Possible disqualification to the priesthood?

[MattAndy]

I am a 28 year old convert, who is considering the priesthood:

The kicker is that 7 years ago I had premarital relations that produced a child. I have had little contact with the child (only a few letters) and frankly never foresee me having any sort of custody of her. I am at peace with this, but was wonder if this would prevent me from becoming a Priest. One issue that I see is that despite my lack of custody, I am still required to pay child support.

2 other quick questions: does a man have to be a catholic for a certain about of time before he is allowed to be a priest?

 

[Catholic_Kenpo]

Will it automatically disqualify you? I don’t know. What I can tell you is that this will be one of the questions they ask you when you start the discrenment process.

-CK

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

I am a 28 year old convert, who is considering the priesthood:

The kicker is that 7 years ago I had premarital relations that produced a child. I have had little contact with the child (only a few letters) and frankly never foresee me having any sort of custody of her. I am at peace with this, but was wonder if this would prevent me from becoming a Priest. One issue that I see is that despite my lack of custody, I am still required to pay child support.

2 other quick questions: does a man have to be a catholic for a certain about of time before he is allowed to be a priest?

Secular or religious priesthood?

You may have to wait until the child is 18 years old and no longer requires your support. This is how it will be for religious life, for the secular priesthood it will depend on the diocese guidelines.

As for converts, I believe the rule is 5 years as a practicing Catholic.

 

[CarmeliteGirl25]

I am a 28 year old convert, who is considering the priesthood:

The kicker is that 7 years ago I had premarital relations that produced a child. I have had little contact with the child (only a few letters) and frankly never foresee me having any sort of custody of her. I am at peace with this, but was wonder if this would prevent me from becoming a Priest. One issue that I see is that despite my lack of custody, I am still required to pay child support.

2 other quick questions: does a man have to be a catholic for a certain about of time before he is allowed to be a priest?

No, you are not disqualified from becoming a priest. Your past does not matter. What really matters is that you can remain celibate in your present life situation. I looked up my diocese’s vocation page, and they say this:

Do you have to be a virgin to become a priest?
No. A person’s past life is not the main concern. The question is: Am I willing and able to live and love as a celibate person in the service of others?

Since you will have to submit an application to apply for the seminary, they will need to know this information. It’s best to be straightforward about this since you don’t want them finding out from someone else. If you are honest, you have a much better chance of being accepted as this is a required, and admirable quality for the priesthood.

The only thing I see as a problem factor in your question is that you are still paying child support. They will make you to wait until that child is 18 and non-dependent before applying to the priesthood. You can’t abandon the child to be a priest. The way the Catholic Church sees it is that you are responsible for being a father in your present state. When that child turns 18, and you are still called to the priesthood, that would be the appropriate time to apply.

As for conversion, since your child is only 7, and you have to wait 9 years before being accepted by the seminary, that is ample time.

Hope this answers your question! God bless you!

 

[MattAndy]

A priest of a diocese receives a small salary, does he not? Would that be considered… in terms of paying child support?

 

[Orogeny]

No, you are not disqualified from becoming a priest. Your past does not matter.

Yes it does matter. A friend of mine who is in the seminary now had a hard time finding one because he is twice divorced. Because of that, he was rejected by several diocese and at least one religious order before finding a diocese that would sponsor him.

What really matters is that you can remain celibate in your present life situation. I looked up my diocese’s vocation page, and they say this:

The question isn’t about celibacy (of course that will be required), but about taking responsibility for his daughter. That could cause some problems.

I don’t know if this will keep you from your vocation, MattAndy. But as Catholic_Kenpo noted, you will have to address it during your discernment.

You will be in my prayers.

Peace

Tim

 

[CarmeliteGirl25]

Yes it does matter. A friend of mine who is in the seminary now had a hard time finding one because he is twice divorced. Because of that, he was rejected by several diocese and at least one religious order before finding a diocese that would sponsor him. The question isn’t about celibacy (of course that will be required), but about taking responsibility for his daughter. That could cause some problems.

I don’t know if this will keep you from your vocation, MattAndy. But as Catholic_Kenpo noted, you will have to address it during your discernment.

You will be in my prayers.

Peace

Tim

You need to read the rest of my answer before answering what I said. I acknowledged that he would have to wait until his child is 18 and non-dependent before applying. He’s never been married. I know he didn’t ask about virginity, but I believe it applies.

Thanks and God bless.

 

[maryjk]

A priest of a diocese receives a small salary, does he not? Would that be considered… in terms of paying child support?

It almost sounds like you are looking at this as a possible way to get around child support. I hope I am wrong.

If you have a court order, you are under orders from the court to pay a fixed amount of child support. You would have to go back to court to explain the change in your income.

Keep in mind you would first need to convert. That can take 1-2 years. Then, lets go with the 5 years being Catholic before you could apply. That makes your child 14. I don’t know how long it takes after you apply, but it seems that your child could very well be 18 by the time it mattered.

 

[withwind]

A priest of a diocese receives a small salary, does he not? Would that be considered… in terms of paying child support?

First thing first – you might be just discerning to enter a seminary … not to become a priest yet …At seminary where you will not be working at all, how would you support the child and other related matter?

I think you should talk to the vocation director at your diocese if you are thinking of diocesan priesthood.

 

[CarmeliteGirl25]

A priest of a diocese receives a small salary, does he not? Would that be considered… in terms of paying child support?

The salary is usually only enough to cover the priest’s needs. It would probably not be enough to support a child, too.

 

[CarmeliteGirl25]

First thing first – you might be just discerning to enter a seminary … not to become a priest yet …At seminary where you will not be working at all, how would you support the child and other related matter?

Good point. I had not thought of this.

 

[nsper7]

As for converts, I believe the rule is 5 years as a practicing Catholic.

It depends on the religious order/diocese. I was talking to the representative from the Paulists and they said I think he said I could possibly start my novitiate mere months after finishing RCIA, but then again, I have about four years of Christian experience (including probably a year-and-a-half as an Anglican/Episcopalian). And of course, by the time I get ordained, it would be 5+ years.

And I thought the usual official demand is 2 years.

 

[Cluny]

The first draft of Fr. Mary Louis’s (Thomas Merton’s) spiritual biography SEVEN STORY MOUNTAIN mentioned that he had fathered a child who died in the bombing of London, but the Order made him omit this.

This, in fact, was why he was refused by the Franciscans.

God clearly had other plans for him!

 

[margya]

If anyone has watched Fr. Donald Calloway’s dvd on his conversion, he decided to go to enter the seminary within 10 months of becoming Catholic. There is no waiting period after you become Catholic to become a priest.

 

[withwind]

If anyone has watched Fr. Donald Calloway’s dvd on his conversion, he decided to go to enter the seminary within 10 months of becoming Catholic. There is no waiting period after you become Catholic to become a priest.

I know his conversion story - awesome! I almost had a chance to come visit him but it wasn’t the time for me yet.

Yes, there is waiting period but I think it depends on diocese or religious order. For a similar example, in my diocese, after you break up with a girlfriend, and again depending on situation, the waiting period can be up to 2 years…the same go with those who just converted to Catholic at some diocese.

 

[JDHallKY]

There is not a mandatory waiting period for those aspiring to the diocesan priesthood. It is up to the bishop. There is a 3-year waiting period before entering religious life (in the Code of Canon Law), but that period can include postulancy and novitiate. So, it’s not much of a barrier.