Can a celibate priest become a bishop??

mattia813

I was wondering about this since celibate priests live just like a serving monk.
Can they later be ordained a bishop. Why or why not?
Or do they have to have the rank of "monk" first before becoming a priest in order to be a bishop.

Please answer only if you know and not making things up.

God Bless  :)

Theophilus 1

I don’t think a celibate priest can become a bishop. I have read that many people urged the pope (at the time) to ordain Habib Gergius a bishop but the pope declined saying he is not a monk though Habib Gergius was celibate. I don’t know why only monks are supposed can become bishop.

In Christ
Theophilus

PopeKyrillos

Technically speaking, the celibate priest could be ordained a bishop if the holy synod agreed to it. On a more drastic level, Pope Abraam the Syrian, the 62nd Coptic Pope (recall the story of Saint Simon the Tanner), was ordained from a normal layman to the rank of Patriarch of Alexandria. However, I think our church now has made it so that only monks may be ordained bishops and patriarchs. I do not believe anyone currently from the Holy Synod was not a monk at some point. However, it is possible that the Holy Synod issued a decree in the past that forbids the ordination of bishops from non-monks.

PK

copticuser20

Correct me if I am wrong but i think the current Bishop of the Virginia Diocese (Bishop Michael) was a priest before somewhere in NJ. Correct me if I am wrong.

ilovesaintmark

His Grace, Bishop Michael was taken from th monastic ranks.  He never served in New Jersey.  His name prior to consecration as a bishop was:  Fr. Shenouda El-Baramousy.  He received his monastic vocation from the Monastery of the Virgin Mary of the "Baramous".

It is not the given tradition or the new protocol that was administered by His Holiness and the Holy Synod that a celibate priest may become a bishop unless that person was taken from the monastic vocations.