Priests Wearing A Ring On Their Left Hand

[Slappo]

I have to agree. Personal preference is that priests always wear collars. If I were a priest the only time I wouldn't wear a collar was if it would be imprudent, like out hunting, or doing some sort of activity where wearing a cleric/cassick would inhibit my ability to do what I was trying to do, but even then I'd try to wear it all the time. Also exceptions like... if I were in China where it would be deadly for me to wear a collar.

Otherwise, Fr. Corapi in his series on the priesthood (talking to a bunch of seminarians I think), said that people will eat priests up, and to let them. Priesthood is not just a sacrifice of celibacy, it is a sacrifice of life. To be a priest means to be called sacrifice. You sacrifice every restful moment into God's hands and let His divine will take over every part of your life when you accept a vocation to the priesthood. Think about someone who truly desired and needed the sacrament of confession, and would have asked the first priest he saw. You're not wearing your collar, he doesn't know your a priest so he doesn't ask you. On his drive home he gets into a deadly car crash. This man lost his chance to confess, and it may have been that he confessed if you had a collar on. THIS is the sacrifice of a preist. Every waking moment given to God.

This is why I am so scared, yet also so excited to know that I may be called to a priestly vocation.


As for the rings... considering this is what the topic is about.. . My parish priest wears a ring that was made from his wife and his wedding bands. His wife and child died in a car crash 2 years into their marriage. I think that is great.

-Marcus

[LouisvilleFan]

To Salesian and Marcus, I'll bet after a few months in the priesthood, you would both feel differently about wearing the collar as much as feasibly possible. Single people (especially engaged couples) tend to think about marriage in an idealistic light, and it sounds like your ideas of priesthood are also idealistic. Of course, the knowledge of an ideal marriage or priesthood drives us to pursue that dream, but then we run into our human limitations and tendency to sin.

As long as he is married, a husband never ceases being a husband, but he needs time with guy friends to do the things that single guys do (well, celibate single guys). Same goes for priests. I think for priests, prayer needs to be an important part of their "escape," since personal communion with God (away from other people) is essential to leading others to that same communion. And if he doesn't feel like wearing a collar at times, doing it anyway will only lead to miserableness and steal his joy... and that wouldn't make for a good witness to the people he meets.

Edited August 8, 2007 by LouisvilleFan

[LouisvilleFan]

[quote name='Slappo' post='1351184' date='Aug 6 2007, 03:25 PM']Otherwise, Fr. Corapi in his series on the priesthood (talking to a bunch of seminarians I think), said that people will eat priests up, and to let them.
...
Think about someone who truly desired and needed the sacrament of confession, and would have asked the first priest he saw. You're not wearing your collar, he doesn't know your a priest so he doesn't ask you. On his drive home he gets into a deadly car crash. This man lost his chance to confess, and it may have been that he confessed if you had a collar on. THIS is the sacrifice of a preist. Every waking moment given to God.[/quote]

Fr. Corapi is a awesome, but I think he's also being idealistic. Since he is a priest, I'll give his words more weight, but at the same time I imagine his faith and relationship with God is stronger than most people (or priests). Some priests would let the people eat them up... and they wouldn't be able to handle it. Those are the guys who only make it a few years and end up leaving the priestly ministry. We don't see that much in the U.S. since discernment and formation have improved so much, but it is a common problem in Latin America, with their chronic priest shortages and 50,000+ member parishes (Fr. Rossetti talks about it some in "Joy of Priesthood").

In response to the Confession story, while it's inspiring in a way, a priest could bend that in his mind and start feeling guilty for anytime he went out without a collar on. Priests aren't called to save the world -- Jesus is. In that hypothetical situation, the desire for sacramental Reconciliation would suffice to provide that guy with the grace he needs after death. Paragraph 1037 of the Catechism says "a willful turning away from God (a mortal sin) is necessary, and persistence in it until the end" for someone to suffer Hell. The desire for Reconciliation clearly indicates a repentance of the heart, so he wouldn't go to Hell.

Edited August 8, 2007 by LouisvilleFan

[Sojourner]

I totally agree with what you're saying, Louisville Fan.

I think the key, in both the marriage or priesthood scenario, is to know your limits. Sacrifice is noble, but you don't do anyone any good if you're not healthy and taking care of yourself properly. Some people can handle more than others, and I say more power to the priests who are on whenever they're in public. I personally would find that incredibly draining, and I wouldn't be able to do it. I know that I need "me" time to be able to recharge and keep a balance, and frankly I don't think it's selfish to take that time, because it really enriches the interactions a person has outside that time. Maybe for some people that time would be spent totally alone, but for others it might be spent grocery shopping, or at a bar with friends, or at a baseball game. I've got absolutely no problem with that.

