Can a person become a priest when they have a well controlled mental illness?

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Part of the problem here is the church itself. Too much emphasis on hierachy and institution. The fact is we all have the same primary vocation…that of our baptism, to be a disciple of Christ. TO be a priest, Bishop, brother, sister is no higher a vocation they are simply different roles. the important thing is that you use the gifts in christs service. You do not need a title or a role all you need to do is what God calls you to in the immediate moment. What God wills for each of us is slavation, in other words, healing and the fullness of life and this can come from surprising places.
 
Well, what I fear is that I could be suitable for the ministry right here and now, but if they look into my medical past they’ll suspect that I could slip back into it any moment and thus reject me. Like God forgives me but the Church can’t, ya know? Not to mention, even if they allow me to go into the discernment process they’re going to be watching me through the microscope lens of the stereotypical average mentally ill person (i.e. meds barely work, no hope of normal function, could relapse any moment and try to kill the deacon for being an alien sent by Satan to eat their brains, etc.)

:rolleyes:

IOW, I’m the odd man out when it comes to recovery, and I don’t want them holding me up to the light of people who don’t - especially since my illness was so severe in the past and those people relapse easily.

I expect to be discriminated against you could say.
 
I guess part of my problem is that if I were to start a family, in my situation I’d be forced to take up a job that is NOT part of my natural skill set, and in order to do that I’d be laying said skill set aside and it would take on the form of a hobby instead of being able to be used for ministry, etc. I would fear disappointing God by throwing away my blessings for money,which I don’t care for too much of, it leads to comfort and comfort is dangerous, I would only want it for my wife and children - I would be happy with a hole of an apartment and minimum wage otherwise. I doubt any woman wants (potential) Franciscan who takes poverty seriously. I love scholarly, academic, theological stuff - I made it to confirmation after two meetings with the priest because I had studied so much. I love liturgy, ritual, prayer, I have a sacramental worldview and have mystical experiences and stuff. Plus I’m witty, have a good sense of humor, I’m pretty cool (gothic priest!) an active/watchful interior life, I’d like to help people but I’ve always been the kind of person to need a clear way of doing things laid out for me. Not to mention, I’m not one of those warm and comfortable and sentimental types. I believe suffering and struggle are absolutely necessary to have a healthy spiritual life. And I want to focus on God to the best of my ability so I don’t even mind celibacy at this point, I can actually see some HUGE benefits in it. But it’s a means to an end, so I don’t see myself taking it up unless it’s coupled with a clear vocation.

I just feel that if I took any other path in life I’d be very bitter.

And despite what other people said, I would prefer to commit genetic suicide (LOL). I have PTSD from the trauma of being mentally ill (and all the harassment, stigma, and borderline human rights violations that come along with it) and I do NOT wish that on anyone. We’re not talking precious special needs children here, we’re talking violence, obsession, paranoia, and suicide attempts driven by little snots who think picking off the weak is funny. I’m lucky to have made it, God kept me going. It’s not like I don’t value the ill, but I am the ill and it’s no precious thing. It’s already kept this kid from social life, this romantic from love, this devout Christian from religious life. It’s blessed me in many ways, but if things keep going the way they are no one will ever hear of, or benefit from, those blessings.
 
Woundedicon, as a person who has been dxed with bi-polar, ptsd, ocd…I can say you may not want to expect too much understanding from anyone, including those that make up the church…that is just how it is, brother…sorry.
 
Definitely! I have a close priest friend who suffers from cyclothymia which is basically bi-polar with more rapid mood swings. He told me about how he would be so depressed during sometimes and also experience extreme highs. I know that he took medication for many years and is in a pretty stable condition. he is also one of the best priests I know.

I think it is certainly a cross to bear, especially when in such a demanding vocation, however I personally love knowing that priests are human just like the rest of us, and I think suffering from such a disorder can actually be helpful when counseling parishoners.

God bless you and good luck on your discernment.
 
WoundedIcon said:
Hold on a sec. The children I was talking about were my own future children. I don’t want to father a bunch of miserable lunatics. Don’t want to look at my baby and wonder whether he or she will kill herself at 15. Do them a favor and don’t have them, etc.
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If you are doing so well on medicine, they may very well be fine on medicine. I get really ill without medicine, but on medicine, my mental condition is totally symptom free and no relapse.
 
