Questions

[film_reilly]

My girlfriend has some questions which I can’t answer plz help.

1.) why is talking to a priest better than talking straight to jesus for forgiveness?

2.) Wouldn’t a woman feel more comfortable with a woman priest while confessing than a male one

3.) Why can’t priests get married? Wouldn’t they understand married men better? God had a child why can’t priests?

4.) Is it okay to think critically and to sometimes disagree with the priest during mass?

5.) Why can’t you have sex (while married) for pleasure rather than just for having kids?

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

film_reilly:

My girlfriend has some questions which I can’t answer plz help.

1.)why is talking to a priest better than talking straight to jesus for forgiveness?

Because as humans we are both physical as well as spiritual. We have ears to hear, this allows us to experience the Sacraments on a physical as well as spiritual level. Thus in the Sacrament of Reconciliation we hear the words of forgiveness spoken.

2.)Wouldn’t a woman feel more comfortable with a woman priest while confessing than a male one.

You are not confessing to only the priest but to Christ. In Confession a person can choose to not even see the priest and only hear the voice.

3.)Why can’t priests get married? Wouldn’t they understand married men better? God had a child why can’t priests?

A man could be Married and have a family before becoming a priest. Many widowers have become Catholic priests. Most married protestant ministers will tell you as does the high divorce rate among them that ministry and marriage is a competition in which neither one wins. St. Paul speaks of this when he says the unmarried are about the business of the kingdom of God, where the married are about the business of pleasing their spouse.

4.)Is it okay to think critically and to sometimes disagree with the priest during mass?

Sure as long as you also are willing to pray for understanding and always seek to know the teaching of the Church and the basis on which it stands.

5.)Why can’t you have sex (while married) for pleasure rather than just for having kids?

You can you just need to follow God’s law and do this naturally always being open to new life with every sexual act.

 

[DeFide]

1.)why is talking to a priest better than talking straight to jesus for forgiveness?

2.)Wouldn’t a woman feel more comfortable with a woman priest while confessing than a male one

3.)Why can’t priests get married? Wouldn’t they understand married men better? God had a child why can’t priests?

4.)Is it okay to think critically and to sometimes disagree with the priest during mass?

5.)Why can’t you have sex (while married) for pleasure rather than just for having kids?

It’s best if you ask one question per post, but:

1.) We do ask Jesus for forgiveness, but Jesus also set up the sacrament of confession:

catholic.com/library/Forgiveness_of_Sins.asp

2.) Perhaps, but that’s not really relevant. We must seek forgiveness on God’s terms, not ours.
catholic.com/library/Women_and_the_Priesthood.asp

3.) catholic.com/library/Celibacy_and_the_Priesthood.asp

cont…

 

[DeFide]

4.) This is an odd question. Are you thinking that every statement a priest makes is an infallible definition? If so, here’s some clarification:

catholic.com/library/Papal_Infallibility.asp

On critical thinking:
The answer here is that the duty to follow one’s conscience is predicated on having properly formed one’s conscience by accepting the authoritative teachings of the Church.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that “conscience is a judgment of reason whereby the human person recognizes the moral quality of a concrete act he is going to perform, is in the process of performing or has already completed” (1778) and in Veritatis Splendor Pope John Paul II informs us that “the judgment of conscience has an imperative character: man must act in accordance with it” (60).

So a person’s conscience is not his feelings* about something, but rather the use of his intellect and reason to determine what is the right thing to do in a particular situation, and once a person has carefully and objectively considered the situation and determines what he believes to be right, he is morally obligated to follow that judgment even if it will be difficult, costly or unpleasant.*

So far this should not be difficult for most people to grasp. Almost everyone, Catholic or not, understands the moral obligation to do what one believes to be right (to follow one’s conscience) up to this point. But to stop here and claim that all that is required of me is to carefully consider the situation and then do whatever I believe to be best is an incomplete and badly distorted understanding of authentic Catholic teaching. Because there is no reference to an objective standard of right and wrong – because ultimately I alone *decide for myself what is right and what is not – this kind of ‘freedom of conscience’ is nothing more than simple moral relativism *

Catholics believe in objective truth and recognize the Catholic Church as the teacher of that truth. Simply by identifying myself as a Catholic I claim to accept the authority of the Church to inform my conscience through its teachings. Again, the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “The law of God entrusted to the Church is taught to the faithful as the way of life and truth. The faithful therefore have the *right *to be instructed in the divine saving precepts that purify judgment and, with grace, heal wounded human reason. They have the *duty *of observing the constitutions and decrees conveyed by the legitimate authority of the Church” (2037).

