Seeking Advice

[Kateri89]

So at work there is a Capuchin Franciscan Friar that volunteers on the unit and I've known for awhile that he is liberal in his beliefs but yesterday in particular, I overheard him talking to another staff member who is a lesbian.  She was saying that she just started dating this woman and he was telling her how happy he was for her and encouraging the relationship.  Anyway, I'm just wondering if I should say something to him and if so, what should I say?

 

Also, this makes me wonder if I should receive the Eucharist from him when he offers it.  He's not a priest so it's not like he's responsible for consecrating the host but does it make a difference if the person dispensing Holy Communion is preaching things contrary to the Church's teaching? Does that in any way lessen the validity of receiving the Eucharist?

[Noel's angel]

Yes, you should/can still receive from him. It has no effect on the validity of your reception of the Eucharist.

 

Should you say something? Hmm...perhaps you should. I'm thinking about tomorrow's Gospel and how Jesus sent out the 72; if you speak to him and he isn't interested in what you have to say, just 'wipe the dust from your feet' so-to-speak. If you have the right attitude, you may just give him something to think about.

[CatholicCid]

Are you able to contact his superiors? 

[Lil Red]

Are you able to contact his superiors? 

 

no matter how hard it is, she should try to speak to him first. then go above him to his superiors. 

[Basilisa Marie]

no matter how hard it is, she should try to speak to him first. then go above him to his superiors. 

 

Yes, DEFINITELY talk to him first.  Ask him why he does what he does, instead of jumping to his superiors. 

[Basilisa Marie]

So at work there is a Capuchin Franciscan Friar that volunteers on the unit and I've known for awhile that he is liberal in his beliefs but yesterday in particular, I overheard him talking to another staff member who is a lesbian.  She was saying that she just started dating this woman and he was telling her how happy he was for her and encouraging the relationship.  Anyway, I'm just wondering if I should say something to him and if so, what should I say?

 

Also, this makes me wonder if I should receive the Eucharist from him when he offers it.  He's not a priest so it's not like he's responsible for consecrating the host but does it make a difference if the person dispensing Holy Communion is preaching things contrary to the Church's teaching? Does that in any way lessen the validity of receiving the Eucharist?

 

Even if he was the priest, it'd be fine to receive communion from him, because the holiness of the priest doesn't have any effect on the validity of the sacrament.  The Donatist heresy around the time of Augustine thought that a priest's holiness had an impact on the sacrament, but the Church clarified that it doesn't.  :)  

[Kateri89]

Thanks guys!

[Sister Marie]

So at work there is a Capuchin Franciscan Friar that volunteers on the unit and I've known for awhile that he is liberal in his beliefs but yesterday in particular, I overheard him talking to another staff member who is a lesbian.  She was saying that she just started dating this woman and he was telling her how happy he was for her and encouraging the relationship.  Anyway, I'm just wondering if I should say something to him and if so, what should I say?

 

Also, this makes me wonder if I should receive the Eucharist from him when he offers it.  He's not a priest so it's not like he's responsible for consecrating the host but does it make a difference if the person dispensing Holy Communion is preaching things contrary to the Church's teaching? Does that in any way lessen the validity of receiving the Eucharist?

 

Could it be possible that you missed part of the conversation?  I ask this because, as a religious, I always try to keep the door for conversation open to anyone, regardless of their moral decisions and sometimes that may sound like being a "liberal" when one's intention is to slowly guide someone to a truth instead of hitting them over the head with it, for lack of a better phrase...  Also, you never know what other conversations he has had with that person... it could be that  he has already spoken his  moral truth to them, and rather than ostracize them, he chooses to love them and continue to have a relationship with them, knowing that there is an unspoken disagreement between the two. 

 

Try to give Brother the benefit of the doubt... if you are right about him doing the wrong thing, at least you will be on the side of charity... if you are wrong and misunderstood him, again charity wins and you can move from there... Often there is much more to a conversation than that which you have overheard.

 

I agree with the other posters - talk to him first and try to listen with an open heart.  Second... if you still aren't satisfied, you can go to his superior but you will be more effective if you speak your own truth and leave it at the feet of the superior... and let it go.  Otherwise it will seem like it is a personal issue and you probably won't get anywhere. 

 

Prayers, SM

[Kateri89]

Thanks Sister Marie! I would say that it is possible that I somehow misunderstood but I did hear a lot of the conversation and I'm fairly sure I'm right.  In any case, this isn't the first time I've heard him say something like this.  He once talked about his life prior to becoming a religious and how he was in a relationship with another man who was the love of his life.  I'll definitely be careful in how I approach the subject with him but I just feel like it's even more harmful when a professed religious is blatantly going against Church teaching.  It makes people think that those who follow the actual teachings of the Church are just patriarchal, oppressive bigots.

[Seven77]

 Before you do anything at all-- pray. Pray for the woman and her friend, pray for the priest, pray for yourself that you may know what to do and say.