WoundedIcon said:
Well, what I fear is that I could be suitable for the ministry right here and now, but if they look into my medical past they’ll suspect that I could slip back into it any moment and thus reject me. Like God forgives me but the Church can’t, ya know? Not to mention, even if they allow me to go into the discernment process they’re going to be watching me through the microscope lens of the stereotypical average mentally ill person (i.e. meds barely work, no hope of normal function, could relapse any moment and try to kill the deacon for being an alien sent by Satan to eat their brains, etc.)

:rolleyes:

IOW, I’m the odd man out when it comes to recovery, and I don’t want them holding me up to the light of people who don’t - especially since my illness was so severe in the past and those people relapse easily.

I expect to be discriminated against you could say.
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This is not discrimination. That is one of the very first things you need to understand.

I think this would go better if you were talking it over with a spiritual director rather than taking it up on an anonymous internet forum.
 
waterbrook said:
Part of the problem here is the church itself. Too much emphasis on hierachy and institution. The fact is we all have the same primary vocation…that of our baptism, to be a disciple of Christ. TO be a priest, Bishop, brother, sister is no higher a vocation they are simply different roles. the important thing is that you use the gifts in christs service. You do not need a title or a role all you need to do is what God calls you to in the immediate moment. What God wills for each of us is slavation, in other words, healing and the fullness of life and this can come from surprising places.
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You have to be aware that this is a Catholic forum so all answers and suggestions give will have a noticeable Catholic take to them.
 
ByzCath said:
Yet it is the Church that determines if a call is present. If the Church does not call one to ordination or vows then there is no calling.

We may feel a call but it is the Church who does the actual calling.

It is up to a bishop or religious superior to set the criteria for entrance. We may not like it, we may disagree, but no one has a right to ordination or religious vows.
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Or God may be leading you to another order or diocese. Like in my case. God led me to the diocese that accepted me. And after all I went through, The diocese that accepted me is only 100 miles from my home It is funny how God works. He told me never ever give up and trust in me. I finaly did and bingo here I am a seminarian headed to seminary in less than 5 days, No one has a right to ordination, but they have a right to be free to discern if God is calling them. If you get rejected dust your feet off and move on to the next. If that burning desire never leaves and you pray and pray for it to be lifted and doesn’t, and no other vocation gets you excited than God is calling you and steering you to somewhere that HE wants you to go. For me married life was not it single life was not it nor religious life. Where does that leave me or anyone else in the same situation, Priesthood. So keep at it and don’t give up. Again as far as rights. No one has the right to be married to be single to be a priest brother or anything, it is God’s right to call you or not. And if God is calling you to priesthood vows whathaveyou. It then IS your God given right!!! God Bless Scoob.
 
scoobydoo6v92 said:
Or God may be leading you to another order or diocese. Like in my case. God led me to the diocese that accepted me. And after all I went through, The diocese that accepted me is only 100 miles from my home It is funny how God works. He told me never ever give up and trust in me. I finaly did and bingo here I am a seminarian headed to seminary in less than 5 days, No one has a right to ordination, but they have a right to be free to discern if God is calling them. If you get rejected dust your feet off and move on to the next. If that burning desire never leaves and you pray and pray for it to be lifted and doesn’t, and no other vocation gets you excited than God is calling you and steering you to somewhere that HE wants you to go. For me married life was not it single life was not it nor religious life. Where does that leave me or anyone else in the same situation, Priesthood. So keep at it and don’t give up. Again as far as rights. No one has the right to be married to be single to be a priest brother or anything, it is God’s right to call you or not. And if God is calling you to priesthood vows whathaveyou. It then IS your God given right!!! God Bless Scoob.
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In which case the call is verified by the Church calling. You can not be sure of a calling until the Church actually calls you forward to be ordained or to make final vows.
 
ByzCath said:
In which case the call is verified by the Church calling. You can not be sure of a calling until the Church actually calls you forward to be ordained or to make final vows.
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Decided to repeat that with you!
 
