Pope Joan - Is this a possible answer?

[OriginalJS]

Years ago I read a book about a French priest who came to America in the 1700’s but through some misadventure lost some part of his body. I can’t recall if it was an arm, a leg, or his private parts. One of his greatest concerns when he recovered was that he could not celebrate mass because he was no longer a complete man physically.

I have also read that no man can receive holy orders whose physical body is not complete, and more specifically that no eunuch could be ordained a priest.

I have never seen one-eyed, one-legged, one-armed or otherwise physically incomplete priest celebrate mass nor have I ever known such a priest. It is possible on casual observation to see if a priest has both arms, legs, eyes, ears, nose etc. but the matter of the sexual organs is another matter.

Is it possible that future popes were phyically examined in a public ceremony to determine if their penes and testicles were indeed intact to avoid the possibility of a eunuch or otherwise castrated man from assuming the papal throne?

 

[Catholic29]

Now there’s what I call a scenario, however there is one problem, it is highly implausible for obvious reasons…

 

[axolotl]

St. Isaac Jogues lost some fingers through torture by some Native American tribe. He had to receive a special dispensation in order to continue celebrating mass, as he was lacking the proper fingers to hold the host. He was later martyred by Native Americans.

 

[beckers]

Um you might want to check this out. It was a question in the ask apologist forum.

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=90564

http://forums.catholic-questions.org/images/icons/icon1.gif Can a one-handed man be a priest?
My son was born without his left hand. In all other respects he is normal in his physical appearance and capabilities. I was wondering… If, one day, he feels a calling to consider the priesthood will he be denied entry because of his disability?

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Tempus Fugit Memento Mori,
Robert in SD

forums.catholic-questions.org/images/buttons_cad/quote.gif​

http://forums.catholic-questions.org/images/icons/icon1.gif Re: Can a one-handed man be a priest?
So far as I know, the only requirement relevant to your son’s disability is that a man be able to hold in his hand(s) the host during Mass. Although I do not have the book in front of me in order to look it up, I believe I read in George Weigel’s biography of John Paul II, titled Witness to Hope, that a priest friend of John Paul had lost a hand in an accident that occurred when the friend was substituting for a young Fr. Wojtyla. Years later, when the friend would visit John Paul at the Vatican, the Pope always cut his friend’s meat for him. I cannot recall any mention that the friend was no longer able to be a priest due to his disability.

If your son becomes interested in the priesthood, I recommend contacting the vocations director of your diocese to find out whether or not current requirements state that his disability would exclude him from formation.

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"The devil fears hearts on fire with love of God." --St. Catherine of Siena

 

[clskier]

As I understand it, Ratzinger was not the Cardinals’ first choice. That was, interestingly, Cardinal Hans Grapje.

Grapje was raised in a Catholic school in The Hague and, as a Young man,aspired to become a priest, but was drafted into the Army during WWII and spent two years co-piloting bombers until his aircraft was shot down in 1943 and he lost his left arm. Captain Grapje spent the rest of the war as a chaplain, giving spiritual aid to soldiers, both Allied and enemy.

After the war, he became a priest, serving as a missionary in Africa, piloting his own plane (in spite of his handicap) to villages across the continent. In 1997, Father Grapje was serving in Zimbabwe when an explosion in a silver mine caused a cave-in. Archbishop Grapje went down into the mine to administer last rights to those too severely injured to move. Another shaft collapsed, and he was buried for three days, suffering multiple injuries, including the loss of his right eye. The high silver content in the mine’s air gave him purpura, a life-long condition characterized by purplish skin blotches.

Although Cardinal Grapje devoted his life to the service of God as a scholar, mentor, and holy man, church leaders felt that he should never ascend to the Papacy. They felt that the Church would never accept a one-eyed, one-armed, flying purple Papal leader.

 

[MrS]

clskier:

As I understand it, Ratzinger was not the Cardinals’ first choice. That was, interestingly, Cardinal Hans Grapje.

Grapje was raised in a Catholic school in The Hague and, as a Young man,aspired to become a priest, but was drafted into the Army during WWII and spent two years co-piloting bombers until his aircraft was shot down in 1943 and he lost his left arm. Captain Grapje spent the rest of the war as a chaplain, giving spiritual aid to soldiers, both Allied and enemy.

After the war, he became a priest, serving as a missionary in Africa, piloting his own plane (in spite of his handicap) to villages across the continent. In 1997, Father Grapje was serving in Zimbabwe when an explosion in a silver mine caused a cave-in. Archbishop Grapje went down into the mine to administer last rights to those too severely injured to move. Another shaft collapsed, and he was buried for three days, suffering multiple injuries, including the loss of his right eye. The high silver content in the mine’s air gave him purpura, a life-long condition characterized by purplish skin blotches.

Although Cardinal Grapje devoted his life to the service of God as a scholar, mentor, and holy man, church leaders felt that he should never ascend to the Papacy. They felt that the Church would never accept a one-eyed, one-armed, flying purple Papal leader.

http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_1_75.gif almost had me posting a request for your “source”. Your post is infallibly funny to start the New Year with a smile. Thanks