Priests who swear?

[djkane01220]

Was thinking back to my days as an alter server. I served from the time I was 7 until I was 18. Our priest God rest his soul was a kind man. However he had a bit of a foul mouth. He regularly used the words damn and hell, sob, and even the occasional f-word. When I was about 14 being a teen and using many of these words myself at the time with friends, I got the courage to ask him about it. I said "Father isn't a sin to use those words." His response was:
"Am I taking the Lord's name in vain?"
me " No"
"Am I using it against my fellow brothers and sisters?"
me "No"
"Am I using those words in a sexually perverted way?"
me "no"
"Then there is no sin"

Anyone else know of any priests that use swear words in this context, just thought it was interesting including his response which actually cleared it up for me. It must have been his upbringing he was also a rabid football fan and this is mostly when we would hear this language. He would have people over his house for games. So yeah just a thought.

[Elizium23]

He set a poor example for you, and he was untruthful. Any use of certain words has sexual overtones because of their original meaning or the fact that they are degrading to women. The use of profanity in general hurts people of good will as it assaults their ears and thoughts when it is used in their presence.

I am sure that he was in other ways holy and good, but he appears to have led you astray in this regard. Please seek the advice of a regular confessor, discipline yourself to avoid these words, first in conversation, then in private utterance, and finally in your very thoughts. It is possible to cure yourself of addiction to profanity, but sometimes it is not easy.

You and your priest are in my prayers.

[djkane01220]

This was over 20 years ago and this priest has long since passed away. I rarely curse and by his example can honestly say I never take the Lord's name in vain. He was a nice man and a good priest.

[djkane01220]

I also recall a video I saw on Youtube of some boys heckling a priest which I thought was terrible and he said something along the lines of get the f off my church property or I am calling the police. So I guess mine wasn't the only one.

[George Stegmeir]

I had been a sailor for quite a few years before I came ashore and to get an education. Putting it mildly, I used some pretty colorful language. This lasted through out college, and I didn't clean up my language even when I got married. However, when my Son was about 3, I went to a child care center one day, to pick up my 3 year old son and found him being punished by standing in the corner. I asked his teacher what had he done. She replied very coldly: "I learned a new word today"! Needless to say, I made a concerted effort to clean up my speech.

[itullian]

Originally Posted by djkane01220

I also recall a video I saw on Youtube of some boys heckling a priest which I thought was terrible and he said something along the lines of get the f off my church property or I am calling the police. So I guess mine wasn't the only one.

good for him. i like him.
Priests need to be men, not milk toasts.

[mab23]

Originally Posted by itullian

good for him. i like him.
Priests need to be men, not milk toasts.

Amen to that!

[itullian]

Originally Posted by mab23

Amen to that!

yeah, like Karl Malden in 'On the Waterfront', or Pat O'Brien in 'Angels with Dirty Faces'.

[martininthefiel]

Salty language is no sin, in and of itself, but causing scandal is.

One needs to assess the social context before offending with f-bombs.

Then, again, there is no right not to be offended, and some people deserve offence.

[LilyM]

Originally Posted by itullian

good for him. i like him.
Priests need to be men, not milk toasts.

One can be a strong man without swearing. My father is a manly man who no one would ever mess with - but rarely even raises his voice, let alone ever swearing that I can recall.

[itullian]

Originally Posted by LilyM

One can be a strong man without swearing. My father is a manly man who no one would ever mess with - but rarely even raises his voice, let alone ever swearing that I can recall.

and you can still be a holy man and swear from time to time. we're human, remember.

[lauraabarlow]

Originally Posted by George Stegmeir

I had been a sailor for quite a few years before I came ashore and to get an education. Putting it mildly, I used some pretty colorful language. This lasted through out college, and I didn't clean up my language even when I got married. However, when my Son was about 3, I went to a child care center one day, to pick up my 3 year old son and found him being punished by standing in the corner. I asked his teacher what had he done. She replied very coldly: "I learned a new word today"! Needless to say, I made a concerted effort to clean up my speech.

I am in a similar boat-a single mom in the military (Air Force) yet it is a daily struggle to avoid these words.

[Catholic_Prime]

Originally Posted by itullian

good for him. i like him.
Priests need to be men, not milk toasts.

Agreed.

[englishredrose]

Perhaps the priest at that time was thinking as teenagers you all be more comfortable with him if he swore. Perhaps he was trying to reach your age group in doing so, so that teens know they can talk to him too. Everybody needs to be able to find someone they can turn to at times but it can be hard reaching out to that age group. So he may have been just trying to mimick so they would feel comfortable with him and know they don't have to moderate their language with him. In that situation.

Otherwise there isn't a lot you can do.

Are you offended because a priest is swearing?

or are you offended because a person is swearing?

either, you just gotta ignore it as if it was that of a person who is swearing

[Catholic_Prime]

God tests us in mysterious ways.