FSSP and "NFP"

[rbjmartin]

In my 3.5 years there, we were never given a talk on NFP by anyone, male or female, and I highly doubt there have been any such talks given since then.

There was only woman who came to talk while I was there, and that was Colleen Hammond talking about modesty.

Were you going to be a Priest?

Yes, I was discerning that vocation.

[joe17]

 Moneil,

  As to the confessional/screen for men, yes, they have the right to the cofessional as well.  I should have worded things a little better, my mistake.  What I mean is that a priest can hear a man's confession w/o screen with a less serious reason that he can a woman's.
  As to the doctor issue, I stand by the idea that a male would be far better.  This happened in the early 2000's and my friend and many of the others were rather put off.  Perhaps not every seminarian would not be put off, but I believe I would be as well.
   The name of NFP was put out in the early 70's by a non-Catholic and the NO Church took it and has run with it.  The Rhythm method was sufficient.  It is one thing to know that a legitimate way of abstaining, with the outcome being that spacing of births may occurr, is out there.  However not everyone needs to know all the details.  I would say that instruction in the Catholic practice should be done on the need to know basis.  Pre-Cana does not need to get into this. 
  I submitted this topic after seeing the post on NO vs Trad Seminaries.  That is all for now.

  Joe

[OCLittleFlower]

I don't think a priest needs to know how it works well enough to provide instruction -- teachers can do that.  Doctors are for medical care, priests are for making ethical judgements about it, according to the teachings of Holy Mother Church.  Some understanding is of course involved, but I don't know that it needs to come from doctors, esp women.  Knowing that NFP is allowed and when it is allowed and having the contact info for a local teacher to give out is enough.  When its allowed is of more importance for priests to understand than how exactly it works, IMO.

[joe17]

 OCLittleFlower is right that the priest is involved in when it is permissible to make use of Rhythm.  Within bounds doctors can help those that may have trouble conceiving.

  Joe

[JayneK]

I don't think a priest needs to know how it works well enough to provide instruction -- teachers can do that.  Doctors are for medical care, priests are for making ethical judgements about it, according to the teachings of Holy Mother Church.  Some understanding is of course involved, but I don't know that it needs to come from doctors, esp women.  Knowing that NFP is allowed and when it is allowed and having the contact info for a local teacher to give out is enough.  When its allowed is of more importance for priests to understand than how exactly it works, IMO.

Priests also need to know about emotional effects of periodic abstinence.  These can have moral implications.   

[OCLittleFlower]

I don't think a priest needs to know how it works well enough to provide instruction -- teachers can do that.  Doctors are for medical care, priests are for making ethical judgements about it, according to the teachings of Holy Mother Church.  Some understanding is of course involved, but I don't know that it needs to come from doctors, esp women.  Knowing that NFP is allowed and when it is allowed and having the contact info for a local teacher to give out is enough.  When its allowed is of more importance for priests to understand than how exactly it works, IMO.

Priests also need to know about emotional effects of periodic abstinence.  These can have moral implications.   

I've always been of a mind that, if a couple really has a need of it, they will make it happen.  If it's too difficult emotionally, perhaps that is a sign of either selfishness on the part of one of the spouses or else a lack of true grounds for the use of it.

[FatherCekada]

I don't think a priest needs to know how it works well enough to provide instruction -- teachers can do that.  Doctors are for medical care, priests are for making ethical judgements about it, according to the teachings of Holy Mother Church.  Some understanding is of course involved, but I don't know that it needs to come from doctors, esp women.  Knowing that NFP is allowed and when it is allowed and having the contact info for a local teacher to give out is enough.  When its allowed is of more importance for priests to understand than how exactly it works, IMO.

This is correct. I teach sacramental/moral theology to seminarians.

The moral aspect of NFP is what future priests must learn in the seminary. It is not necessary for them to learn all the details about how the physical processes work.

Instruction in the latter for couples is indeed best left to medical personnel or to books and tapes on the topic.

[newyorkcatholic]

I don't think a priest needs to know how it works well enough to provide instruction -- teachers can do that.  Doctors are for medical care, priests are for making ethical judgements about it, according to the teachings of Holy Mother Church.  Some understanding is of course involved, but I don't know that it needs to come from doctors, esp women.  Knowing that NFP is allowed and when it is allowed and having the contact info for a local teacher to give out is enough.  When its allowed is of more importance for priests to understand than how exactly it works, IMO.

This is correct. I teach sacramental/moral theology to seminarians.

The moral aspect of NFP is what future priests must learn in the seminary. It is not necessary for them to learn all the details about how the physical processes work.

Instruction in the latter for couples is indeed best left to medical personnel or to books and tapes on the topic.

But is it valuable to know some of the details, for context and to understand how to apply the moral principles?

To use another example: in studying Catholic teaching on medical ethics, isn't it useful for priests and theologians to know some of the details about how "brain death" is assessed, or what types of surgical options are available to "treat" ectopic pregnancy and what the consequences are, and so on?

Something else I thought of: specifically when applying the principle of double effect, doesn't one have to determine that the expected evil consequence of a non-intrinsically-evil act be outweighed by the expected good, to justify to act when the evil is not intended?  And isn't that kind of thing impossible to determine without knowing the risks and benefits of certain medical procedures?

Could all of this apply to NFP too?

[OCLittleFlower]

I fail to see why every priest must be instructed by a doctor in order to understand those things, NYCatholic.  A good orthodox Moral Theology with a chapter or two on Bioethics would fit the bill, I'd think.

[Guardian]

I don't think a priest needs to know how it works well enough to provide instruction -- teachers can do that.  Doctors are for medical care, priests are for making ethical judgements about it, according to the teachings of Holy Mother Church.  Some understanding is of course involved, but I don't know that it needs to come from doctors, esp women.  Knowing that NFP is allowed and when it is allowed and having the contact info for a local teacher to give out is enough.  When its allowed is of more importance for priests to understand than how exactly it works, IMO.

Priests also need to know about emotional effects of periodic abstinence.  These can have moral implications.   

I've always been of a mind that, if a couple really has a need of it, they will make it happen.  If it's too difficult emotionally, perhaps that is a sign of either selfishness on the part of one of the spouses or else a lack of true grounds for the use of it.

If a couple is using NFP correctly, they're doing it because there is a grave reason.  Try going 2 to 3 months without having sex (due to an irregular cycle) and then tell me its not difficult or straining on a marriage.  They'll make it happen because at the moment they can't handle the alternative....but that doesn't make it easy.