Why is he doing this...it hurts my feelings? What would you do?

Question

I try to be really, really nice to one of my priest, and he keeps avoiding me & acting like I get on his nerves. But then he says good stuff like I have lots of talents and have a good soul. I'm not really sure what the last one means. Then, why does he treat me like this; I just want to be his friend=(

Answer 1

Why don't you ask him this question yourself since nobody here has a clue what your priest is thinking?  Instead of assuming the reason, put your fear aside and ask him.  Ask yourself why it matters if he likes you or not.  Remember that you have no control over what others think of you.  You could be the best person in the world and someone somewhere would find a reason in their head to dislike you.  If you go through life trying to make everybody like you, you are going to be very disappointed and very neurotic.

Answer 2

maybe you are bugging him.  Are you male or female?  He is being courteous to you by complimenting the good qualities about you, but obvisiously he does not want you on a personal friend level, just professional level, there is nothing wrong with that.  Maybe you come on too strong & this is his way of hinting around.  Don't be offeneded.  Put your talents and good soul to work to help others.

Answer 3

A priest is not supposed to be your friend.  There is an ethical boundary, to keep him from getting too close to any one person.. and even more so, if you are a female and a minor.  You being too friendly can put him at risk of accusations.  

Answer 4

Nobody here can answer that question.  We don't know anything about the priest in question.

Seems this isn't the kind of question one should be asking in a Law section of the Politics & Government questions area.

Answer 5

It sounds like you might get on his nerves. As a professional courtesy he tells you the other things. He's not going to tell you flat out to stop going to his church. You need to look for the signs and read between the lines.

Find another priest who DOES like you, be it at the same church or another.  

Answer 6

He can't play favorites.

He's an adviser, and he must maintain a certain proper distance.

Priests have gotten a lot of bad press lately for being 'too close'

with their flocks.

You are pressing him too closely, and he's not comfortable with it.

Back off.