learn to allow Him to embrace me, to care for me, to point out my needs to me (and how He fills them). I need to listen to Him, and I desperately need to talk to Him.

Where and how is all this done? In prayer. In Ephesians 3:14-19, Paul prays, “that you may be able to comprehend... what is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge...”

“Know” in this passage is the same word used for the intimate closeness of a husband and wife in sexual embrace. “Whoa -too early for that, Dan.” Well, the Bible doesn’t think so. Paul is praying that you and I will experience that kind of love with Christ -not sexual, but intimate, deep, close, unfettered. It is so deep that Paul later says it “surpasses knowledge.” Imagine – he wants us to know what is too deep ever to be known!

Where do we experience this? One place we can learn to do so is in prayer. Even Paul’s desire for us to experience this life is voiced in a prayer (Eph. 3:14). When we “get down and get honest” before God, we are on His turf in a unique way. Seldom do we get closer to Him than in prayer.

One girl from a Jewish background wrote the following: “I now know Christ is here all around me, just waiting for me to reach out, to let Him love me...” When we pray, we can pray to experience this love, to be bathed in it, to learn how to give it back, to learn how to let it seep into the dry cracks and crevices of our lives.

In fact, the longer I love, the more I think that the chief reason for the gift of prayer is that we learn to receive, experience, and return His love in genuine relationship. Prayer is one place when God can get at us (and we think prayer is for getting at Him!) and speak to and minister to us. It is for this reason first that we can learn to rush to prayer.

Paraguay 🇵🇾 kkottongnae
People should find happiness in the little things, like family.

Why Young People are Leaving the Catholic Church.

It is an indispensable fact that most of us catholic Christians are catholics by birth and not by faith. We were born into a catholic family so following the custom and faith of our family triggers us to become catholics but maintaing the faith of Catholicism becomes a burden for many who lacks the fundamental faith to sustain them. Many have left the church and many more will still leave because the global change is affecting both the faithful and the faith. Here are few reasons youngters leave the catholic church .

× Some former catholics have decided that there is no God, so they do not need to remain while they heart is absent. This is why paganism is rapidly increasing.
× Some youngsters are looking for an easy way to success. They prefer a house of signs and wonders than a house of prayer and worship.
× Some catholics left because they prefer another protestant denominations so as to fulfill their spiritual quest of miracles.
× Some found Catholic so demanding due to her rules and regulations.
× Some divercees felt choiceless than to leave.
× Some feel uncomfortable on the church teachings on contraception and abortion.
× Some g**s and le****ns do not feel included to the church that is opposed to their sexual fantasy.
× Some do not accept the unquestionable dogmas of the catholic church.
× Some left because they were ill treated by their clergymen or priests. So they felt undervalued by the church.
You can add your own thoughts on why young people leave from the catholic church. But in conclusion, always remember that the catholic church is not just a religion, it is a lifestyle.

The church is still empty.

How much longer will this be? Only God knows. But one thing i am sure of, only this i know, we will see the end of this. As we witnessed its beginning so shall be witness the end. It won't last forever.
The church is not closed but opened in all families and hearts. Welcome to the era of domestic church, we are all called to be the ministers of christ, make sure the church of christ in your heart never close.
Stay safe, pray harder with faith, may God heal the world Amen.

The mission of Kkottongnae congregation.

Where i belong: vocation decernment.

Jesus Christ calls all of us to be his disciples. But how are we each called to live out that discipleship? What will discipleship look like for each of us? How can we surrender ourselves to God’s will?

I had an attraction to religious life. I thought it was a beautiful thing, but I wasn’t sure if God was calling me to it. I started reading a ton and talking to all sorts of different people, and I realized that everyone had an opinion on vocations and how to discern, but very few agreed with each other. I wanted to make sure I was doing this right—choosing a vocation is obviously a major life decision—so I went back and started reading all of the old sources. A lot of the best texts weren’t available in English, and I couldn’t find any books in English that really embraced all of the tradition of the Church on vocations. A lot of young people are in that same state of confusion and don’t know where to turn!

I am passionate about discernment because of two deep convictions that I have: 1) I love my vocation as a religious, and I am convicted that when someone is both doing God’s will and certain that one is doing God’s will, that person is happy in this life and on the path to eternal happiness; 2) every soul was created for heaven, and living the vocation that God has created us for is the easiest and quickest path to Heaven.

I think the idea of discernment comes from a conviction of three simple facts: 1) God made me, so he knows what will make me authentically happy; 2) God loves me, so he wants me to be authentically happy; 3) therefore, whatever God is asking me to do will make me authentically happy. If we can keep ourselves focused on those three points, we can stay focused on finding God’s will for us in our lives. In regard to discerning our vocation, I am a big proponent of the adage, “Those who are faithful in small things will be faithful in great things.” I cannot count the number of people I have worked with who, after focusing on doing God’s will each moment of each day, simply had their vocations dropped in their laps, so to speak. Discerning and following God’s will in the small details of our lives will lead us to discern and follow easily God’s will in the larger details such as our vocation.

Focusing on living a life of holiness, understanding the vocations, sharing what God is doing in your soul with a guide or director, and taking concrete steps to test out the vocation are the universal building blocks for discernment (and the Christian life!). The only clear difference would be if a person is not yet in a position in which they can take a concrete step toward a particular vocation (due to required schooling, crippling debt, supporting sick or aged parents, etc.). That person would have a slower process than someone who is free to begin taking concrete steps toward their vocation.

Celibacy: Why can't a priest ever marry?
The reasons Roman catholic priests can’t marry are both theological and canonical.

Theologically, it may be pointed out that priests serve in the place of Christ and therefore, their ministry specially configures them to Christ. As is clear from Scripture, Christ was not married (except in a mystical sense, to the Church). By remaining celibate and devoting themselves to the service of the Church, priests more closely model, configure themselves to, and consecrate themselves to Christ.

As Christ himself makes clear, none of us will be married in heaven (Mt 22:23–30). By remaining unmarried in this life, priests are more closely configured to the final, eschatological state that will be all of ours.

Paul makes it very clear that remaining single allows one’s attention to be undivided in serving the Lord (1 Cor 7:32–35). He recommends celibacy to all (1 Cor 7:7) but especially to ministers, who as soldiers of Christ he urges to abstain from “civilian affairs” (2 Tm 2:3–4).

Canonically, priests cannot marry for a number of reasons. First, priests who belong to religious orders take vows of celibacy. Second, while diocesan priests do not take vows, they do make a promise of celibacy.

Third, the Church has established impediments that block the validity of marriages attempted by those who have been ordained. Canon 1087 states: “Persons who are in holy orders invalidly attempt marriage.”

This impediment remains as long as the priest has not been dispensed from it, even if he were to attempt a civil marriage, even if he left the Church and joined a non-Catholic sect, and even if he apostatized from the Christian faith altogether. He cannot be validly married after ordination unless he receives a dispensation from the Holy See (CIC 1078 §2, 1).