Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Is the Catholic Church Screening Prospective Deacons Properly ?

I thought this was an interesting post at VOX NOVA. See The Questions They Didn’t Ask . This man is going through the process of becoming a Catholic Deacon ( I think if I have his location right the Archdiocese of Chicago). He talks about a series of questions he was asked in a battery of psychological tests.

We have been ordaining hordes of Deacons and sometimes I think if proper attention is going as to screening. I am sure it differs from Diocese to Diocese.

He hits on the fact that questions were not asked as domestic abuse which he found odd. I agree with that and of of course that can have a physical and/or mental component. Again as he notes that might differ from Diocese to Diocese. In fact in my own Diocese I know at least in the past that was looked into.

He also mentions the fact that hardly nothing was asked the issue of birth control which is sort of well concerning. Especially since many of these Deacons and indeed their wives are often going to be involved in marriage preparation and counseling.

I thought this question was worded wrong -"4) Are you a homosexual?" I think the better to way ask that is if a person has experienced varying degrees of same sex attraction. I suspect that some people that some level of smae sex attraction they are having problems dealing with in their mind can honestly answer "no" to if they are a homosexual.

Catholic Deacons because of their position and what they might be doing might even in fact be at higher risk for sexual temptations than some Catholic Priests. As a former Protestant the stories of Preachers, and even people on the board of Deacons messing around with someone's wife or a female in the congregation was not uncommon. It might start out innocently but well before you know boom there is a horrible and sinful situation that has developed. Something that in quite a few states by the way would be classifyed as a crime such as in Texas just to name one state. That is it is viewed as an abuse of authority that can be sanctioned by law.

Anyway I thought his take was interesting.

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