Debatable question ( s )

[idifacs_john]

Does medical conditions alter or deminish or can such things prevent one from being a practicing catholic ?

If physical disabiltes can prevent someone with no medical ailments from entering into the priesthood, yet those same disabilities in the secular world are admired when people achieve great things and live a healthy life, or when ones weight, or medical conditions prevent one from enterting to a religious life or the priesthood, prevents them from entering… but outside such a venue those same people are being highlighted for accepting who they are, not being body shamed, not treating such medical conditions as a preventative to leading a good life, and in turn clergy and religious will say something similar , God loves you and accepts you as you are, etc…

To then be told by others in the church or clergy, that well since you fall in line with any of the above we cant accept you for such a life but you are still a catholic / christian etc an you just have a different purpose in life…

How is one not to be confused by such messages. An how are such decisions justified or accepted as justifiable?

Granted not everyone fits into any one category , but the same holds the other way not everyone is limited by whatever.

 

[pianistclare]

I don’t know where you get your information, but most of it is false.

 

[otjm]

My pastor has one arm that ends just beyond the elbow; and no legs from the knee down. My understanding is that he almost was not accepted for ordination, but as he was able to show that he could handle the ciborium and distribute Communion, and was able to fill all other functions at Mass and other sacraments, they did ordain him. No clue as to what you are discussing, but it is within the realm of possibility that a bishop could decide against ordination. And that could be on physical issues, or other issues.

The Church calls; an individual may feel with every last “bone in their body” that they have a vocation, but unless the Church calls, they will not be ordained. And that is up to the discretion of the bishop.

 

[idifacs_john]

no it isn’t but thanks for your opinion.

 

[idifacs_john]

so you are saying it is only a vocation and a calling unless a bishop either invites or accepts someone for seminary or ordination and what the person feels called to really doesnt matter ? If you go by that, then a bishop could repeatedly badger a man to become a priest, and the man decides not to, an then one would by what you were saying have to come to the conclusion that he didnt accept the call from the church which for some reason is now one bishop.

 

[Carmel]

I remember years ago our Parish had a assistant priest with a really bad stammer. It didn’t stop him from being a great priest.

 

[UpUpAndAway]

I think this could legitimately be said of a lot of things, though. For example, a totally blind person who manages to live on his own and become, for example, a university professor has my complete respect and admiration. However, the state says totally blind people cannot obtain driving licences, therefore they cannot legally drive. This doesn’t mean they are somehow inferior to those who can and do drive. I have yet to run into the person who claims this is confusing and unjustifiable.

As a woman, I cannot be ordained. This fact does not make me inferior to my parish priest—and he would be the first to say so —but it does mean there is a fence over which I cannot jump principally because of my sex. My life purpose is different from Father’s.

I don’t subscribe to the point of view that absolutely anyone can do absolutely anything, because we were not made identical. Equal, yes. Identical, no. The lady in charge of the floral decoration at the church is very good at what she does. That’s why she was chosen to do it. I am hopeless at floral arrangement. That’s why I was not chosen to do it. I may not like this, but that does not deny the truth of it and I have no right to force my ineptitude upon others when there are capable people already handling the task.

 

[Mary_Ellen]

Does medical conditions alter or deminish or can such things prevent one from being a practicing catholic ?

No, medical conditions do not alter, diminish, or prevent one from being a practicing Catholic.

Medical conditions, and other life situations, can alter, diminish, or prevent one from following a specific vocation however.

I was in the unfortunate situation to oversee a woman discern that she was not ready to become a Lay Carmelite at this time because her family obligations prevented her from regular attendance at community meetings. This broke her heart, and deeply saddened all of us in her formation group. I truly believe that she may be Carmelite in spirit but because of her family make up she cannot be received into the Order right now.

A religious Order has a right to have requirements for entrance: mental and physical health requirements included. The Order will be responsible for paying for the medical care of its members and it would be irresponsible to take on a member who would be a financial and social burden from day one, no shaming involved.

It would also be irresponsible for a choir master not to have at least a minimal try-out for a prospective member of his/her choir. Otherwise the choir master would be likewise be responsible for taking aside a relatively new member with a loud and sour voice, who loves to sing, in order to invite them to leave the choir and seek another ministry.

There are women who claim to be called to the priesthood - they are obviously confused and mistaken and must seek another calling. If a man feels called to the priesthood, at least he has more options than his local bishop. He can look to other dioceses and religious orders for acceptance into the discernment process.

Everyone is not called to every ministry. Everyone does have some kind of limitation - physical, mental, emotional, intellectual, spiritual. These limitations don’t mean that they are lesser persons but they do mean that they may not be fit for certain roles. Discernment is a multi-sided process, driven by the Holy Spirit, The needs and abilities of the individual and the needs and abilities of the organization must both be taken into consideration.

 

[Joe_5859]

so you are saying it is only a vocation and a calling unless a bishop either invites or accepts someone for seminary or ordination and what the person feels called to really doesnt matter ?

It’s not that what the person feels doesn’t matter, but it is most definitely the bishop that confirms the call of a man to the priesthood in his diocese. Priests serve the bishop. They are obedient to him. They get their faculties to function as a priest from him. So, yes, the bishop has the final say in who gets ordained in his diocese.

Ideally, everyone will be on the same page with regards to discerning whether an individual is being called to the priesthood. But the bishop is ultimately the one who makes the decision. Otherwise, what would we have? Any guy who thinks they should be a priest would go up to the bishop and say, 'You have to ordain me because I feel called" and the bishop would simply have to say, “Yes, of course!” That wouldn’t work out so well.

But, of course, none of this means a person cannot be a good Catholic. We are all called to be good, saintly Catholics. That is much different from saying that anyone and everyone ought to be ordained a priest (or allowed to join a religious order).