Q. 1. What is a "simple impediment" to the priesthood?

A. 1. The "Simple impediment" to the priesthood only applies to the Latin Rite priests and Bishops and Eastern Catholic Bishops only. All previous marriages must be declared null, or the spouse must have died. In the case of a deceased spouse, most bishops require that the children be raised to adulthood before the man can undertake a vocation to the priesthood.