Posted on 01/26/2005 8:45:26 AM PST by tvn
Once a priest is defrocked, he cannot be made a priest again.
This is akin to saying that someone who has studied ad nauseum from the greatest books about how to ride a bicycle somehow understands better than those who actually ride.
You, sir, are spot-on with that comment.
Have you read theology of the body?
Getting a divorce is a worse sexual perversion than molesting children?!?!?!?
Slight correction. Not worse, but on par with. Sorry bout that.
I agree.
What concerns me is that NO ONE wants to be a Catholic priest in America.
Theologically, they are equally terrible. Just because one is more widely accpeted doesn't make it less horrendous and devestating.
Five of my roommates did, and let me tell you, they were hardcore, on fire, conservative Catholics. None of this "liberal theology" crap :-)
1 Corinthians 7:9
But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
May their tribe prosper.
That does not alter the fact that it's mighty slim pickins out there. That's not an opinion. That's a fact.
You're point being? There's a difference between being weak and not being able to control yourself.
ping
All believers are called to be Christlike, not just clergy. Does this mean that all believers should try for celibacy? No. This would violate the Lord's command to "Be fruitful and multiply". Furthermore, the qualifications for ministry as deacon, priest or bishop include being married to one woman and having a good family (1st Timothy 3).
If priests must be single because Jesus was single, then it logically follows that priests must also be Jewish, in their 30's and without higher education.
Rome should seriously look at bringing back (not introducing) the policy still followed in Orthodox churches- that is that married men may become deacons and priests, but deacons and priests may not get married. In another words, the marriage must occur before ordination to the deaconate.
There is a severe shortage, I'll agree with you there, but there is much hope to be had. There are many places where admittance to seminaries have increased exponentially. This also happens to be in Dioceses where the theology preached by the Bishop is conservative, in-line with Rome and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is lauded (i.e. Archdiocese of Atlanta, Archdiocese of Denver...).
Celibacy simply means to not be or get married. Since one should not have sex outside of marriage, as the Church teaches, they are also abstinent (or should be).
Control was the problem, was it not? The priests that have caused the scandal obviously burned with passion and didn't control it. Would have been better for them to marry. I doubt there is a priest out there that doesn't suffer destraction because of the desire to have a mate. They'd probably be better priests with a wife there supporting them.
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