are catholic priests allowed to have non-sexual relationships with someone?

-- sdqa (sdqa@sdqa.com), December 24, 2004

Answers

Of course! Just like married people are allowed to have non-sexual, non-romantic relationships with other people. There are all kinds of relationships. Non-married people are not allowed to have marital relationships, obviously. Anyone can have other relationships - familial, fraternal, professional, etc. And, anyone can have friendships as long as those friendships are appropriate to one's life calling, and are not occasions of sin.

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), December 24, 2004.

but i meant like being in love with someone but not having sex with that person

-- sdqa (sdqa@sdqa.com), December 24, 2004.

Priests in the Eastern Rite are allowed to marry.

-- Cameron (shaolin__phoenix@hotmail.com), December 24, 2004.

Eastern Rite priests are not allowed to marry, but married men may become Eastern Rite priests. Any unmarried priest should avoid any serious one-on-one relationship of a romantic nature, regardless of whether that relationship includes sexual intercourse. Such relationships are intended to lead to marriage, which is not a possibility for a priest. At best it would be a serious occasion of sin, and would surely detract from the priest's function as shepherd of the entire flock.

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), December 24, 2004.

so it's forbidden to catholic priests to have non-sexual romances?

-- sdqa (sdqa@sdqa.com), December 25, 2004.

The answer is Yes....Absolutely! A priest is married to the Church. The Church is his spouse. The same goes for nuns. The same goes for married persons, even if they are civilly divorced. (whether they are divorced or not, the only person they can or could have a romantic reltionship with is their spouse.)

For all these people, it is very good for them to have non-romantic relationships. Except for the rare monastic person, everyone needs intimacy and close friends. But in the eyes of God...priest, nuns, and married persons are already married, and for them any sort of one-on-one romantic relationships are at the very least a near- occasion of sin for everyone involved (i.e., the priest, the romantic partner, and anyone with knowledge of the sinful relationship since it would be a sin of omission not to point out the seriously sinful act of another).

Think of it this way. God can be a part of any relationship that is good and correctly ordered according to His will. A priest who lives his vocation is married to the Church and God is a part of that relationship as a third-party. The same goes for married couples, God is a third-party to those two when they act to love each each other in a romantic way.

This is one reason why sex is so sacred and only for married people. It is rightly called the Marital Act because in married people who live their vocation well, sex allows them to join together, with God, in the creation of new lives.

God is not a part of any sexual relationship (or preliminary romantic interaction) that is not a Marital Act. And if God is not present, then who is...???

-- Pat Delaney (patrickrdelaney@yahoo.com), December 25, 2004.

...northern-europe will be without catholic priests over 20 years i think

-- sdqa (sdqa@sdqa.com), December 25, 2004.

The smaller the Church gets, the more saintly her members and the more clearly true her doctrines.

-- anon (ymous@god.bless), December 27, 2004.

according to the bible christ is married to the church as a whole. i don't understand where the concept of a single person being married to christ or to the church applies.

-- marina noneya (hellorina@aol.com), January 06, 2005.

its not really a matter of being "married to God." that term is more a figure of speech which by today's language is a misnomer. it is a matter that the priest is 100% devoted to God. read your gospels, Christ tells the apostles that they cannot serve two masters and tells them that unless they give up all they have (family included) to follow Him, then they are not apostles. I am not called to the priesthood, but even if i were i wouldnt dream of dragging a woman along when i could never divide my attention which would be entirely devoted to God... that would be an unfair and unhealthy marraige.

-- paul h (dontSendMeMail@notAnAddress.com), January 06, 2005.