I think there should be a very specific and rigorous path to the priesthood for married men AND WOMEN!
I was a seminarian with the Diocese of Sault Ste-Marie in Ontario Canada. While I was at the seminary, 2 priests tried to molest me. I told my Bishop Jean-Louis Plouff who then tried to blame it on me and told me that the 2 priests were disciplined and no longer priests. I discovered 6 months later that it was not true.
In order to live my priestly calling, I later joined the Ecumenical Catholic Church in order to be ordained (though my other colleagues (Roman rite) refuse to accept my ordination, my apostolic succession and offer to co-celebrate).
I believe that I was not allowed to live my true calling base on what the Roman Church has imposed (no married priests / celibacy) and that others were given the right to determine my future. How in Christ’s image can this be!
I dream of the day that I may live my priestly calling in the Roman Catholic Church and not refused because I had to get married in order to continue to life and faith and that the Church (Bishop Jean-Louis Plouff) lied and refused to do what was right.
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Many western democracies are starving for vocations to the priesthood. There are some wonderfully pastoral priests who relate to and empathize with their flock, though, in my experience, they are the exception. Unfortunately, I have had too many conversations with dedicated parishoners who are disillusioned with pastors unwilling or, more likely and for many reasons, unable to relate to the people in their pews. Too many western democracies are starving for vocations to the priesthood. Though many factors are involved – practical ways to help remedy the overall decline in vocations and weekly church attendance, would be for the Church to make celibacy an option and to allow female priests. This would immediately rejuvenate vocations by bringing former priests back into the fold, encourage a host of new vocations (male & female) to the priesthood and display to the baptized and all the world – that the Church can understand, faithfully discern and respond to the needs of the People of God and the times.
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