Priests And Social Drinking

[CatholicCid]

Random question.

Do you think it would be detrimental to a priest's pastoral mission to abstain from all forms of alcohol (outside of Mass) due to personal preferences?

For example, you have your pastor, Fr. X, over for dinner and offer him a beer. He simply replies, "Oh, I'd prefer just some water/cola/juice." You then offer a nice red wine instead, suggesting perhaps that it pairs well with the meal. To which he replies, "Well, actually, I don't drink. Water would be fine though."

Would such abstinence, in today's culture of moderate social drinking, be considered off-putting? A condemnation of others? Or a temptation to gossip about Fr. X?

Edited July 11, 2012 by CatholicCid

[BigJon16]

I don't see how it would be a problem. I know plenty of non-religious people who don't drink for one reason or the other.

[PhuturePriest]

It's a personal choice. Nothing wrong with that. Maybe he has a tendency to drink too much so he tries not to drink often, especially in other people's company?

[Cherie]

[quote name='FuturePriest387' timestamp='1341971949' post='2454546']
It's a personal choice. Nothing wrong with that. Maybe he has a tendency to drink too much so he tries not to drink often, especially in other people's company?
[/quote]

Yes, this is what I was thinking. I don't think gossip is much of an issue though, as people in general have a tendency to think clergy/religious are teetotalers, or nearly so. Maybe not as much with parish priests as with those in a religious order, but I don't think most people would think twice about it, honestly. But maybe that's just me!

[Luigi]

It won't be a problem, unless the person offering the liquor is an alcoholic her/himself. Alcoholics - especially men - often think "You can't trust a man who won't drink with you," or they feel uncomfortable imbibing without other people there to support/tacitly approve of their own drinking.

[Ed Normile]

Speaking as one who has drank enough during his lifetime to float a battleship, I have never drunk beer during or before dinner, I always drink whiskey, it just goes down better. I do not drink anything besides coke or water when I eat though, to me booze and food do not mix. I do nto drink wine either, its too sweet for me, would you eat a pack of sugar before your meal, I know there are dry wines, I just love the taste of food and do not want to dull that taste with alcohol.

This is a really odd question, would you dislike someone as they do not drink? If one is to base their judgement on a person solely on the case if he drinks or not i would rather have that persons space over their company. It seems like the type of person who would do anything to fit in, and would judge another with a strong enough sense of self to be above the idea he must act in a certain way to be accepted or deemed as somehow less than a socially acceptable being. I guess there will always be those either stupid or juvenile enough to fall for peer pressures, the drug dealers live by that fact.

ed

Edited July 11, 2012 by Ed Normile

[Anomaly]

Believe it or not, I've had many dozens of meals amd or drinks with priests in various social settings. I don't think it makes a huge difference. Priests are like any everyday average people. Some drink, some don't. Some should drink, some shouldn't.

[BG45]

What Anomaly said.

At the theology on tap equivalent in town, people are always shocked in the bar to see the priest drinking with us. His response is usually, "Hey I'm a person too! And we have wine every day at my church." Any attempt to try and slip a discussion of transubstantiation in is rather doomed to failure in a few sentence discussion with a random patron.

[Slappo]

[quote name='Ed Normile' timestamp='1341973575' post='2454553']
I do not drink anything besides coke or water when I eat though, to me booze and food do not mix. I do nto drink wine either, its too sweet for me, would you eat a pack of sugar before your meal, I know there are dry wines, I just love the taste of food and do not want to dull that taste with alcohol.
[/quote]

A good wine doesn't dull the taste of a meal but accentuates it. A good glass of merlot with a steak or prime rib will cleanse your pallete between bites so you can fully experience the flavor of the steak.

[Noel's angel]

Do you not have the Pioneers Association over there?

[RandomProddy]

Given that they serve wine every Sunday morning I think most of them are OK with alcohol.

[Brother Adam]

I know priests who have hears many confessions watching football at the watering hole.

[Luigi]

[quote name='Noel's angel' timestamp='1342040452' post='2454733']
Do you not have the Pioneers Association over there?
[/quote]

No, but I have a friend in Ireland who joined when he was young. We probably need to start them over here, though. Anyone looking for a youth apostolate?

[Ed Normile]

[quote name='Slappo' timestamp='1342030343' post='2454700']
A good wine doesn't dull the taste of a meal but accentuates it. A good glass of merlot with a steak or prime rib will cleanse your pallete between bites so you can fully experience the flavor of the steak.
[/quote]

Really? I know water does the same thing for me as does a glass of coke. Wine leaves a taste in my mouth where water or coke does not. Too each his own I guess. If you want to " fully experience the flavor of the steak " try eating at Ruth's Chris steak house, i guarantee you will not need alcohol to dull your tastebuds or wash out the taste of the last bite you choked down. By the way, its a common known fact that alcohol dulls your sense of taste , even sipping wine.

ed

Edited July 12, 2012 by Ed Normile

[franciscanheart]

[quote name='Luigi' timestamp='1341973408' post='2454552']
It won't be a problem, unless the person offering the liquor is an alcoholic her/himself. Alcoholics - especially men - often think "You can't trust a man who won't drink with you," or they feel uncomfortable imbibing without other people there to support/tacitly approve of their own drinking.
[/quote]
Are you an alcoholic?