In acknowledging the existence of objective truth and the Catholic Church as the teacher of that truth we can see that there are two parts to the obligation to follow one’s conscience. I must first properly form my conscience by accepting the official teachings of the Church in matters of faith and morals (and this unquestionably includes sexual ethics and family planning) before making a ”judgment of reason” about a proposed act. The teachings of the Church are to be the starting point for determining whether a given act is right or wrong and we are always morally obligated to adhere to these teachings as we work out their particular application in our lives. Or, put another way, ”Personal conscience and reason should not be set in opposition to the moral law or the magisterium of the Church” (Catechism of the Catholic Church,* 2039).*

source: envoymagazine.com/familyplanning.htm

5.) Sex has unitive and procreative aspects, so sex for pleasure is OK, as long as you don’t try to frustrate the procreative aspects of sex and usurp God’s sacred design for allowing us to act hand-in-hand with him in bringing a new soul into being.

catholic.com/library/Birth_Control.asp
envoymagazine.com/familyplanning.htm

(Asking one question at a time also helps avoid running over the reply length limit) :yup:

 

[PraRFLEsEkHm]

film_reilly:

My girlfriend has some questions which I can’t answer plz help.

1.) why is talking to a priest better than talking straight to jesus for forgiveness?

2.) Wouldn’t a woman feel more comfortable with a woman priest while confessing than a male one

3.) Why can’t priests get married? Wouldn’t they understand married men better? God had a child why can’t priests?

4.) Is it okay to think critically and to sometimes disagree with the priest during mass?

5.) Why can’t you have sex (while married) for pleasure rather than just for having kids?

Peace

My :twocents: on these issues:

1. When we are talking to the Priest, we ARE talking to Jesus. See Here
   Particularyly this paragraph:

1461 Since Christ entrusted to his apostles the ministry of reconciliation,65 bishops who are their successors, and priests, the bishops’ collaborators, continue to exercise this ministry. Indeed bishops and priests, by virtue of the sacrament of Holy Orders, have the power to forgive all sins “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

This Sacrament came directly from Christ to us through the Apostles. The use of the word ‘better’ is not really useful here - according to the above reference. Forgiven is forgiven. Also - God, in His infinite wisdom, saw that we would need the humility that comes from confessing our sins to another human being…and so ordered this Sacrament to be the way it is.

1. Yes, a woman may feel more comforatable - comfort is not the issue however - the state of your soul is.
2. Priests are married - to the Church…we are his children.
3. If you are referring to the Homily - sure it is. God gave us a brain for a reason - to use it. Ask Father after mass what he meant by such and such - he’ll explain it. If it is any other point in the mass as well - go ahead and question it - look it up in the CCC or ask. We have a reasoned faith, in as much as that is possible for us finite beings concerning the infinite. But I would not recommend that anyone sit there and say “That is wrong” and leave it at that…question away - but get answers for your questions.
4. I am not sure that that isn’t ok, so long as the elements of life are expended in the possible conception of life. We are told in 1 Cor. 7:1-7 not to deprive one another, therefore sex is OK - so long as the option remains open for life to be concieved. The reason that needs to be is found Here concerning fertility, and in this quote also:

1653 The fruitfulness of conjugal love extends to the fruits of the moral, spiritual, and supernatural life that parents hand on to their children by education. Parents are the principal and first educators of their children.164 In this sense the fundamental task of marriage and family is to be at the service of life.

Hope this helps

Pax et Veritas

John

 

[JaneFrances]

First, let me say that my boyfriend–years ago, who is now my husband–had many of these same questions. It took, oh, about 4 years to answer all his “questions” sufficiently, but perseverance pays!!!

