[frithguild]

Should being some sort of sexual athlete, i.e. being able to abstain, engender trust and confidence? To me it evokes suspicion about veracity, especially if the Priest is youthful.

[old and tired]

Should being some sort of sexual athlete, i.e. being able to abstain, engender trust and confidence? To me it evokes suspicion about veracity, especially if the Priest is youthful.

I don't accept your premise. Certainly young men have a stronger sex drive. But it's quite a leap to presume every young man is a dog in heat. I wasn't. I didn't raise my sons to be. And it's unfair to assume young, unmarried men are living a sinful existence. A healthy, holy, single young man will find a physical outlet, like basketball or running.

[frog_jerk_2004]

To me it evokes suspicion about veracity, especially if the Priest is youthful.

If you are consecrating your life to GOD it would follow that you would take a serious vow of chastity and try your best to resist earthly temptations and urges. That seems pretty natural to me in that situation.

I believe this argument regarding priests marrying is being put forth by the cradle Catholics and other liberal Catholics who don't take the doctrine of the Church seriously in the first place.

The argument that there would be less priests having a crisis with child molestation is also behind this. But that argument falls flat because getting married does not prevent one from being a sexual predator.

[murphE]

The ability to commit to celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom is a gift of grace from God. Men who have genuine callings to the priesthood in the Latin Rite will be given any grace necessary to fulfill that calling, they need only to respond. God never asks the impossible of us.

So, in other words, if you have not been given the gift of celibacy, you do not have a calling to the priesthood.

[saradippity]

Frith,are you a member of Wicca?