WoundedIcon said:
I want to be a priest, but I just got turned down right off the bat for the religious priesthood because of my illness. It’s some severe stuff, but honestly with medication and patching myself up over the years the people I meet wouldn’t have the faintest clue without being told. Problem is, the illnesses impact my emotions and ability to deal with social stress. Not severely, but honestly I think I’m screwed regardless.

:banghead: :banghead: :banghead:
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I thought that I was called to be a deacon. The Church said no and it bothered me for sometime, I thought that I would have made a good deacon and many people thought the same about me.However, after an even longer period of time I realized what reality was about and I thanked God for the wisdom of the Church, now probably I am a better person and a better Christian.
 
I should probably just forget trying to become a priest, I had a lot of sexual issues in high school and they’ll probably find out. I wasn’t a pervert - I’m still a virgin in fact, and I want it that way - but I was very needy and abusive and if that comes up, with all the scandals these days, I’ll be tossed out of there like a baseball. 🤷

No matter how much I change, it seems I’m going to be dragging my past around with me for the rest of my life. It almost feels like Satan is winning. I mean, I honestly think I was possessed when I did those things. I lost control of my body once when I was yelling at someone even… and even if I wasn’t ill, and was under demonic attack, I am now since I got put on stimulants and became psychotic… and two years later started having manic-depressive mood swings… and then got C-PTSD after being kicked out of home broke the camel’s back after all the trauma I endured.

That explains why I had so many nightmares with demons in them, and why I became paralyzed and couldn’t talk one night even though I was actively trying to NOT fall asleep and hadn’t fallen asleep yet anyways (IOW not sleep paralysis).

My life sounds like hell, don’t it?
 
ByzCath said:
In which case the call is verified by the Church calling. You can not be sure of a calling until the Church actually calls you forward to be ordained or to make final vows.
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Right. I totally agree. What bothers me is when someone is turned away at the first meeting. But yes once you are in seminary it is when your discernment really starts and ordination is not gauranteed or promised, rather seminary is a way to see if you really are called or not,and is up to the seminary and Church of course guided by the Holy Ghost. But what I dissagree with when I hear these stories of guys that don’t even get past the first interview. That I have the problem with. Not the time it takes for ordination nor the fact it isn’t promised and you’re right. But we all have a right to be allowed to discern whether or not God is calling us. In my case I don’t know. I have a pretty good idea but I don’t know, That i will find out in time. God Bless Scoob.
 
scoobydoo6v92 said:
Right. I totally agree. What bothers me is when someone is turned away at the first meeting. But yes once you are in seminary it is when your discernment really starts and ordination is not gauranteed or promised, rather seminary is a way to see if you really are called or not,and is up to the seminary and Church of course guided by the Holy Ghost. But what I dissagree with when I hear these stories of guys that don’t even get past the first interview. That I have the problem with. Not the time it takes for ordination nor the fact it isn’t promised and you’re right. But we all have a right to be allowed to discern whether or not God is calling us. In my case I don’t know. I have a pretty good idea but I don’t know, That i will find out in time. God Bless Scoob.
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We can dislike the process but it is really not ours to judge.

Again, no one has a right to Holy Orders or religious life.
 
WoundedIcon said:
Hold on a sec. The children I was talking about were my own future children. I don’t want to father a bunch of miserable lunatics. Don’t want to look at my baby and wonder whether he or she will kill herself at 15. Do them a favor and don’t have them, etc.
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Why do you have to be either a priest or married to make a difference in the world, to carry out your vocation?

Single life leaves you open to a lot of things. You could be a mssionary. You could help others with your same issues. Whatever talents you have…develop those and use them. You don’t have to be either a priest or married.

Maybe I missed something but maybe you have a special calling to single life that is full of amazing ministry?
 
ByzCath said:
We can dislike the process but it is really not ours to judge.

