Could I be a Priest with these views?

[Lapey]

Why do I want both? What devout Catholic man doesn’t want both? On one hand you have a beautiful wife, children, grandchildren, vacations, being able to experience the marital act. On the other hand one is able to say the holy sacrifice of the mass every day, teach catechism, deliver strong sermons, study the saints, save souls from hell, baptize, give absolution, serve the church with complete devotion and help save them from this culture of death. Both require sacrifice. Marriage requires fidelity to spouse even in times of difficulty, guidance to children in all of their imperfections, faith in divine providence to resist artificial birth control, strong work ethic to support the family financially. Priesthood requires daily prayer, constant devotion, being able to deal with loneliness from the lack of a wife or family, and resisting fornication in any form for the rest of your life. This is how I view it right now.

That’s a good answer. Thanks for being more charitable towards me than others here on the forum.

I guess I asked my questions with some biases. Yes I do know of the councils you mention. I am of the belief that these disciplines have been the norm for almost a thousand years so this will not be changed any time soon. That is where my question came from. Personally I do not believe this discipline should be changed. I believe that the priesthood is a full time life, not job.

I really like your answer to my question. But I would add that all of the things you mentioned about how a priest lives also hold true for a husband and a father whether he is a priest or not. To be the spiritual “father” and leader of the family is a full time life and requires daily prayer and everything you mention.

Part of my bias comes from the fact that I am working towards ordination to the permanent diaconate and I see how tough that is going to be as a husband and a father of three teens and a full time job and work as a deacon. I just don’t believe it is possible to be the priest that the parish needs and a husband and father. But hey, that’s just my opinion.

Again, I appreciate the way you answered my unexplained questions. Good day sir.

Gary

 

[notredame_999]

That’s a good answer. Thanks for being more charitable towards me than others here on the forum.

I guess I asked my questions with some biases. Yes I do know of the councils you mention. I am of the belief that these disciplines have been the norm for almost a thousand years so this will not be changed any time soon. That is where my question came from. Personally I do not believe this discipline should be changed. I believe that the priesthood is a full time life, not job.

I really like your answer to my question. But I would add that all of the things you mentioned about how a priest lives also hold true for a husband and a father whether he is a priest or not. To be the spiritual “father” and leader of the family is a full time life and requires daily prayer and everything you mention.

Part of my bias comes from the fact that I am working towards ordination to the permanent diaconate and I see how tough that is going to be as a husband and a father of three teens and a full time job and work as a deacon. I just don’t believe it is possible to be the priest that the parish needs and a husband and father. But hey, that’s just my opinion.

Again, I appreciate the way you answered my unexplained questions. Good day sir.

Gary

I appreciate your posts. In regard to not believing it is possible to be the priest that the parish needs and a husband and father, what do you think of the Eastern Catholic rites? They seem to make it work. I have been really struggling with this and I have looked into switching rites so I could poosibly get ordained after marriage (in addition to the appreciation of the ancient liturgy). I don’t think a bishop would allow this though. I have even looked into converting to Orthodoxy so I could be a married priest, although I now realize it was a sinful thought and I am convinced of the Roman Catholic Church being the one church established by Christ as proved by Our Lady of Fatima. I also think that maybe I should examine the married permanent diaconate. When did you decide to seek ordination? How is it? Is a married permanent diaconate normal in a traditional fssp or any latin mass parish? Thank you.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

I appreciate your posts. In regard to not believing it is possible to be the priest that the parish needs and a husband and father, what do you think of the Eastern Catholic rites? They seem to make it work. I have been really struggling with this and I have looked into switching rites so I could poosibly get ordained after marriage (in addition to the appreciation of the ancient liturgy). I don’t think a bishop would allow this though. I have even looked into converting to Orthodoxy so I could be a married priest, although I now realize it was a sinful thought and I am convinced of the Roman Catholic Church being the one church established by Christ as proved by Our Lady of Fatima. I also think that maybe I should examine the married permanent diaconate. When did you decide to seek ordination? How is it? Is a married permanent diaconate normal in a traditional fssp or any latin mass parish? Thank you.

