What happens to a priest who loses his faith?

[Bohm_Bawerk]

I know this might sound like a really weird question, but what happens to a priest who loses his faith and becomes either Atheist or converts to another religion? Is this even possible? Does God prevent these kinds of things from occurring?

Thank you,
Eugen von Böhm-Bawerk

 

[fermat]

All those things are possible. God has given us all free will. We can accept or reject God at any point in our lives. If someone is really set on rejected God, then God will not stop them from doing so. We should pray for those folks.

 

[LaSainte]

I imagine it happens quite a bit. All you have to do is look and the pedophile priest scandals to see how desperately Satan is trying to pull these men away from God. What better victory for him?

 

[lauraabarlow]

I knew a priest who my family liked a lot-he would do a home visit and everything-officiated at my mom and sister’s funeral-a very caring person. Imagine my shock when I learned that he left the priesthood to marry-I am not sure if he is still catholic or became anglican-he works as a counselor for alcoholics-so next time I see a therapist, I am going to wonder if this therapist used to be a priest or pastor-just a thought

 

[Bohm_Bawerk]

I knew a priest who my family liked a lot-he would do a home visit and everything-officiated at my mom and sister’s funeral-a very caring person. Imagine my shock when I learned that he left the priesthood to marry-I am not sure if he is still catholic or became anglican-he works as a counselor for alcoholics-so next time I see a therapist, I am going to wonder if this therapist used to be a priest or pastor-just a thought

Off-topic, but nice avatar (I think it’s Bill Gates)!

Thank you,
Eugen von Böhm-Bawerk

 

[odhiambo]

Once a priest, always a priest, though, is it not so?
If I was to find myself in a situation where I was dying and I needed the Sacrament of Penance for instance and he was the only one available, I would not hesitate to turn to him. The Sacrament would be valid.

 

[Insight]

I know this might sound like a really weird question, but what happens to a priest who loses his faith and becomes either Atheist or converts to another religion? Is this even possible? Does God prevent these kinds of things from occurring?

Thank you,
Eugen von Böhm-Bawerk

Hi Bohm Bawerk, The Priest who married my wife and I left the Priesthood. He couldn’t hack the heat from the pedophile scandal. He blamed the whole thing on a 1962 directive written by Cardinal Alfredo Ottaviani (then Head of the Holy Office) to every Bishop in the world mandating the protection and moving of pedophile priests and the excommunication of child victims for life if they went to the authorities:

cbsnews.com/stories/2003/08/06/eveningnews/main566978.shtml
God Bless

 

[lauraabarlow]

Hi Bohm Bawerk, The Priest who married my wife and I left the Priesthood. He couldn’t hack the heat from the pedophile scandal. He blamed the whole thing on a 1962 directive written by Cardinal Alfredo Ottaviani (then Head of the Holy Office) to every Bishop in the world mandating the protection and moving of pedophile priests and the excommunication of child victims for life if they went to the authorities:

cbsnews.com/stories/2003/08/06/eveningnews/main566978.shtml
God Bless

 

[Young_Thinker]

It is possible that if a priest no longer believes in God, he will remain in his ministry and just “go through the motions” like it is any other job. That sounds very sad, but I am sure that it has happened before.

 

[lauraabarlow]

How sad-I know that there are a lot of wonderful priests out there yet it’s as if they must walk on egg shells lately due to the scandals. I think that may be one of the reasons for priests leaving-either due to the scandal or being accused of hurting the little ones-I knew one air force member whose uncle-a priest who was a monsignor was is very good standing until someone accused him of sexual molestation-he died less than a year later, probably from stress and heartbreak-she said that she don’t think he had it in him to harm anyone. While many are guilty and should be punished, I think there may be very few who may not be guilty-it’s hard to say.
Yes-that picture is bill gates-both me, my youngest daughter, and my son has aspergers-or ASD, and no, I didn’t mean to get off-topic-sorry-just adding my own personal experience with a priest that left the priest hood.

 

[Insight]

How sad-I know that there are a lot of wonderful priests out there yet it’s as if they must walk on egg shells lately due to the scandals.

" “And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea” (Mark 9:42). The necessary lesson of Judas is a powerful warning in the Gospel, if a disciple taught directly by Jesus can gravely falter, any other Church figure under the Pope can also gravely falter. Our prayers certainly address all the mortified Priests who are in God’s service for all the right reasons, this scandal must have taken a tremendous toll (16). Priests are holy people who dedicate their lives to God. Although it is wise to be cautious, insects have not chosen to completely abandon all flowers because of the diminutive risk of landing on one containing a praying mantis mimicking a petal. It is amazing how much damage can be done by a tiny fraction. It takes entrepreneurship, time, planning, architects, builders, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, etc. to build a house. It only takes one evil person with one match to destroy it. Unfortunately, those bent on destruction have this innate unfair leverage, namely; “It is much easier to destroy than to create”."

ArguingWithAtheists.com/

God Bless