I have a friend who is thinking about becoming a priest. Can someone help?

I don’t mean to be rude, but isn’t this matter purely your friend’s private business?

1— Mathew 6:6 in the bible says to go in to your room, close the door, and pray in private. There is nothing in the bible that says you must go to church, it actually says the opposite.

2— The bible does not mention porn at all, people who say its against the rules are just making that up out of nowhere. Unless the porn star is a neighbors wife and you are coveting her, you are more or less okay watching as much porn as you like.

3— There are no real rules on celibacy. The reason priests don’t have sex is only tradition, following on from Paul, who said he did not have time to be married to a woman and married to god and the church at the same time. Then it was just carried on and exaggerated from there.

However, by going to church, he may make god angry, because the 10 commandments are against graven images, and the church is full of those.

Just tell your friend to not worry about it so much, put on some Garry Glitter music and relax.

It is a matter of what is in his heart. Nothing you have described would keep him from becoming a priest if that is meant to be his vocation.

He should look into seminary.

Since he has watched porn, e.g. looked lustfully at a woman, he is an adulterer per the NT, so he needs to repent first or be put to death by stoning.

Screw the porn. If his heart is pure he can do anything.

Welcome to Fluther.

You want we should stage an intervention or something?

As @Jeruba notes, this is a private matter for your friend and his conscience, his confessor and his mentors in the priesthood. It’s not for you to say he’s unworthy, and far less for us. In any case, as I understand Christianity and Catholocism, no one expects people – including priests – to be perfect. Who could be a priest, in that case?

On the porn issue – Of course the Bible says nothing of porn. There wasn’t any then. I’m pretty sure watching porn would fall under the sin of lust.

Your friend should speak to a priest about these questions. I’m confused at why he’d even want to be a priest if he never goes to church.

Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

He’s watched porn “a couple of times”. It’s not like he has watched it regularly and is still watching it. If he knows the rules and is serious about becoming a priest then I’m sure he’ll abide by those rules.

@poisonedantidote, in the Catholic Church tradition carries as much weight as scripture so the OP COULD have a valid point.
The question is, is the friend willing to confess and repent.
He will be required to take a vow of Chastity, Poverty and Obedience.
If the friend feels called to do this then he should.
I have talked to priests and ministers that have both said that at one point or another in their careers they have received calls from parents asking them to help them talk their child out of full time Christian service. In both cases they were a bit flabbergasted. Why in the world would they of all people want to do that?
To the OP, this is a decision your friend must prayerfully make himself, with the advice and counsel of his priest.

@Judi I’m not sure from your post, if we are supposed to be coming up with reasons why he can join or can’t, but you can basically spin it any way you like really.

I was assuming we are looking for reason to help him be able to join, I had not thought this was a plea for help for reasons why he can’t join.

Maybe the OP will come back and explain it for us. Either way, I’m sure porn would be frowned upon as I believe in the Catholic Church lust is one of the seven deadly sins?

A Catholic understands the absolution of the confessional, and would not worry about being in a state of grace before asking about entry to a seminary.

@ragingloli is quoting Jimmy Carter’s Playboy Interview from 1976.

@ragingloli is quoting the Bible.

omg @ragingloli must be losing her mind!!!

or stone out of her gourd!

The devil can cite scripture for his own purpose! An evil soul producing holy witness is like a villain with a smiling cheek.

@livelaughlove21 No porn? Google Pompeii erotic art. (NSFW or I would do it for you)

As far as your friend becoming a priest, that is between him, his priest and his God.

@9thCipher If your friend is asking these questions, he has only to ask a priest. I’m not sure why you are asking these questions. Do you not approve of his considering it? The seven deadly sins, I believe, are NOT in the Bible, but made up by lay people. It’s the 10 commandments that are in the Bible. But the main question, again, is why you are asking?

@Sunny2, again, the Catholic Tradition has just as much authority in their church as the Bible so the 7 deadly sins ARE relevant.
What the OP is missing is absolution which would absolve his friend of previous sins and give him a clean slate to start his ministry.

If your friend wishes to be a priest then he can be a priest. A sinner makes a better priest than a saint ever did. Until the sinner priest turns into a righteous bigot, in which case he will simply drive his flock away from him and his God because that flock will be full of sinners and righteousness does not allow compassion and absolution. Righteousness is pride run a muck.

A discussion your friend can have with his confessor and mentor.

@WestRiverrat But was it porn? No. A prerequisite for porn is that it is pornographic, not art. And for that matter, was Pompeii even mentioned in the Bible? That’s a real question – I’ve never read the thing.

“Is he “clean” enough to become a priest?”

Frankly, I think the opposite question is far more justified.

As a friend, I’d be asking him to question the morality of joining any organization with such an appalling track record on human rights.

http://www.alternet.org/story/146760/why_is_anyone_still_catholic

I don’t see why these things would prevent someone from being a priest? There are nuns who have been married and then later in life choose to be nuns. They aren’t virgins. As far as I know commitment to God and the vows taken to be a priest would signify the man’s life forward with the church as a priest, not have to do with his life before the priesthood. He would have to confess of course, do whatever was required, maybe some sort of penance. But, I am no authority, I am not even Catholic.

Oh, paaaaleeese. Some of the most inspiring nuns I know had ‘regular lives’ before getting their calling. Porn, sex, drugs….. I also know a few priests who had experienced ‘real life’ before getting their calling. All the better to prepare them to give REAL practical help to the people they will be weilding their unwarrented influence over.

No one mentioned the fact that this would-be catholic priest “hasn’t been to church in a while.” That in itself doesn’t bode well for his putative new vocation.

@Judi Thanks for the clarification.

I am not a Christian but is there not a place some where written in your Bible about he who is free of sin shall cast they first stone, just wondering.
I think it’s a private matter and if your friend want to be priest than let him be a priest it’s between him and his God.