Poll: Unmarried or Faithfulness to Church More Important in Priesthood

[Greg_McPherran]

SusanL:

Greg, I understand what you’re saying. I may not agree with your position but I understand. If you don’t like what he says than PM him or say it on the board. I don’t like the threat of running to the moderators. We can handle this ourselves.

Enough said. If you are ok with it, let’s call this discussion between us done.

Sure. If you ever wish to discuss further - I am completely open to see the truth and what people are saying. I don’t deny my poll was intended to make a point - but I really don’t have an agenda - I seek to help the Church to be a model of joy and holiness.

Very Best,
Greg

 

[SusanL]

Since you edited your last post I will add one more to the list.

I have no agenda except to follow the church and its teachings to the best of my ability. I will be a blind little chicken finding my way. If they say yes, then it is yes. If they say no then it is no. I can find out the “why” later. I am learning obedience.

That is my only agenda. Besides working on becoming a saint. (And, boy, do I have my work cut out for me there!!)

 

[Greg_McPherran]

May God bless you Susan. I truly apologize for any harshness on my part.

We are both trying to help the Church. I am well-educated and I think my ideas may be good. I am orthodox and I oppose liberalism, unfortunately this poll isn’t easily seen that way.

From the other (better) poll, many don’t see married priests as a good idea. I advocate nothing but complete obedience to the magisterium. I am just bouncing aroung trying to better understand why married priests is wrong, considering dissent and that Paul in Scripture says “a bishop should be the husband of one wife.” I also know he advocates celibacy. I just don’t think the Church should maybe consider looseing the very tight restriction given that maybe being married is better than being disloyal.

By the way, I am married, I have a career, and I have no goal to be a priest, so that has nothing at all with my poll (just in case people might have wondered)

Very Best,
Greg

 

[SusanL]

Greg_McPherran:

May God bless you Susan. I truly apologize for any harshness on my part.

We are both trying to help the Church. I am well-educated and I think my ideas may be good. I am orthodox and I oppose liberalism, unfortunately this poll isn’t easily seen that way.

From the other (better) poll, many don’t see married priests as a good idea. I advocate nothing but complete obedience to the magisterium. I am just bouncing aroung trying to better understand why married priests is wrong, considering dissent and that Paul in Scripture says “a bishop should be the husband of one wife.” I also know he advocates celibacy. I just don’t think the Church should maybe consider looseing the very tight restriction given that maybe being married is better than being disloyal.

By the way, I am married, I have a career, and I have no goal to be a priest, so that has nothing at all with my poll (just in case people might have wondered)

Very Best,
Greg

Well, I apologize for my abruptness, too. After working on obedience, maybe I should work on anger management. (smile).

Greg, I am a church organist. I am formerly a Methodist although I have bounced around a little bit in different denominations. I can talk a little from my experience. I have played organ in a lot of churches. Churches where I have forged bonds with the clergy and the congregation.

The protestant churches, as you know, have married clergy. Many, many of the clergy have trouble balancing family life with their pastoral life. They are very stressed out, overworked and still have children to raise. They call these kids PK’s. Preacher’s kids. I’m not sure if that is derogatory or what. With perhaps one exception, the kids have had more than their share of problems growing up.

I once thought that I would love being married to a minister. Now, four kids later, I am thankful to God that I’m not. (I’m married, just not to a minister). They need their father’s influence and time.

There are theological reasons that I have heard why it’s better for them not to be married but I can’t remember them. (I have a lot to memorize). Sorry.

The protestants have had the same problem as the catholics concerning lack of vocations. They have tried to bridge the gap by allowing women in and, of course, married men. Interestingly enough, the problem is still there. I have seen churches struggle trying to find someone to pastor them.

I really believe that the solution to this problem lies with us.

We must:

–pray very hard for vocations.

–encourage our own children to listen to God and see where he wants them to go.

–fast, do penance and approach Our Lord in the Eucharist for priests

—not be afraid to have lots of children. I suspect that God wanted to give us more priests but we have turned him down through contraception and abortion.

Those are some of my thoughts.

 

[Greg_McPherran]

Hello Susan,

—not be afraid to have lots of children. I suspect that God wanted to give us more priests but we have turned him down through contraception and abortion.

Yes, I agree.

SusanL:

There are theological reasons that I have heard why it’s better for them not to be married…

Yes, celibacy is biblically recommended but does not seem to have quite the black and white sense that we have today (no pun intended )

Here are some possible ideas. The pastors could generally be celibate priests and the additional priests could be married or celebate. This would allow a married priest to help by saying a weekend mass and help in other ways, e.g. CCD without taking too much from his family life. Married priests could also work with their wives and other families to help coordinate Church social and other events and what pastor would not appreciate this?

Again, I still support a larger percentage of celibate priests. However, there are some very exceptional married Catholic men who are completely obedient to the magisterium. Some of the men on EWTN and here on Catholic Answers are examples. I would much prefer a sermon from them, than a priest involved in VOTF or who doesn’t support voting pro-life or other Church teachings.

This is from Veritatis Splendor:

It is no longer a matter of limited and occasional dissent, but of an overall and systematic calling into question of traditional moral doctrine, on the basis of certain anthropological and ethical presuppositions.

I address myself to you, Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate, who share with me the responsibility of safeguarding “sound teaching” (2 Tim 4:3), with the intention of *clearly setting forth certain aspects of doctrine which are of crucial importance in facing what is certainly a genuine crisis, *since the difficulties which it engenders have most serious implications for the moral life of the faithful and for communion in the Church, as well as for a just and fraternal social life.

vatican.va/edocs/ENG0222/_INDEX.HTM

From Vatican Document on Priesthood:

(Perfect and perpetual continence for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven, commended by Christ the Lord(33) and through the course of time as well as in our own days freely accepted and observed in a praiseworthy manner by many of the faithful, is held by the Church to be of great value in a special manner for the priestly life. It is at the same time a sign and a stimulus for pastoral charity and a special source of spiritual fecundity in the world.(34) Indeed, it is not demanded by the very nature of the priesthood, as is apparent from the practice of the early Church(35) and from the traditions of the Eastern Churches. where, besides those who with all the bishops, by a gift of grace, choose to observe celibacy, there are also married priests of highest merit.

vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651207_presbyterorum-ordinis_en.html

Note that in the above the Church still stands with the discipline of celibate priests. However, the highlighted area does show that (in the Church’s own words) there are married priests of highest merit. It does show that, if the Church decided to allow some additional married priests, they can certainly well serve the Church.

My view is this: better to have all clergy completely faithful to the magisterium that consists of some married priests, than many celibate dissenters. Allowing some married priests does not automatically solve this, but it does give the Church a better selection to work with - IMO.

Greg

 

[anon50111284]

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