Is habitual masturbation an impediment to the priesthood?

Yes.

It's one of the things your spiritual director/confessor will talk to you about, with regards to discerning your vocation.

A certain level of virtue (not complete perfection) is required to be a priest. Remember, the priest will have to lead OTHERS on the way of salvation. He will either bring a bunch of others with him to hell, or a bunch of others with him to heaven.

Imagine if your local priest had the problem you describe. Imagine if he started flirting with women, installing hidden cameras in the bathroom, or filling his computer with pornographic material to facilitate his "habit"? Think of the damage that would be done -- the scandal that would result -- if any of these things became known?

The fact of the matter is that sins of the flesh are the WORST when it comes to addiction and how much they control your life. If a priest is addicted to this sin, he is unmortified and that is the precise OPPOSITE of what a priest's life is about (a life of self-denial and sacrifice).

If a priest is that unmortified and addicted to pleasure, there is no limit to the sins he will commit to serve this habit (rather than God). He will compromise on the Faith (to get a larger congregation, with more women!), he will destroy families by having affairs, he will manipulate in the confessional, he will scandalize the Faithful, he will want MONEY to help serve his habit, he will stay in his rectory alone (for obvious reasons) and won't want to hear confessions or make sick calls, plus countless other evils.

The Church doesn't want another priest so bad that it's willing to consign a few hundred souls to eternal perdition!

Matthew

(Forgot to click the box)

Quote from: Guest

Is habitual masturbation an impediment to the priesthood?

Yes.

It's one of the things your spiritual director/confessor will talk to you about, with regards to discerning your vocation.

A certain level of virtue (not complete perfection) is required to be a priest. Remember, the priest will have to lead OTHERS on the way of salvation. He will either bring a bunch of others with him to hell, or a bunch of others with him to heaven.

Imagine if your local priest had the problem you describe. Imagine if he started flirting with women, installing hidden cameras in the bathroom, or filling his computer with pornographic material to facilitate his "habit"? Think of the damage that would be done -- the scandal that would result -- if any of these things became known?

The fact of the matter is that sins of the flesh are the WORST when it comes to addiction and how much they control your life. If a priest is addicted to this sin, he is unmortified and that is the precise OPPOSITE of what a priest's life is about (a life of self-denial and sacrifice).

If a priest is that unmortified and addicted to pleasure, there is no limit to the sins he will commit to serve this habit (rather than God). He will compromise on the Faith (to get a larger congregation, with more women!), he will destroy families by having affairs, he will manipulate in the confessional, he will scandalize the Faithful, he will want MONEY to help serve his habit, he will stay in his rectory alone (for obvious reasons) and won't want to hear confessions or make sick calls, plus countless other evils.

The Church doesn't want another priest so bad that it's willing to consign a few hundred souls to eternal perdition!

Matthew

(Forgot to click the box)

The above part is true about the sins of the flesh being a gateway to much else and an indication of the priest's willingness to compromise with vice, but an equally important fact is that he will be unacquainted with how to advise penitents who suffer from the same habit.  He may know in theory what to say but his words will lack the spiritual and practical effect of someone who resists the difficult temptation.  Among many other things, I want my Confessor to be a warrior who has largely conquered the vices and weaknesses that most tempt us -- who is practiced in defense of habitual virtue.  Someone who has done so is in a position to be both compassionate and confident that habitual virtue is possible.