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Dominican priest Leo Donovan died in Kiltipper Woods Care Centre, Tallaght on Saturday morning, February 17. Leo had been over two years in ... -
Dominican priest Philip McShane died in St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin on Wednesday, October 18. We talk about people dying with their boot... -
Unless the person is a proper demon I think it’s fair to say that most people, women and men in religious life, look back on their novice m...
1 comment:
Michael, I am unsure of the context in which you raise this question. My initial response is no, on the basis that there is no empirical evidence to suggest that this is the case. Experiential evidence, so to speak, will differ from person to person. On that basis, I think some priests can exhibit particular traits, which while not attibutable as a class, may fit a number of individuals of whom one has experience. My own belief is that priests, almost universally, are inspired by generosity in the first place when considering a vocation. There may well be many other motives, but I do think generosity is in there. How else can one account for the decision to forsake marriage, family, career for something as ephemeral as priesthood. Equally, motives can become distorted over the course of a life, and priests are not immune from that. The difference is that in marriage one must account for oneself to another. Priests generally do not have to account, for example, for their time, use of money, choice of holiday, size of car, let alone their most intimate thoughts and actions. But I do believe that generosity remains a strong motivation for most, but not all.
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