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atombomb14
Guest
He claimed that a man who has lost a finger or toe or who has some other minor or major physical deformity may not become a priest. Anyone have any info on that ???
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jeffreedy789
Guest
this is sort of true. but i need more information before i can answer you completely. do you mean a roman catholic priest?
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atombomb14
Guest
Yes…A roman catholic priest…and WHY is this true–or sort of true???
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jeffreedy789
Guest
it is required that a RCC priest have his thumb and index fingers intact - for holding aloft the host during the elevation.
different orders require different things beyond that. in order to be a Jesuit, your ‘male members’ must be in working order.
not entirely sure of the reason behind that.
you seem to have a problem with this?
different orders require different things beyond that. in order to be a Jesuit, your ‘male members’ must be in working order.
not entirely sure of the reason behind that.
you seem to have a problem with this?
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preyoflove
Guest
If I may share my thoughts on this matter.
The idea is this. The religious take a vow of poverty, chastity and obedience. If your “male members” are not working, how can you expect to fulfill your vow of chastity and, inevitably, obedience-- as related to matters that threaten the vow of chastity. I knew of a brother once who was paralyzed from the waist down by an unfortunate accident. He never became a priest because of that.
You see how difficult the call to celibacy our religious brothers and sisters respond to. We must pray for them to continue heeding the call. They are truly heroes and heroines in Christ.
Shalom, amen.
The idea is this. The religious take a vow of poverty, chastity and obedience. If your “male members” are not working, how can you expect to fulfill your vow of chastity and, inevitably, obedience-- as related to matters that threaten the vow of chastity. I knew of a brother once who was paralyzed from the waist down by an unfortunate accident. He never became a priest because of that.
You see how difficult the call to celibacy our religious brothers and sisters respond to. We must pray for them to continue heeding the call. They are truly heroes and heroines in Christ.
Shalom, amen.
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Mjohn1453
Guest
This is no longer the case. A priest no longer needs to have his canonical digits intact inorder to confect the sacrament. This was required because in the tridentine Mass the rebrics specified how the host was to be held during the elevation. Which required the canonical digits. Not having them was an impediment to ordination. Since Novus Ordo doesn’t specify the exact fingers it is no longer required.
As for other ailments. I don’t know what other orders or diocese requires. I have heard that severe stutterers are not allowed to be ordained until that is cleared up, though.
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otm
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Let’s not confuse celibacy and chastity.
Celibacy is living life without a spouse.
Chastity is living in right relationship given your state in life. In other words, someone who is single, whether or not they intend never to be married, is to live chastely, that is , with no sexual congress.
One who is married is also called to live chastely; that is, sexual congress only with their spouse, and in an open, loving response; that is , no birth control (open to life), and no forced sexual congress, nor demeaning sexual congress.
Celibacy is living life without a spouse.
Chastity is living in right relationship given your state in life. In other words, someone who is single, whether or not they intend never to be married, is to live chastely, that is , with no sexual congress.
One who is married is also called to live chastely; that is, sexual congress only with their spouse, and in an open, loving response; that is , no birth control (open to life), and no forced sexual congress, nor demeaning sexual congress.
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atombomb14
Guest
Hello–and thanx for the response…But I was told that even if a man had lost his little finger or was missing ANY body parts that he could not become a priest.The index finger/thumb sorta makes some sense to me–but the argument this theology student gave was that a person without even a little finger was somehow DEFORMED–and not a WHOLE person who could be a representative of CHRIST—that is what disturbed me.–and this was a reason for not being allowed to be a priest.–I was not thinking of a missing male member at all–hadn’t considered that–and not part of my question.
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atombomb14
Guest
Hello…and thank you for the update…Your explanation is sensible to me…-It makes sense that if the host needed to be held in a certain way in the tridentine mass that there would be restrictions. The thing which disturbed me was this student’s explanation that someone missing ANY digits was somehow not a propoer representative of christ because he was physically lacking…even if it was just a toe or a little finger which is not PRACTICALLY involved in mass functions…
Again…Thanx
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germys9
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Actually, celibacy is abstaining from sexual relations. Therefore one can be married and celibate at the same time which was common in the early church.
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asquared
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nobody has answered the question adequately. anybody out there with a canon lawbook available? Cestus?
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YinYangMom
Guest
It never dawned on me to notice I haven’t come across any disabled priests. Quite interesting.
I wonder what happens then, when a ‘complete’ priest becomes disabled (perhaps through and accident or stroke)…do they still remain priests but are no longer allowed to conduct Mass, or do they get demoted (or whatever process would be in place to strip a priest of his vocational vows)?
I wonder what happens then, when a ‘complete’ priest becomes disabled (perhaps through and accident or stroke)…do they still remain priests but are no longer allowed to conduct Mass, or do they get demoted (or whatever process would be in place to strip a priest of his vocational vows)?
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thann
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I personally know a monsignor who is a double amputee (legs) because of diabetes. He is still a priest and celebrates Mass daily. I know of one priest who is both deaf and blind – and if I am not mistaken, he was deaf and blind when he was ordained.
'thann
'thann
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rfk
Guest
My uncle was denied ordination as a Jesuit in 1958 because he developed ezcema 6 months before ordination.
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thann
Guest
I just checked my Code of Canon Law and also the Catechism of the Catholic Church and no mention is made of disability or disfigurement being impediments to becoming a priest. Maybe this is regarding entry into a specific order, in which case the order’s rules would apply.
'thann
'thann
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atombomb14
Guest
Thank you for looking that up. It really bothered me that this theology student was so insistent on this.I converted to Catholicism 17 years ago because it made so much sense to me.
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YinYangMom
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What a relief! That’s good to know. I would think it a shame if those who hear the call would be denied…don’t we all figure the call comes from the Holy Spirit? Thanks for sharing 'thann.
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joegrabowski
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Your theology student is probably thinking of some irregularities referred to in the old Code of Canon Law, detailed pretty concisely in this article (click link). Even under the old law, though, dispensation was available for most of these impediments. Under the new code, certain defects of the body - particularly those dealing with the hands - do raise eligibility concerns during a man’s application process; however, these are dealt with on an individual basis (in my experience, anyway). Hope this helps…
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joegrabowski
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