Can an asexual man be a priest?

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I don’t remember where, but I think I have heard somewhere that someone who would identify as “asexual” would not be a valid candidate for priesthood. Is this true? And if so, is there any documentation on it?
 
I remember the same. A person going into the priesthood must be a male in every sense of the word because maleness is part of being another Christ.
 
That’s what I thought. I posted in a thread in reddit and I’m getting attacked with 'That’s ridiculous" comments and “prove it I don’t believe it” comments. I can’t find anything definitive, but what I can find is people saying the Church hasn’t formally defined anything about it because they don’t even officially recognize asexuality.
 
I do remember hearing Mother Angelica say that if a man doesn’t have some degree of attraction to being a husband and father, he should not be a priest.
 
brian24 said:
That’s what I thought. I posted in a thread in reddit and I’m getting attacked with 'That’s ridiculous" comments and “prove it I don’t believe it” comments. I can’t find anything definitive, but what I can find is people saying the Church hasn’t formally defined anything about it because they don’t even officially recognize asexuality.
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Why would you go on reddit?
 
hannajomar said:
I do remember hearing Mother Angelica say that if a man doesn’t have some degree of attraction to being a husband and father, he should not be a priest.
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I do not believe this to be truth, her opinion maybe. This would mean that a lot of our Saints who were priests should not have been priests. Many know from childhood that they are called to be priests.
 
I discerned the priesthood and went to the seminary for an overnight retreat several times and they told me the same… a priest can’t be a good priest if he couldint be a father and husband.
 
Why in the world would being asexual prevent one from becoming a priest?
 
MichaelHowling said:
I discerned the priesthood and went to the seminary for an overnight retreat several times and they told me the same… a priest can’t be a good priest if he couldint be a father and husband.
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Any man could be a father and a husband, that does mean that he desires it, if he desired to be that then he would not want to be a priest.
 
no. not any man.

They COULD be…but not every man is a father/husband.

There’s a certain character and charism to being a REAL father and authentic husband…it takes work…you just don’t become one by having a kid or becoming married…it’s a role you struggle with day in and day out.

As I said with agreeing with the other poster…a priest needs to know how and act as a good father and husband. It’s important to his calling as is we fathers and husbands being the “priest” of our families.
 
brian24 said:
I don’t remember where, but I think I have heard somewhere that someone who would identify as “asexual” would not be a valid candidate for priesthood. Is this true? And if so, is there any documentation on it?
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‘asexual man’

Isn’t that an oxymoron? Do you mean somebody that’s impotent or castrated? Castration is something that has been seen as a grave evil since early Christianity. I’m not aware of it making a person incapable of becoming a priest (I thought certain involuntary eunuchs have been priests before).

Not really sure. Curious topic.
 
I struggle with lust myself, which apparently doesn’t preclude me by itself from the priesthood. Yet I do not understand how wanting to be married and to fufill my sex drive somehow would qualify me.

Instead, what I have found is that God wishes I master my body and overcome my faults. An asexual man simply cannot possibly suffer from a fault I find very difficult. In that department, he is better than me, and I sort of envy him. To overcome my issue, I try to be more like him.

Thus it makes no sense to me that a man who I must in part emulate in order to grow towards God is precluded from the priesthood for the very trait I must struggle to attain in order to grow closer to God.
 
Rete said:
I struggle with lust myself, which apparently doesn’t preclude me by itself from the priesthood. Yet I do not understand how wanting to be married and to fufill my sex drive somehow would qualify me.

Instead, what I have found is that God wishes I master my body and overcome my faults. An asexual man simply cannot possibly suffer from a fault I find very difficult. In that department, he is better than me, and I sort of envy him. To overcome my issue, I try to be more like him.

Thus it makes no sense to me that a man who I must in part emulate in order to grow towards God is precluded from the priesthood for the very trait I must struggle to attain in order to grow closer to God.
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Yeah, I really don’t see how having no or low sex drive means you can’t be a priest. It is not necessary to have a high sex-drive in order to be male. 🤷
 
This doesn’t make sense to me either.:confused: Does “asexual” refer to little or no libido, or is it referring to a man who does not identify with the masculine gender?
 
lerapt78 said:
This doesn’t make sense to me either.:confused: Does “asexual” refer to little or no libido, or is it referring to a man who does not identify with the masculine gender?
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It should refer to the former (for clarity: “asexual” can be a man or woman, though obviously a priest would be a man). So I don’t see what the issue would be - an asexual person is just a person who feels little or no sexual attraction.
 
I don’t remember reading anything official about the topic, but it would seem sensible that there would be concerns about ordaining an asexual man (or accepting an asexual person into religious life).

Primarily, it seems that being asexual is not a normal state for a healthy adult, so there would be concerns that someone who presents as asexual is suffering from an underlying psychological condition.

I’m not saying I necessarily agree with this, but it is an opinion I’ve heard expressed from religious communities. Whether it’s true or not, it is a perception amongst many people.
 
TK421 said:
‘asexual man’

Isn’t that an oxymoron? Do you mean somebody that’s impotent or castrated? Castration is something that has been seen as a grave evil since early Christianity. I’m not aware of it making a person incapable of becoming a priest (I thought certain involuntary eunuchs have been priests before).

Not really sure. Curious topic.
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It’s not an oxymoron in this case, it just refers to someone who is not sexually attracted to other people (often they lack a sex drive at all). They are rare, but do exist. They are still male or female in other ways, but instead of being heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual, they are asexual.

I don’t see how lacking a sex drive would disqualify someone from being a preist. 🤷
 
Kamaduck said:
It’s not an oxymoron in this case, it just refers to someone who is not sexually attracted to other people (often they lack a sex drive at all). They are rare, but do exist. They are still male or female in other ways, but instead of being heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual, they are asexual.

I don’t see how lacking a sex drive would disqualify someone from being a preist. 🤷
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I can see how it would have saved the church millions ! Oh well, great thinkers do not always think great.
 
As to all questions regarding sexual orientation and the priesthood: it is up to the discretion of the local bishop or major superior. A person’s spiritual director or confessor may provide guidance in the matter, but ultimately it is the call of the appropriate superior.

Anything more than that really is just the personal opinion of a person whose opinion doesn’t really matter on the topic.
 
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