You are doing a great thing for your girlfriend and YOURSELF in looking for the answers. There is a wealth of information here on this site and elsewhere, if you have the determination and interest!

1.) why is talking to a priest better than talking straight to jesus for forgiveness?

From a most fundamental point of view: talking to a priest isn’t “better than talking straight to Jesus.” When we confess our sins to a priest, we ARE talking straight to Jesus!!! The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a sacrament which allows us to seek the ministry of Christ through his servant, the priest. We don’t go to the priest INSTEAD of going to Christ, we go to him BECAUSE of Christ.

This is all very Scriptural, too. . .which may or may not be impressive to your girlfriend. There’s more if you need it.

2.) Wouldn’t a woman feel more comfortable with a woman priest while confessing than a male one

As a woman, no. I feel no more “comfortable” telling my sins to a woman than to a man. And the measure of my “comfort” in confessing my sins should not be an issue, in any case. I confess my sins as an act of obedience and an act of humility. The degree of my discomfort in confessing my sins only serves as a mode of humbling myself before the Lord.

3.) Why can’t priests get married? Wouldn’t they understand married men better? God had a child why can’t priests?

The celibate priesthood is a discipline of priests in the Latin Rite. It is freely chosen as those who feel called to the married life are never forced to become priests. Some priests in other rites are married. And some priests in our Latin Rite are married under special circumstances. More information available. . .

It seems like a practical assumption to say that if you are married, you “understand” other married people, but this is not necessarily the case. In fact, just as St. Paul clearly teaches, the married life imposes a whole different set of conflicts for one who wishes to serve the Lord. How do we know that unmarried priests don’t have a better objective understaning of married life? St. Paul was not married, but we certainly do not consider him less understanding. AND, from personal experience, often priests are graced through their gift of celibacy with an extraordinary understanding and ability to minister to married people despite not being married themselves.

God had a child, why can’t priests? Hmmmm. . .First, I think the premise here is off. God made the world, why can’t we? He’s GOD!!! I don’t believe this was the intention, but this arguement sounds an awful lot like one that was between a woman and a snake in a garden. We are not God. We do not have the right to demand for ourselves the prerogatives of God.

Now. . .having said that. . .Priest DO have children. Pastors, especially, offer so much in the way of fatherhood. They do not have biologicial children, but biology is not the only requisite for fatherhood. Any adoptive parent would attest to that. Growing up, we had a wonderful pastor who considered every single child in his parish to be “his child” and he behaved as such. Now, he wasn’t going around grounding kids and paying for college, but he was very interested in each child’s well being and personally went out if his way to “father” them in the ways he could. He made a beautiful mark on so many children!

4.) Is it okay to think critically and to sometimes disagree with the priest during mass?

It depends. . .Are your critical thinking skills on par with a well formed conscience and in line with the teachings of the Church? If your priest is saying something that is morally wrong or otherwise objectionable in that sense, then you would be absolutely responsible for disagreeing with him! If he is blatantly speaking against Church teaching, you MUST disagree with him.

Now, if he is speaking the truth and you simply have a hard time with the truth, that’s another thing. . .These are hard things to consider because they seem to be at odds with our American mindset of democracy and dissent.

5.) Why can’t you have sex (while married) for pleasure rather than just for having kids?

Do you and your girlfriend a HUGE favor and BUY THIS BOOK!!!

THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT SEX AND MARRIAGE by Christopher West

Good questions. . .Just pray that she keeps 'em coming!

 

[SemperJase]

You already have been given good answers on your questions but this one sticks out to me

2.)Wouldn’t a woman feel more comfortable with a woman priest while confessing than a male one

First this assumes that anyone is “comfortable” confessing sins. It makes me laugh as I am always uncomfortable.

Her question also suggests a feminist centric view that starts with a false assumption. That is, the catholic church isn’t a democracy where people must be equally demographically represented. The church didn’t establish the role of male priests, God did.

She won’t be ready to accept catholicism until she realizes the church wasn’t set up by men. It was founded by Christ.