fornication with priests QUESTION from Mary on November 8, 2002 I have been reading your Q&A; forum and read a previous answer you gave that touched on the subject of fornication with priests. You stated that this is of grave evil and that demonic elements are most likely involved. Could you expand on that?
Is it considered more grave than adultery or premarital sex with someone who is not a priest? I am interested because a close friend of mine was sexually involved with a priest and I am wondering what kind of problems she is up against. Thank you.
ANSWER by John-Paul Ignatius, OLSM on November 15, 2002 Dear Mrs. Mary:
Yes, fornication with a priest, brother, or sister is FAR worse than fornication with the next door neighbor.
To begin with, in essence, the priest, brother, or sister is already married -- to God -- and adultery is worse than fornication because it not only commits the sin of sex outside of marriage, but damages the marital relationship of the married person.
But, adultery with a priest, brother, or sister is FAR worse than adultery with the next door neighbor's spouse. This is because the clergy and religious have been set aside for God alone in a way that is not the case with regular laity.
Thus committing sin against a clergy or religious is not only the sin directly committed, but also a sin against God because God has made these people set-apart in a sacred estate of innocence.
In like manner of fornicating with an adult, which is bad enough, most of us would agree that fornication with a young teenager is worse for it not only takes advantage of them but robs them of their innocence.
Satan HATES innocence which is why he is so happy to see child molesting, or seduction of a nun, a brother, or priest.
Thus fornication/adultery with a clergy or religious is not only the sin of fornication/adultery, but also of Sacrilege.
Sacrilege is defined as the irreverent treatment of sacred things, persons or places of those things or persons dedicated by God or the Church to sacred purposes. It is a sin against the virtue of religion and thus a grave sin. Sacrilege may be personal, as when violence is done to a cleric or religious, or seduction of a cleric or religious; or local, as when certain crimes are committed or actions done in a church; or real, as by the abuse of the Sacraments, the theft of scared objects or their irreverent misuse, or the sin of simony.
Thus if the fornication/adultery with a cleric or religious is performed in the Church, then a double sacrilege has been committed.
Those who do these things are in DEEP trouble and their souls are at great and profound risk.
Please pray for your friend and encourage her to cease this behavior.

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