Question re Priestly Obligation

[Coreopisis]

I just thought of this as I am working at work.

If you were to talk to a Priest and he felt that you were on a bad path or that you were possessed or anything like that. Is a Priest obiligated to try to help you?

What if you asked him for help? Would he be obligated to help you because you asked?

What if you asked him for help and then he helped you for awhile and then stopped. Can he do that? Can one assume that if he stops that he must believe you are on the right path and that you will be ok because wouldn’t he be obligated to continue to help you if you needed it?

I have no real reason specifically to ask this question other than there are so few priests these days and there is so much bad stuff going on I am wondering what their obligations are for helping people.

~Curious

 

[TOP]

In one instance, I had a Priest help me by not appearing to be helping me with the spiritual direction I sought. He simply said to read a chapter in the bible while on a walk in the woods. He told me what chapter to read. I did what he asked and I was rewarded with a deeper understanding of that chapter. The chapter was John 1 and I came to know the Trinity better by this. Then my other problem seemed small in comparison. Maybe this will give you some insight. The Lord works through His Priest’s in wonderful and unseen ways. Listen to them closely, even if they seem they are refusing to help, esp. if it happens more then once. Tim

 

[LISA_Annette]

I just thought of this as I am working at work.

If you were to talk to a Priest and he felt that you were on a bad path or that you were possessed or anything like that. Is a Priest obiligated to try to help you?

What if you asked him for help? Would he be obligated to help you because you asked?

What if you asked him for help and then he helped you for awhile and then stopped. Can he do that? Can one assume that if he stops that he must believe you are on the right path and that you will be ok because wouldn’t he be obligated to continue to help you if you needed it?

I have no real reason specifically to ask this question other than there are so few priests these days and there is so much bad stuff going on I am wondering what their obligations are for helping people.

~Curious

Most priests are very busy as I have found out when asking for spiritual direction over the years. Out of charity they offer this help, but I don’t know how obligated they are to help. If they quit, I guess they have so much to do, they might put aside the individual needs of the parishoners. To remedy this, though, One priest in a local parish actually set up a Catholic therapist AND lay-spiritual director on his “staff” ( I see it on the sunday bulletin)to answer the spiritual and emotional needs of the parishoners. Another local priest also set up a fund (given from an old parishoner in their will) for people who need mental health counseling. And of course there is the local Catholic charity.

 

[Coreopisis]

Most priests are very busy as I have found out when asking for spiritual direction over the years. Out of charity they offer this help, but I don’t know how obligated they are to help. If they quit, I guess they have so much to do, they might put aside the individual needs of the parishoners. To remedy this, though, One priest in a local parish actually set up a Catholic therapist AND lay-spiritual director on his “staff” ( I see it on the sunday bulletin)to answer the spiritual and emotional needs of the parishoners. Another local priest also set up a fund (given from an old parishoner in their will) for people who need mental health counseling. And of course there is the local Catholic charity.

Wow what great ideas of these priests! I wish all would set something up like that!

 

[LISA_Annette]

Wow what great ideas of these priests! I wish all would set something up like that!

I was pleasantly suprised myself —As one put it to me, it was very hard for him to turn people away who were obviously hurting, but that he felt no ability to help.