You are correct that you would most likely not be allowed to change sui juris Churches in order to be ordained as a married man. They frown on this attempt to skirt canon law.

Also, the Church is not proved by a private revelation, which Fatima is, as no Catholic is bound to believe in any of the approved private revelations.

 

[Lapey]

I appreciate your posts. In regard to not believing it is possible to be the priest that the parish needs and a husband and father, what do you think of the Eastern Catholic rites? They seem to make it work. I have been really struggling with this and I have looked into switching rites so I could poosibly get ordained after marriage (in addition to the appreciation of the ancient liturgy). I don’t think a bishop would allow this though. I have even looked into converting to Orthodoxy so I could be a married priest, although I now realize it was a sinful thought and I am convinced of the Roman Catholic Church being the one church established by Christ as proved by Our Lady of Fatima. I also think that maybe I should examine the married permanent diaconate. When did you decide to seek ordination? How is it? Is a married permanent diaconate normal in a traditional fssp or any latin mass parish? Thank you.

By reading your posts, I do not think you would feel “at home” in any other rite if you were to decide to move. It is obvious you are of strong faith and you understand the simplicity of staying home, loyalty.

Simple answers about me are, I am 44 years old and I started feeling the “call” about 9 or 10 years ago. I felt lead to something more before I knew anything about the diaconate. I first brought it up to my wife in '03 and she freaked!

It wasn’t funny at the time, but we laugh about it now. But anyway, I brought it back up again in "05, just before Hurricane Katrina. This time her reaction was a little different; I think because I informed her that I was as afraid if not more than her. She thought I was 100% sure about this. I have to be honest, I am scheduled to be ordained in December and I am still not sure.

As far as the “how is it” question, I would say that the formation process has brought me and my wife closer than we ever imagined. Our relationship with our three teenage kids is better than ever, no not perfect. But all of us have grown through this process. I am truly looking forward to December; but I know that there will be one long night before ordination day. I am sure my wife and I will say yes.

 

[notredame_999]

Also, the Church is not proved by a private revelation, which Fatima is, as no Catholic is bound to believe in any of the approved private revelations.

True. But any Catholic would be extremely foolish not to believe in them- whether they be at Lourdes, Fatima, apparitions to St. Dominic which gave us the rosary.

I find these apparitions particuarly appealing to young Catholics like myself coming from nominal Catholic families whose faith in the Catholic Church has crumbled. Mary Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth conceived without sin is trying with all her power to intercede for mankind and combat its wickedness.

I view the Catholic Church as a levee against sin, kind of like how a levee was supposed to protect New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina. As well all know, the levee broke and the storm decimated the city. Where is fault to blame? In the levee or the hurricane? In the turbulent 60’s and sexual revolution? Or the Church who changed the mass of 1,000 years literally overnight with hardly any explanation of why they were doing so? The Church who says that ABC, pre-marital sex, masturbation, etc. are mortal sins but was not able to articulate this to its parishoners. (Remember according to Lucia of Fatima most souls go to hell over sins of the flesh.) This is evident considering that at least 85% of Catholics use ABC and have no guilt about it. Finally, the levee against sin- The RCC, has cerainly had their moral authority diminished by the homosexual satanic priests who raped thousands during the same period. It is not just an American or Irish problem as we are finding out. Many bishops were complicit in this abomination. Fortunately we have a holy father who is disgusted just like everybody else and is cleaning up the filth. In my opinion these rapists should have been given their last rites and then received a bullet in the head sopranos style. In my opinion, our Holy Father is re-opening the case of Fatima as seen in his recent answer to journalists linking the scandals to the third secret of fatima. I know my post is long but these are the kind of things I would talk about as a priest. Thank you.

youtube.com/watch?v=gta69uY8VY4&feature=related