Priests Wearing A Ring On Their Left Hand

[T-Bone _]

[quote name='Cow of Shame' post='1345986' date='Jul 31 2007, 11:18 PM']A wearable decorative deer rifle?[/quote]

Stainless steel barrel, camo composite stock, padded sling--both decorative and wearable.

[Pio Nono]

JMJ
8/1 - St. Alphonsus Liguori (St. Peter in Chains/Seven Maccabean Martyrs)

I know priests who wear rings partly so that women won't hit on them when they go out in groups to bars or concerts.

[Justin86]

Something no one else has brought up is how do we know that a wedding band expresses a priest's marriage to the Church, even in the Roman Rite? How do we know that it doesn't represent a fleshy marital commitment thereby making his ordination invalid?

If you think it doesn't happen think again. Yes, there are men out there who lied when the Church asked about their marital status. The parish priest I grew up with was one. They declared his ordination invalid.

What I'm trying to say is why would we assume that secular symbols suddenly have religious meaning just because a priest is wearing it, especially when the Roman Rite already has a purely religious way for a priest to express his matrimony to the Church? How about you wear a collar, Father. Then I'll know what you're talking about.

Edited August 1, 2007 by Justin86

[IrishSalesian]

[quote name='Justin86' post='1346136' date='Aug 1 2007, 12:06 PM']Something no one else has brought up is how do we know that a wedding band expresses a priest's marriage to the Church, even in the Roman Rite? How do we know that it doesn't represent a fleshy marital commitment thereby making his ordination invalid?

If you think it doesn't happen think again. Yes, there are men out there who lied when the Church asked about their marital status. The parish priest I grew up with was one. They declared his ordination invalid.

What I'm trying to say is why would we assume that secular symbols suddenly have religious meaning just because a priest is wearing it, especially when the Roman Rite already has a purely religious way for a priest to express his matrimony to the Church? How about you wear a collar, Father. Then I'll know what you're talking about.[/quote]

I am a seminarian, I come from Irish Heritage. I wear a claddagh ring on my right hand. Is this wrong?

[Justin86]

I have no idea what a claddagh is. Is it something that in Ireland is a popular expression of ethnic heritage or something?

[IrishSalesian]

[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claddagh_ring"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claddagh_ring[/url]

[LouisvilleFan]

[quote name='Justin86' post='1346136' date='Aug 1 2007, 12:06 PM']Something no one else has brought up is how do we know that a wedding band expresses a priest's marriage to the Church, even in the Roman Rite? How do we know that it doesn't represent a fleshy marital commitment thereby making his ordination invalid?[/quote]

Hopefully the vocations director would notice that ring around his finger... and besides, they should be able to research those things, although I'm sure it's possible for someone to be married and not be recorded in any public records.

[quote name='Justin86' post='1346136' date='Aug 1 2007, 12:06 PM']If you think it doesn't happen think again. Yes, there are men out there who lied when the Church asked about their marital status. The parish priest I grew up with was one. They declared his ordination invalid.[/quote]

Just to be sure, being married wouldn't have made his ordination invalid. If that were the case, then at all the Masses he presided over, when you thought you were receiving the Eucharist, it was really just bread and wine. So, that's kind of a big deal

Of course, he would still be excused from ministry, at least for a while. Anyone who has lied about being married in order to be ordained a priest needs to speak with a psychiatrist (and get an annulment) before returning to active ministry as a priest, if he's allowed to return at all.

[LouisvilleFan]

[quote name='IrishSalesian' post='1346148' date='Aug 1 2007, 12:28 PM'][url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claddagh_ring"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claddagh_ring[/url][/quote]

Those are pretty neat... I don't know how much Irish I've got in me, but I want one too ;-)

[missionarybelle]

Claddagh rings are tight. they're also all over Ireland. a bunch of my friends have them.

I'd probably buy myself an ordination life-subscription to Vogue magazine.

of course, I'm also never going to be a priest.... but a life-subscription would be awesome!

[Sojourner]

[quote name='IrishSalesian' post='1346148' date='Aug 1 2007, 10:28 AM'][url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claddagh_ring"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claddagh_ring[/url][/quote]
Those are pretty sweet.

[prose]

I think someone said earlier about the collar thing. That is a pretty clear symbol not to be hit on in the bar or at a concert or something. With that being said, however, I see no problem with a priest wearing a ring.

As for the marriage-ring thing. At the ceremony, the rings are there, but after, the rings do not make the marriage. Either that or me an my hubby would be un-married for a long time since he lost his ring.

[Sojourner]

If I were a priest I would not want to wear a collar when I was "off duty."

[IrishSalesian]

[quote name='Terra Firma' post='1351156' date='Aug 6 2007, 02:09 PM']If I were a priest I would not want to wear a collar when I was "off duty."[/quote]
Why would you want to hide the fact that you area a priest. It is nothing to be ashamed of. IT IS YOUR JOB! Once a priest, you are always a priest. There is no need to hide it0. It is the priests job to bring the Sacraments to the people and day at anytime. There is no "Off Duty" time for a priest. Yes, they may have a day off. But there never not a priest!

[Sojourner]

[quote name='IrishSalesian' post='1351158' date='Aug 6 2007, 12:15 PM']Why would you want to hide the fact that you area a priest. It is nothing to be ashamed of. IT IS YOUR JOB! Once a priest, you are always a priest. There is no need to hide it0. It is the priests job to bring the Sacraments to the people and day at anytime. There is no "Off Duty" time for a priest. Yes, they may have a day off. But there never not a priest![/quote]
I think it would be totally OK for a priest to go to a bar or the grocery store not wearing a collar, and I personally would want some time when I wasn't proclaiming to the world my vocation. Downtime, if you will. Not that I'd be ashamed of it, but that everyone needs a break from being "on" all the time. Not everyone may need this. But far as I know, there is no requirement that diocesan priests wear clerics all the time.

[IrishSalesian]

[quote name='Terra Firma' post='1351164' date='Aug 6 2007, 02:32 PM']I think it would be totally OK for a priest to go to a bar or the grocery store not wearing a collar, and I personally would want some time when I wasn't proclaiming to the world my vocation. Downtime, if you will. Not that I'd be ashamed of it, but that everyone needs a break from being "on" all the time. Not everyone may need this. But far as I know, there is no requirement that diocesan priests wear clerics all the time.[/quote]

No there is no mandate for there to always be "on". Its, just my personal opinion.