Can a Catholic priest adopt a child? A Catholic priest must take a vow of celibacy (i.e. unmarried) and thus expected to remain continent (i.e. abstain from sex) so as not to commit a fornication. Is a priest permitted to adopt a child, given that it does not break this vow? Would it matter if they were the only surviving relative of the child?
Yes, a Roman Catholic Priest can adopt children. In 1981, the Vatican granted permission to Fr. George Clements, of Holy Angels Catholic Church in Chicago the permission to adopt a child, and he later adopted three more. I expect another Catholic Priest seeking to do so would need permission, but not necessarily from the Vatican.