While I was listening to a radio program, the two hosts were discussing a religious problem involving an Australian Catholic priest who had a conjugal connection with a woman. And who, rather than repenting and asking for forgiveness, criticized the Catholic religious process by pointing out that the Catholic doctrine that prohibits priests from marrying is absurd and unjust, and by stating that there are actually a large number of priests in the Catholic hierarchy who share his view.
The two anchors decided to contact a Catholic Arch Bishop in charge of such incidents to inquire about the church's norms and regulations surrounding the situation at hand.
The respondent, retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz, indicated that it is really regrettable that the priest responded in such a way, causing offense and criticizing the institution rather than asking for pardon and remorse, as is necessary. The inquiry interview proceeded as planned, until the interviewers questioned the highly regarded bishop how he fights the assault of temptation, which is incredibly compelling for other priests.
The Bishop responded quickly and confidently, "I don't fall in love." When the two DZMM radio anchors (Cess Orena Drillon and Julius Babao) heard this, almost immediately they laughed in disbelief. As if suggesting that this person is strange, such a thing is impossible; there is no one who can resist love. But the good Bishop hung-on to his answer, He did not allow himself to fall in love; he did not even allow it to start. That is why, he did not have the problem of ending it until his priestly vocation was over.
Maybe Archbishop Cruz process is effective and correct, or maybe he has forgotten or has no knowledge of what I believe is the right answer. But for me, it is clear that a person can be a good and influential religious leader, but it doesn't mean that he is a lover of God. If he is, he should have answered that the process is simple, and it is based on the widely accepted Christian truth, "Love God with all your heart, your whole mind, and your whole being." If a person has love for God, all other attractions, including so called love for the opposite sex, are not as strong as what others feel and perceive it to be.
