Priesthood

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Have any males out there thought about becoming a Roman Catholic priest? What are some of the problems that you faced if you have been through seminary? I am a seminarian, and while I am getting by, AS has caused alot of trouble for me. For example, getting into alot of arguments with other seminarians and getting in trouble with my superiors for that, making inappropriate comments, and academic stuff as well with getting things turned in and studying. I started the year with the mindset that I would try to become everyone's friend and spent way too much time socializing. Now not only was I not as popular as I had hoped to be, my grades sucked this semester because I didn't get my work turned in. HELP!! !

I joined a seminary, way back in the Dark Ages (Late 1970s), and found it much as you described. Plus, I found that most of the other students, and nearly all of the instructors, could rationalise any type of anti-social behavior by quoting Bible passages and saying things like, "Well, the Bible doesn't specifically prohibit that act!" or "Well, at least it's not as great a sin as ________!"

Drinking was at the top, with other vices following close behind. Even sex with an unmarried prostitute could be justified, as it is only fornication (unmarried people having sex) and not adultery (a married person having sex with someone other than his/her spouse).

Religion...

I had a few years of Catholic school and after that Sunday School until I was confirmed but now I am a non-denominational bible-studier who prays non-routinely.

What kind of social life is a seminary?

What do priests do and what do they learn?
(besides saying mass which is 95% always exactly the same, even in different churches)

On what basis can they be "popular"?

What do they argue about?

I'm just curious.

my uncle is a catholic priest. My other uncle WAS a catholic priest for many years and then left. My own father was
put in the seminary in his early teens (we are talking about the early 1940's, here.) My great auntie was a Josephite nun.

my father went to a seminary in rome after an earlier one in austrlalia. the one in rome was called propaganda fide college- which is where all the seminarians who are earmarked for bishopry go. a month before his final vows he left the Seminary and Rome and came back to Australia. He became on of my country's most prominent catholic hymn composers.
He never even speaks about the seminary. Never. Nowadays he is just an an old latin scholar with a few traits and special interests.......let us say he leans towards the spectrum!

My uncle who left the priesthood and who is still a practising catholic does speak about it. He is very involved in the Contemplative Prayer movement in the U.S where he lives. He was a professor in musicology (the cult of st.cecilia nd grgorian chant) at one of the ivy league universities in the states.
HE has a LOT to say about the abuse that he and others have suffered and the abuse issues that are endemic to the catholic church and its seminary and power systems. He's a good guy. I agree with what he says. He hasn;t left teh church - he just has a very healhty and real view of it and wants to pursue change and healing.

I am from pedigree irish catholic stock. good luck on your journey.

Last edited by millie on 29 Dec 2008, 7:56 pm, edited 2 times in total.

I used to work with some ex priests and they wouldn't speak of their experiences, just shake their heads and look shocked about it was their way of describing it. They were older guys so it was that era when it was all homosexual orgies etc. I think it's probably the belly of the beast in many ways, after all, satan's job is to corrupt the faithful so obviously he'd have a huge interest in relgious orders.

I don't know why you would bother being social in that situation, since it's not working for you, I'd drop the social thing and just focus on your faith.

ATTENTION ALL. I WAS VERY SPECIFIC IN MY WORDING OF THE QUESTION FOR A REASON. I DON'T MEAN TO BE RUDE, BUT THIS IS NOT THE PLACE FOR YOU TO SHARE YOUR GRIEVANCES WITH WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE CHURCH. NOR DO I WANT TO HEAR ABOUT THE BAD THINGS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN THIS ENVIRONMENT BEFORE.


I SPECIFICALLY AM WANTING TO HEAR FROM CATHOLIC SEMINARIANS, AND CLERGY OR FORMER SEMINARIANS THAT HAVE, OR KNOW SOMEONE WHO HAS ASPERGER'S OR PEOPLE THAT ARE RELATED TO THOSE DESCRIBED ABOVE.

What, specifically did you do to handle having AS in a seminary? How far did you make it?

yes, I see the problem now. no wonder they don't like you.

I did not even know that AS existed until recently.

I was there for about two years before I tossed it all for an Engineering degree (many of the credits transferred, some didn't).

ad2009 -- the issue is this.......if you start a thread on WP , unfortunately you cannot control what people write in it. sad but true.
I wasn't attacking you or catholicism in my post. i was merely stating my experience of the church and my family's varying experiences. If you cannot cop that, how are you going to cop your job in the confessional?

ps. What you have said in your last post IS rude. And I find it exceedingly controlling. And i am not one to be controlled!

At one time I thought about becoming a priest but had second thoughts because I liked and wanted sex too much.

My grandmother's sister is a nun. I've visited her in convent many times and I don't know what she does other than sit around in convent or sit in the garden saying rosary to Mary. You asked if people ever thought of going to seminary and I asked you questions because yes, the church asked me a few times if I wanted to be a priest so I htought about it, but I didn't know, so I asked you questions about what it was like. (But I'm only curious about it now, no longer thinking of becoming a priest though.)

What attracted you to the priesthood, if I may ask?

I ask because I myself have toyed with idea of pastorship as an extension of mission work.

Sounds more like a college frat than a seminary.

No, college frats let you keep the keg in the living room.

Sad that it shows even when he does not have to make face to face contact.