Again, no one has a right to Holy Orders or religious life.
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RIght as I said I agree with you on that fact. But what if I am really called to be a priest which I strongly feel I am, Let’s say that I am ordained 7 years from now, What if I listened to all of the negativity and gave up, which I was at times very close to doing! I asked a priest for advice and took that advice which was to ask our Virgin Mother Mary to ask her Son Jesus to take this desire from me if it is ME that wants to be a priest. The next day I received an email from the seminary that I am going to and was put in contact the the sponsoring diocese. So my point is don’t give up don’t give in. If you feel convicted in your discernment than don’t give up. God like in my case may direct you to a place HE wants. No we have no rights to Holy Orders UNLESS God is really calling one to that vocation then it is a God given right. But moreso it is an invite. My problem with all this is only when you can’t get past the initial meeting. Discernment begins!! in seminary.
 
scoobydoo6v92 said:
RIght as I said I agree with you on that fact. But what if I am really called to be a priest which I strongly feel I am, Let’s say that I am ordained 7 years from now, What if I listened to all of the negativity and gave up, which I was at times very close to doing! I asked a priest for advice and took that advice which was to ask our Virgin Mother Mary to ask her Son Jesus to take this desire from me if it is ME that wants to be a priest. The next day I received an email from the seminary that I am going to and was put in contact the the sponsoring diocese. So my point is don’t give up don’t give in. If you feel convicted in your discernment than don’t give up. God like in my case may direct you to a place HE wants. No we have no rights to Holy Orders UNLESS God is really calling one to that vocation then it is a God given right. But moreso it is an invite. My problem with all this is only when you can’t get past the initial meeting. Discernment begins!! in seminary.
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It all has to do with discernment and trusting in God. I trust that God puts the right people in our path and/or the right drive in our hearts so that if we truly do having a calling we will not be lost with initial disappointments.

Discernment is a life long process. It does not start in the seminary. It starts long before that. It also does not end with Ordination or religious vows. It goes on for our whole life.

As for a right, there is no right to Holy Orders. If the Church does not call you forward through a bishop or religious superior then there is no call. So you can not really say that someone who has a call has a right, as there is no call with out the call with out the acknowledgement from the Church who does the actual calling.

Our personal feelings as to a call are just that, feelings. They may be a sign of a call but they do not mean that we do have a call.
 
ByzCath said:
It all has to do with discernment and trusting in God. I trust that God puts the right people in our path and/or the right drive in our hearts so that if we truly do having a calling we will not be lost with initial disappointments.

Discernment is a life long process. It does not start in the seminary. It starts long before that. It also does not end with Ordination or religious vows. It goes on for our whole life.

As for a right, there is no right to Holy Orders. If the Church does not call you forward through a bishop or religious superior then there is no call. So you can not really say that someone who has a call has a right, as there is no call with out the call with out the acknowledgement from the Church who does the actual calling.

Our personal feelings as to a call are just that, feelings. They may be a sign of a call but they do not mean that we do have a call.
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I agree as I said. I have a friend who thinks being a priest is nuts and thinks it is an awful way of life. Obviously he is not called. Most men feel called to married life. Some are not good at it. But feel called to that way of life. Some men feel called to single celibate life. I think there is a seed planted in everyone whether it is married life single life religious life. You obviously are called to the religious life praise be to God!!! I feel called to diocesan priesthood. We already established the fact it is not a right. What is a right is the freedom to discern and be allowed to discern. It isn’t like there 1000s of men applying to a given diocese.I am very very grateful thankfull and very humbled that I was accepted and I am scared while at the sametime excited. I don’t know if I will be a priest and need to just keep my head down and do what is told and trust in Christ. But at least I have been finally given the chance to discern in a much great capacity than just being shoved out the door because of education. It is wrong and it is not fair that people get turned away because I couldn’t afford college and had to help support the family business. I guess my whole point is I have empathy and I know what the OP is going through being constantly rejected than given a chance. It is easy for us to say it isn’t a right or it is this or that. but the fact of the matter is that it don’t make it any easier for someone that keeps getting shown the door.
If I am truly not called I am most positive that the seminary will let me know in a short order. I pray you make it and I ask you to pray for me! I need it. And finaly we are mostly in agreement. I get your poinr and I agree that it is not a right to ordination. It is a special gift just as it is not a right for you to marry your highschool sweetheart, she has the right to reject you. Just as the Church has that same right. But when you keep getting rejected before you get to first base, is like your highschool sweetheart’s Father telling you no when you are of age and stands in the way of you courting your sweetheart, that I have a problem with. I hope the OP gets his chance and God heals him. Mental diseases are controllable with medication just like a heart condition or diabetes. Let’s all pray that the OP gets his chance to discern in seminary. God Bless Scoob.
 
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