If a cleric marries after ordination, what may occur?

• A. It has no canonical consequences.
• B. It requires a bishop's blessing.
• C. It may lead to laicization.
• D. It is celebrated in a private ceremony.

Answer: (C)

In ordination, a cleric is bound to certain vows and obligations, notably celibacy for priests in the Latin Church. If he chooses to marry after ordination, the church may respond with laicization—that formal return to lay status, ending the clerical state and the faculties tied to priestly ministry. This isn’t about a blessing or a private ceremony; it’s a canonical decision carried out by the appropriate authority, recognizing that marriage after ordination is incompatible with remaining in the clerical state.