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Phemie
Guest
Our diocese does not provide a car for the priest, that’s at his own expense. And they are taxed on room and board. Any Catholic school in my province is private so would still have to be paid for.
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MagdalenaRita
Guest
Not saying anything against those denominations, but the Catholic church looks at several issues a little different, especially divorce and remarriage. This would greatly effect the already large number of annulments the Church faces.
It is just good to look ahead and see what problems could come in the future before saying something could fix a problem.
It is just good to look ahead and see what problems could come in the future before saying something could fix a problem.
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MikeInVA
Guest
But they will be the exception to the rule, which would hopefully make it easier to remove them once identified. From what I’ve read, the current culture in some dioceses frown upon reporting misbehavior, as the reporter is usually the one punished.If we think that screening out candidates who are SSA or attracted to children we are still left with the sociopaths…
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MagdalenaRita
Guest
Exactly…
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neophyte
Guest
Are you saying that if you go long enough without getting any, you’ll become an abuser?Make celibacy optional for the priesthood to prevent another sexual abuse crisis.
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JimR-OCDS
Guest
A co-worker of mine entered the St John’s Seminary in Brighton MA, back in the early 90’s. This before the sexabuse scandal hit the Archdioces of Boston some ten years later.
When he got there, he saw so much homosexual activity he reported it, but was then told he was probably not suited for the priesthood.
We know that seminaries took on a homosexual culture and those who were straight and spoke out against it, were dropped.
Heck, when I was in discernment for the diaconate, the former nun who ran the psychological evaluations on the husbands and wives, was herself a lesbian. Ironically she lost my wife and my evaluations. Turns out, the priest running the diaconate was himself a homosexual. He was arrested in Las Vegas with a male prostitute.
Allowing married men to become priest won’t eliminate sexual abuse 100%, but it will keep the gay culture from taking over the priesthood as it has.
Jim
When he got there, he saw so much homosexual activity he reported it, but was then told he was probably not suited for the priesthood.
We know that seminaries took on a homosexual culture and those who were straight and spoke out against it, were dropped.
Heck, when I was in discernment for the diaconate, the former nun who ran the psychological evaluations on the husbands and wives, was herself a lesbian. Ironically she lost my wife and my evaluations. Turns out, the priest running the diaconate was himself a homosexual. He was arrested in Las Vegas with a male prostitute.
Allowing married men to become priest won’t eliminate sexual abuse 100%, but it will keep the gay culture from taking over the priesthood as it has.
Jim
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KJW5551
Guest
I’m saying we make exceptions. Priests make great sacrifices for us, so their (hypothetical) children should receive free tuition. A lot of kids already get scholarships, so this would be easy to do.Any Catholic school in my province is private so would still have to be paid for.
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MagdalenaRita
Guest
It all sounds good on paper but in my parish, we can barely afford to get the water stains on the walls fixed. The priest lives in a small rectory that has very poor airconditioning. We are just now working on raising funds to get these things and more fixed. Fortunately people are doing what they can to help, but we are a small parish in a small, not so wealthy community. In most all of our bulletins the budget is shown and we never meet the budget on our basic necessities, let alone offer free housing. We have to have a big fundraiser every year to keep the school up.free housing (yes, some rectories will need remodeling), free education at the nearest Catholic k-12 school, and a car paid by for by the diocese
Where would we get the money for free housing, and a car comes with expenses also. They need gas and repairs.
As I said, this all sounds good on paper but in reality, it would just add new problems.
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Le_Cracquere
Guest
Funny thing is, I’d be more inclined to agree if we were living in a more chaste-minded age. But the notion of celibacy has become so deeply contra mundum that I think it more important than ever to model it.
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SnowRose
Guest
Speaking from a married-clergy mainline denomination, the priest’s wife/husband is expected to hold a job of their own. It’s not a free ride, being supported by the parish.
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RobertAdams
Guest
Yet he himself seems to think that the Church can make use of his vocation. Someone who believes that a set of rules that don’t apply to him should be applied to others, is often someone whose opinion I would take with a grain of salt.A married priest has told me himself that the Church does NKT need more married priests. That from a married priest HIMSELF!
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billsannie
Guest
The Vatican had good intentions, but this just isn’t happening. Sexually healthy heterosexual men just don’t want to be celibate priests. If you’re in charge of a seminary and have a choice between a man who may have deep-seated homosexual tendencies and a man who obviously has other sexual problems, such as pedophilia, you will choose a man who at least, hopefully, won’t abuse children.
Another thing is, women have choices now. At least in more developed countries, we no longer have to marry a man with serious problems just to survive. And, of course, homosexuals can marry in many countries. So a man with a wife, or even a husband, is simply a better risk than a man who can’t attract a mate, and thus is available for the priesthood.
