There is a common thread that runs throughout the experiences of former priests whose testimonies are in our book, Far from Rome, Near to God: The Testimonies of Fifty Former Catholic Priests. We had a great yearning to be different from those around us. We wanted to be more pure, nearer to God. We wanted to Read More

“…better to marry than to burn…”: Boston and the Catholic troubles “Sex, shame and the Catholic Church” was Newsweek’s cover story for March 4th, 2002, the subtitle of which was “and new soul-searching across America.” One would have hoped that exposure of the Catholic teaching on virginity and celibacy would have been discussed. Instead, the Read More

By Yaroslav Sebastian Tegza Former Ukrainian Priest of the Greek Catholic Church Khust, Ukraine The concept of “fatherhood” entails several meanings.  The first and literal meaning of fatherhood bears a physical connotation.  A father is someone who first and foremost gives physical life. That is what we mean when we refer to our parents as “fathers”.  Read More

In my first year of ministry as a priest in Park Street Catholic Church, Port of Spain, Trinidad, I remember in vivid detail what a difficult time I had with the Saturday confessions.  Each Saturday from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m., many Catholics queued up outside the confession box waiting their turn to enter to tell us Read More

By Yaroslav Sebastian Tegza Former Ukrainian Priest of the Greek Catholic Church Khust, Ukraine The Sacramental Counterfeit of True Spiritual Fatherhood As stated earlier, the sacramental approach to fatherhood at large was unknown to adherents of the Jewish religion.  This is a distinction of the Catholic approach, which is more characteristic of a pagan worldview.  Similar Read More

By Yaroslav Sebastian Tegza Former Ukrainian Priest of the Greek Catholic Church Khust, Ukraine The Hierarchical Counterfeit of True Spiritual Fatherhood The sacrament of the priesthood was put into place by church leaders in a special position and led them to achieve a separate and elevated rank.  It practically serves as the basis for the separation Read More

Sins are forgiven as people believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins.”1  In believing on the finished work of the Lord Christ Jesus, a soul has both one hundred percent right standing with God credited Read More

One might wonder what remains of the glory of the Catholic priesthood in face of the worldwide scandals, and in particular those that have occurred recently in the U.S.A.  For example, on July 7th 2003 under the heading “Clergy Sex Abuse: Justice Must Come for the Bishops,” the San Francisco Chronicle reported, “That there are Read More

“Sex, shame and the Catholic Church was Newsweek’s cover story for March 4th, 2002, subtitled “and new soul-searching across America.”[1]  One would have hoped that exposure of the Catholic teaching on virginity and celibacy would have been discussed.  Instead, the article focused on quoting some facts and figures, and who says what, with no reference Read More

While the USA is entangled in a Catholic sex abuse scandal similar events are being revealed in other nations.  “Of all the countries where sexual-abuse revelations have scandalized the Roman Catholic Church, Ireland has been among the hardest hit.  In the past decade, this predominantly Roman Catholic nation of 3.8 million people—which has exported priests Read More