HOLY MATRIMONY

Sarah Whitebloom on signs that the Roman Catholic Church is plotting to introduce married priests

EAST GRINSTEAD, the Sussex market town, has many hidden charms; among them its eerie attraction for unorthodox religious organisations. Something in the air there persuaded L. Ron Hubbard that it was just the place to site the HQ of his Sci- entologists. The Mormons followed. So did witches, and all manner of tree-huggers. Nothing, so far, has jolted the worldly tol- erance of the burghers of East Grinstead; nothing, that is, until the arrival of a new Catholic priest. And the reason the cur- tains are twitching and the Grinsteaders some of them — are whispering indignant- ly, and gesturing at the Presbytery, is that the new chap is no ordinary Catholic priest. He is a married man and, good Lord, he has four children.

Fr Steven Purnell is one of a new and rare breed of clerics: a married former Anglican vicar, now ordained a Catholic priest under the special deal that followed the crisis over women priests — or 'Vicars in Knickers', as the Sun called them; and his appointment is nothing short of a con- troversy. For many in the Roman Catholic Church, he is the thin end of the wedge, the fat end of which is a non-celibate Catholic priesthood. He and his kind are 'pioneers', according to clerical insiders, in a movement which will see the widespread introduction of married priests for the first time for eight centuries.

The Church, as one might expect, will not confirm this plan. According to the Catholic media office in Westminster, 'there is no hidden agenda' to use the Anglican converts as test pilots for mar- riage throughout the priesthood, though a spokesman in the office said there was 'quite a bit of support among priests'. But the reality is that it is one issue on which many conservative and liberal clergy are agreed. And many say that only the cur- rent Pope stands in the way of more radi- cal change.

'They [the married priests] are the pio- neers of a new-look clergy,' said one priest. It was, he added, 'a good first step'. Fr Kit Cunningham, rector of St Ethelreda's in central London, said, 'The taboo has been broken and people know it's not an essen- tial part of the priesthood.' On the other hand, an overnight switch to married priests would be upsetting for conserva- tives, laity and clergy alike. 'It is being slipped in by the back door,' said a tradi- tionalist. 'If a decision is to be made about the celibacy of the clergy, there should be more thought given to it. Having started something, we will wake up one day to find we have a married clergy.'

In 1992, after the special deal was struck with the Vatican to allow Anglican con- verts to become Catholic priests, the laity was assured by the Church hierarchy that married individuals would not be permit- ted to become parish priests. To allay con- cerns among the faithful, a clear indication was given that they would remain in the background — acting as chaplains to pris- ons, hospitals and so forth, or as assistants in parishes.

Seven years on, dioceses around the country have appointed married priests to run parishes; they are not being made parish priests but rather priests-in-charge. The Church insists, for the record, that this does not constitute a breach of the 1992 pledge. The spokesman for the Catholic diocese of Arundel and Brighton, which oversees East Grinstead, said, 'It is consistent with the position of the Church. They have a different legal status. There might not seem to be a great deal of differ- ence, but it is an important distinction.'

That, to many Catholics, is a distinction without a difference; 'a legal fiction', as one priest put it — and the media office admitted: 'On a practical level it is the same thing.' It must be said that, so far, 'I don't believe in the Scottish football team.' there has been little public protest, either from clergy or laity, even though about 100 married former Anglicans have so far been ordained into the Catholic clergy. The bish- ops have taken care not to place them in parishes where the congregations are likely to be unhappy. And the laity has been con- sulted ahead of appointments.

'It is surprising that there hasn't been a reaction. People have just accepted it. Per- haps they want to be with-it?' mused one priest. Although celibacy has been the rule for some 800 years, there is nothing doctri- nally to prohibit a married clergy. In East Grinstead, home of religious tolerance, where congregations sing to acoustic gui- tars; few parishioners have made any for- mal objection. Although many were taken aback by the appointment, only a few hard- liners have actually gone elsewhere. Some even argued that they were 'lucky to have him' and that there is no reason for priests to remain unmarried.

For his part, Fr Purnell has already won over some doubters. He tells jokes in his sermons — some of them funny. And, as one parishioner put it, 'You'd never think he was a Protestant. He certainly doesn't look like one.' Another churchgoer said, 'He looks like an Irish chat-show host.'

Some of the parish are also disposed to approve of Fr Purnell in so far as his con- version was not prompted by the women priests' affair. He had already left Angli- canism as a matter of conviction and was then allowed to become a priest under the special rules. And his wife is said to be as far from the caricature of a vicar's wife as is possible — no flower-arranging classes or bazaars have been announced.

The appointments of Fr Purnell and oth- ers have been presented to the laity as a once-and-for-all solution to a specific prob- lem; and yet there could be many Angli- cans who follow in their path, especially if the Church of England consecrates women bishops.

And then what? If it is all right for for- mer Anglicans, why should Catholic priests have to leave orders in order to marry?

And why should the many Catholic men who have felt the call to the priesthood - but demurred in favour of a calling to the sacrament of marriage — not also be allowed to seek ordination? And how much will it cost? Your standard unmarried priest receives only £5,000 per year, but some are already brooding on the possible expense of all these clerical wives and chil- dren.

Indeed, says Antony Tyler, the master of the Keys, the guild of Catholic writers, it is too early to say goodbye to celibacy: 'The disadvantages of the married priesthood are such as to make it undesirable and unlikely. The same arguments [about mar- riage] were made at the time of the Refor- mation History isn't inevitable.'

Which is a comforting thought for at least one elderly priest who said, 'As long as we don't all have to do it, I don't mind.'