Children of the Ordained

Children of the Ordained is a term the Vatican uses to describe the offspring of ordained Catholic priests who have taken a vow of clerical celibacy. The children are a "result of affairs involving laywomen or nuns - other abuse or rape."[1] Not many of these children are known, but the most famous is probably Vincent Doyle, who has started a support group, Coping International.[1]

The Vatican (Congregation for Clergy) in 2009, under Pope Benedict XVI and Cardinal Hummes (Prefect of Congregation for Clergy) composed Guidelines for the children of the ordained (Children of priests). The official name of the document is "Congregazione per il Clero a proposito dei chierici con prole” [Notes concerning the practice of the Congregation for the Clergy with regard to clerics with children]. The New York Times printed news of the Guidelines existence in 2019.[2] [Vatican’s Secret Rules for Catholic Priests Who Have Children]] citing the guidelines as "secret." [3] In 2020, the Congregation for Clergy released the Guidelines to Vincent Doyle. Vatican Guidelines include two exceptions which allows priests to remain in the catholic priesthood, having fathered a child, and openly acknowledged their child.