Priest and Bishops of the Church of the Rose and Cross must be either married
or celibate to seek ordination into the priesthood and episcopacy. Those in the
Minor Orders should be in committed relationships or single and may not engage
in promiscuity.
The Church differs from the Roman Church in that it does not believe its clergy
of the Major Orders must be celibate. We align more closely with the Orthodox
tradition in that priests and bishops may be married and go further in saying
that perhaps they should be married. Priests and Bishops of the early church were
allowed to marry, it was not until much later that the Roman Church enforced the
doctrine of celibacy. We know that St. Peter himself was married due to the healing
of his mother-in-law related in Matthew 8 14-15. St. Clement of Alexandria wrote
that Peter was married, had children and saw his wife martyred in Rome. Those
wishing to seek ordination into the Major Orders who are not married at the time
of their ordination must remain celibate unless or until they are married.
1 Timothy 1-3
This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
