Hello, Roman Catholics! Do you listen to your priests?

Question

they seem to give advice on all matters of life, including sexual relations and marriage. are they in a position to give advice on such matters when they are supposed to be 'immuned' from them? it's like coaching without having actually played the sport.

Answer 1

An experienced priest who has
- Heard thousands of confessions
- Presided at couple of thousand marriages
- Counseled hundreds of couples
- Attended the deathbeds of hundreds of parishoners then later presided at their funerals
- Been a chaplin in a hospital, prison, police force, or military
can actually know a lot more about life than the likes of you and me.

You might have a point about a younger priest. But even they are taught psychology and counseling in addition to theology in the seminary.

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

Yes, the Priests are holy.

His Holiness, Pope Paul VI prophesied about the "Objectification of Women" and the "Degrading of Man" with the advent of "Birth Control" and legalized "Abortion". His encyclicals eloquently nailed all the modern problems on the head and this was over 40 years ago!!!

Priest are NOT "immune" to humanities issues. However, since they're not running around in the mad world of "soap-opera" type drama that we're all in, they seem to be able to think clearer about situations ... kinda like a second opinion when you think "I'm the fool who's in love" ... priest are great at objectively looking at situations since they're not knee deep in the emotions or spiritual conflict themselves (hopefully anyways).

Answer 3

well, the problem with catholicism is i think every priest has some what his own style and story to tell. They don't seem to have the unity as much as others. Thats why its somewhat makes this newer cults and religions more believable cause they know what to say.

I do listen to our parish priest. The think is- I also choose the parish I go to. Every parish has a different sense of personality. But I also have my own heart to do the verdict. God has given us a brain, (different from every other species) to think for ourselves. That I think is also the wonderful essence of this religion.

Answer 4

Every priest I know had a mother and a father. Many of them had many brothers and sisters, and a rich family life.

Priests also receive years of trianing prior to becoming a priest.

So, most priests are very familiar with routine family issues, and have received extensive ministerial training, as well.

Answer 5

If you had cancer youd want a doctor with a winning record. Not a doctor who had cancer. So in the 'spiritual director' game you need someone who is good.

Plenty of protestant pastors give terrible relationship advice, so whats the difference? Maybe what you need is someone who isnt in the middle of the problem and sees 50 of your problem a week.

Answer 6

I agree with imacatholic2.

As a matter of fact, some of the best speeches I heard about marriage and sex were given by priests (single and chast).

Answer 7

I don't think a priest or pastor know everything. Why not read the Bible, now there's an idea. If you have any question talk to you priest, but please don't just play follow the leader. Here's a question for people who do whatever their church tells them to do. What's better faith by testimony, or faith by reason?

Answer 8

In Kenya, it is even the role of the priest to instruct a couple how to have sex as part of their pre-marriage counseling. Supposedly they don't know before that.

Answer 9

If you've never thrown a ball, you still know what a good pitch looks like.

They're trained to give advice.

And as with many "players," when they don't think the advice is going to improve their "game," they don't listen.

Answer 10

Their teachings or opinions doesn't come from them, they base everythign on God's law, so there's no need to play only coach their parishioners because what they have is more than experience.