[IrishSalesian]

[quote name='LouisvilleFan' post='1352559' date='Aug 8 2007, 12:07 AM']To Salesian and Marcus, I'll bet after a few months in the priesthood, you would both feel differently about wearing the collar as much as feasibly possible. Single people (especially engaged couples) tend to think about marriage in an idealistic light, and it sounds like your ideas of priesthood are also idealistic. Of course, the knowledge of an ideal marriage or priesthood drives us to pursue that dream, but then we run into our human limitations and tendency to sin.

As long as he is married, a husband never ceases being a husband, but he needs time with guy friends to do the things that single guys do (well, celibate single guys). Same goes for priests. I think for priests, prayer needs to be an important part of their "escape," since personal communion with God (away from other people) is essential to leading others to that same communion. And if he doesn't feel like wearing a collar at times, doing it anyway will only lead to miserableness and steal his joy... and that wouldn't make for a good witness to the people he meets.[/quote]

I'm not saying that I think priests should always have a collar on at all times. Im saying, that he shouldn't try to hide the fact that he is aa priest. I ran into a former pastor of mine ( he was reassignesd) and i saw him at the grocery store, and I started Hellop Father...and he stopped me , he said to call him Mister. So thats where I was going with that. I just think priests shouldn't hide themselves.

[homeschoolmom]

[quote name='Terra Firma' post='1351156' date='Aug 6 2007, 01:09 PM']If I were a priest I would not want to wear a collar when I was "off duty."[/quote]
I'm glad my husband doesn't take his wedding ring off when he's "off duty." Ie, he's never off duty.

But I accept your positioin that wearing a collar 24/7 is not necessary...

[Sojourner]

[quote name='homeschoolmom' post='1352746' date='Aug 8 2007, 08:09 AM']I'm glad my husband doesn't take his wedding ring off when he's "off duty." Ie, he's never off duty.

But I accept your positioin that wearing a collar 24/7 is not necessary...[/quote]
Right, but there are still times when he takes time for himself. And frankly a wedding ring really doesn't communicate the same thing as a collar ... it signifies his devotion to you, and no one else has a right to expect anything of him. But the collar signifies a commitment to humanity in general, opening a priest up to expectations from other people.

[homeschoolmom]

I was trying to point out that the priesthood, like marriage, is a vocation, not a job.

I agreed with the need for personal time.

[Sojourner]

[quote name='homeschoolmom' post='1352784' date='Aug 8 2007, 09:25 AM']I was trying to point out that the priesthood, like marriage, is a vocation, not a job.

I agreed with the need for personal time. [/quote]
Right, sorry, I didn't mean to come off as argumentative. I was just trying to distinguish between the significance of the collar and the ring. (Sort of thinking aloud ... )

[mtettleton]

[quote name='Terra Firma' post='1345556' date='Jul 31 2007, 06:46 PM']Makes no difference to me.

Although if I were a priest I would get an ordination kayak instead.[/quote]

How about an ordination taco?

[LouisvilleFan]

[quote name='IrishSalesian' post='1352745' date='Aug 8 2007, 10:08 AM']I'm not saying that I think priests should always have a collar on at all times. Im saying, that he shouldn't try to hide the fact that he is aa priest. I ran into a former pastor of mine ( he was reassignesd) and i saw him at the grocery store, and I started Hellop Father...and he stopped me , he said to call him Mister. So thats where I was going with that. I just think priests shouldn't hide themselves.[/quote]

True... ironically, this particularpriest might have started out as one had great intentions to be serving as much as humanly possible, thinking it selfish to give much time to himself, and eventually burning out. It's not uncommon for people at one extreme of behavior to have lived at the other extreme. That's not always a bad thing, such a prostitute who converts and becomes a sister or nun, but sometimes good intentions lead to bad consequences.

At any rate, all religious need a lot of prayer, but also supportive friends they can open up to and strong prayer lives of their own. According to a study by Fr. Rossetti (author of "The Joy of Priesthood" that I just finished), only 88.0% of priests had received the sacrament of Reconciliation within the past year, and 60.7% within the past three months. Maybe some of those are "freethinking" priests who don't believe Confession is necessary, but obviously there are priests who have real issues (as any group of humans does).