Please correct me if I’m wrong, but according to the Church histories I’ve read, celibacy for priests came about primarily for practical reasons, not spiritual ones. In the East, a priest’s son usually became a priest himself. In the West, for whatever reason, they often didn’t. But the sons needed to make a living, and with nothing else to give them, the priest would often allow his sons to have land given to the Church. Understandably, landowners didn’t like seeing land they had donated for church purposes being farmed by priests’ sons. So eventually Church leaders enforced celibacy, sending priests’ wives to convents. This wasn’t a problem in the East. They didn’t want to send their wives to convents and they resented the fact that the Bishop of Rome (not yet the Pope) had acted by himself. This helped precipitate the schism.
Sorry this was so long but I’m about to make a controversial proposal and wanted to present my entire case. We would seem to have a choice between fewer and fewer priests, with more and more unfit to be priests, or married priests. Could it be that since this is our reality, it is perhaps God’s will that the discipline of a celibate priesthood should cease?
Another thing is, women have choices now. At least in more developed countries, we no longer have to marry a man with serious problems just to survive. And, of course, homosexuals can marry in many countries. So a man with a wife, or even a husband, is simply a better risk than a man who can’t attract a mate, and thus is available for the priesthood.
Please correct me if I’m wrong, but according to the Church histories I’ve read, celibacy for priests came about primarily for practical reasons, not spiritual ones. In the East, a priest’s son usually became a priest himself. In the West, for whatever reason, they often didn’t. But the sons needed to make a living, and with nothing else to give them, the priest would often allow his sons to have land given to the Church. Understandably, landowners didn’t like seeing land they had donated for church purposes being farmed by priests’ sons. So eventually Church leaders enforced celibacy, sending priests’ wives to convents. This wasn’t a problem in the East. They didn’t want to send their wives to convents and they resented the fact that the Bishop of Rome (not yet the Pope) had acted by himself. This helped precipitate the schism.
Sorry this was so long but I’m about to make a controversial proposal and wanted to present my entire case. We would seem to have a choice between fewer and fewer priests, with more and more unfit to be priests, or married priests. Could it be that since this is our reality, it is perhaps God’s will that the discipline of a celibate priesthood should cease?
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semper_catholicus
Guest
Allowing married men to be priests as an exception is a much different thing than ditching the requirement of celibacy altogether.
The point this priest made to me was that the whole married priest scene is difficult for the children.
The point this priest made to me was that the whole married priest scene is difficult for the children.
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ConcernedConvert
Guest
I don’t think it would help out at all. Last stat I saw showed that roughly 96% of Protestant pastors were married. There are several studies out that indicate that sexual abuse problems in the Protestant churches are at least as bad, if not worse, than that of the Catholic Church. Logic then leads to show us that married pastors are still committing sexual abuse.
Looking at the statistics of traditional catholic groups, you can find where they have increased vocations to the priesthood and reduced sexual abuse problems. I don’t know why many people simply refuse to acknowledge that they are doing something right, and something that might need to be copied in non traditional groups.
Looking at the statistics of traditional catholic groups, you can find where they have increased vocations to the priesthood and reduced sexual abuse problems. I don’t know why many people simply refuse to acknowledge that they are doing something right, and something that might need to be copied in non traditional groups.
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KJW5551
Guest
This raises the question: how do Eastern Catholics do it then?
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KJW5551
Guest
I think the vast majority of priests, who make no mistake are heterosexual, would care to disagree with that.Sexually healthy heterosexual men just don’t want to be celibate priests.
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JimR-OCDS
Guest
And many have low sex drives from a very early age.
A-Sexuality is a reality for some people.
Jim
A-Sexuality is a reality for some people.
Jim
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MagdalenaRita
Guest
How do you handle that if the priest and his wife would like the mom to be home with the kids? To me that means homeschooling is out, stay at home mom would be out. Many traditional Catholics believe in the mom and wife being home, at least part time.Speaking from a married-clergy mainline denomination, the priest’s wife/husband is expected to hold a job of their own. It’s not a free ride, being supported by the parish.
Before my husband and I got married, one big piece of advice we were given was, as best as you can, do not live a life that you have to depend on two salaries. Now I realize, that is very difficult for some. I work part time and have since we got married but what happens when illness hits and one can’t work?
Surely these mainline denominations must have someway of helping their families out.
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billsannie
Guest
I was speaking in broad terms, perhaps too broadly. Studies have shown that the percentage of homosexuals in the priesthood is considerably higher than in society at large. However the problem isn’t homosexuals but men who have serious sexual problems.
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USMC0311
Guest
I agree that priests should be allowed to marry. I think this would help solve many of the sexual abuse problems that are taking place. Seems to be quite a bit of evil to root out in the church.
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