Left order, now why the inquiery by vocation directors?

[fiat1122]

I Have A Question, My Friend Was With A Certain Order For 4 Months, Was In The Novitiate 4 Months. He Left, Because It Was Soooo Liberal, And The Traditions Of The Order Were Not Followed. That Was 5 Years Ago. He Continues To Feel God Calling Him, To A Certain Diocese And The Vocations Directors Told Him They Will At Some Point Need To Contact The Previous Place. My Friend Did Not Get Along With Some Guys There, And There Was Much Friction, Etc. He Never Did Anthing Bad, As What We Here Of In Today’s Climate, Though He Did Drink At Times There. He Is Concerned That The Previous Place May Not Give A Good Recomendation, Because Of What I Mentioned Above. What Do You All Think?

 

[Brain]

I wouldnt worry about it. All other things being equal, a diocese that would deny your friend based on his not liking and leaving that particular religious order, may also rub him the wrong way.

 

[demerzel85]

Actually it is a normal procedure. They just want to check if there are very serious defects of character that should exclude one from seminary formation. And well there are Priest who are drinkers.

 

[Br_Mark]

fiat 1122:

You did not give enought information to form an informed opinion.
What was the order that he was a member of and at what monastery, priory, abbey…etc was he attached ?

Secondly is he seeking to become a member of another religious community or is he wishing be a diocesan priest ?

And lastly is he looking to a diocese that he is a presently living or is it a diocese where he does not reside.

Br. Mark, OSB

 

[fiat1122]

fiat 1122:

You did not give enought information to form an informed opinion.
What was the order that he was a member of and at what monastery, priory, abbey…etc was he attached ?

Secondly is he seeking to become a member of another religious community or is he wishing be a diocesan priest ?

And lastly is he looking to a diocese that he is a presently living or is it a diocese where he does not reside.

Br. Mark, OSB

He was a member of a certain religious order that dates back to the 13th century, they are friars. He was in a NOVITIATE and province which had no trouble accepting homosexuals, in his novice class there was ONE; though this one was not an active practicing one, according to my friend, the gay novice was open about his gayness, and would say: “as a gay man” etc. this was during interview get togethers they would have with the ones in charge of accepting the men into novitiate, and my friend says that when he was interview by the priests of their “admissions” comittee, one thing they asked him was: “would you have any difficulty with people of homosexual gender? Because if you do, this is a red flag.” They made it clear that if he was not in favor of gays, he would NOT be accepted.
In any event, my friend said he told the DIOCESAN vocation director last week the homosexual acceptings etc. of that province, and some of the above, and the vocation director was writing all down, and first laughed, then shook his head side to side as if saying, unbeleievable. Yes, my friend NOW is seeking the diocesan seminary, of a pretty "orthodox seminary/archdiocese. By the way, the order he was in was FIVE years ago, and in 2007 will be SIX years, does this make any difference? My friend says, he will try to seek God’s will in following a vocation, but that this is the LAST try. He will try ONE more time here, and if he finds negativity etc in the application process, and the current diocese does not seem positive with all this, he is then either going to stop searching, possibly therefore loosing his vocation, or he will go to a NEW Latin American order, without all the USA Bishop’s “politics.”

 

[fiat1122]

fiat 1122:

You did not give enought information to form an informed opinion.
What was the order that he was a member of and at what monastery, priory, abbey…etc was he attached ?

Secondly is he seeking to become a member of another religious community or is he wishing be a diocesan priest ?

And lastly is he looking to a diocese that he is a presently living or is it a diocese where he does not reside.

Br. Mark, OSB

 

[Bruised_Reed]

I Have A Question, My Friend Was With A Certain Order For 4 Months, Was In The Novitiate 4 Months. He Left, Because It Was Soooo Liberal, And The Traditions Of The Order Were Not Followed. That Was 5 Years Ago. He Continues To Feel God Calling Him, To A Certain Diocese And The Vocations Directors Told Him They Will At Some Point Need To Contact The Previous Place. My Friend Did Not Get Along With Some Guys There, And There Was Much Friction, Etc. He Never Did Anthing Bad, As What We Here Of In Today’s Climate, Though He Did Drink At Times There. He Is Concerned That The Previous Place May Not Give A Good Recomendation, Because Of What I Mentioned Above. What Do You All Think?

Isn’t it hard to type that way (capitalising each word)? Because it’s definitely hard to read.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

“would you have any difficulty with people of homosexual gender? Because if you do, this is a red flag.”

Hmmm, no such thing as a “homosexual gender”.

I would also say that this could be a good question if asked in the right way as we are called to treat all people with respect.

You know the old saying, “Hate the sin not the sinner”.

 

[fiat1122]

Hmmm, no such thing as a “homosexual gender”.

I would also say that this could be a good question if asked in the right way as we are called to treat all people with respect.

You know the old saying, “Hate the sin not the sinner”.

Well, yes, but also the vatican has said, and the US Bishops NOW concur, that no person with homosexual tendencies is to be accepted into a seminary. This novice that was there back in 2001, was VERY VOCAL OF HIS HOMOSEXULAITY. Well, I guess most american seminaries may still not give this importance.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

Well, yes, but also the vatican has said, and the US Bishops NOW concur, that no person with homosexual tendencies is to be accepted into a seminary. This novice that was there back in 2001, was VERY VOCAL OF HIS HOMOSEXULAITY. Well, I guess most american seminaries may still not give this importance.

Hmm, can you cite the documents that say this from the Vatican and from the US Bishops?

I am aware of what the Vatican said but the document I read seems to leave a lot of wiggle room for the bishops and the US Bishops have said, I believe, that if a homosexual man has been celibate for a number of years before applying that he may be accepted. Some bishops will not accept him but some will as will some religious orders.

I have yet to see an offical ruling that has it as restrictive as you put it.

And that does not change the fact that a priest will have to deal with people who have homosexual tendencies in a pastoral setting and that they deserve the same respect that all people do.

 

[fiat1122]

Hmm, can you cite the documents that say this from the Vatican and from the US Bishops?

I am aware of what the Vatican said but the document I read seems to leave a lot of wiggle room for the bishops and the US Bishops have said, I believe, that if a homosexual man has been celibate for a number of years before applying that he may be accepted. Some bishops will not accept him but some will as will some religious orders.

I have yet to see an offical ruling that has it as restrictive as you put it.

And that does not change the fact that a priest will have to deal with people who have homosexual tendencies in a pastoral setting and that they deserve the same respect that all people do.

Well, you are right as per a number of years of celibate living. However, and I will provide this when I have more time this week, the Vatican has re-affirmed that men with homosexual tendencies are NOT to be admitted to holy orders. The Us Bishops are NOT a seperate church entity, and many of their deliberations, their seeking excemptions etc. are and alway MUST be finally approved by Rome, there is no such thing as many think, as the AMERICAN Church.