Clerical celibacy (Catholic Church)#Exceptions

Viri probati ( Latin for " proven men " ) are married men who are recommended due to their exemplary according to Roman Catholic principles of life for the service of the deacon and are therefore ordained as married men to the diaconate. Your service exercize as permanent deacons. This tradition was revived by the Second Vatican Council again. After altkirchlicher tradition they promise at the consecration, not to marry after the eventual death of their wife, so to live in celibacy. In practice - especially if there are minor children to raise - is dispensed from this promise often.

In some circles of the Catholic Church - so even from the Würzburg Synod - voices are heard again and again to also open the way for ordination, the " viri probati ". In 2011, eight Catholic CDU politician pleaded for in this way to counter the increasing shortage of priests. In Rome, such a request was but so far always refused.

The term " viri probati " is used generally only in the plural. The analogous term in the singular is " vir probatus ".