S3E12 When A Founder Falls: One Priest's Journey to Truth and Forgiveness
About this episode
This episode features Father John Michael Paul discussing his journey of truth and forgiveness after discovering the founder of his religious community's history of sexual abuse.
* Content Warning* This episode contains mature themes and is not appropriate for minors. Friends, In this vulnerable and sobering episode, I visit with Father John Michael Paul, a Catholic priest who discovered that the founder of his religious community had a decades-long history of sexual abuse. For someone who spent decades serving as a priest and leader in his community, the betrayal was spiritual, deeply personal, and formative. As someone who entered the Catholic Church shortly before the 2002 abuse crisis, I remember how destabilizing that season was for many of us. In today’s conversation, we explore what happens when the shepherd you trusted is revealed to be a wolf, and how truth, though painful, becomes the doorway to freedom. In this episode, we discuss: The impact of clergy sexual abuse on priests themselves Betrayal trauma within religious communities Spiritual fatherhood and spiritual disillusionment The difference between institutional loyalty and fidelity to truth How shame keeps abuse hidden The long road toward forgiveness What healing looks like when trust has been shattered A Note to Listeners If you have experienced betrayal within the Church, know this…
More episodes of Forgiveness Is For YOU - Overcome Trauma Through Forgiveness
- S3E16 Divorced but Still Catholic? Demystiyfing Annulment with Theresa Matters
- S3E15 Healing from Divorce: A Catholic Approach to Connection, Support, and Restoration with Carolyn Klika Catino
- S3E14 Sacramental Healing: Finding Safety Again After Church Hurt
- S3E13: Narcissism in the Body of Christ: A Story of Abuse, Grace and Forgiveness with Cendrine Hosoda
- S3E11 Abuse of Conscience: How Faith is Manipulated
- S3E10 Somatic Healing for Trauma Survivors: A Catholic Path to Restoration with Sr. Mary Stephen
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Forgiveness Is For YOU - Overcome Trauma Through Forgiveness podcast page.