From
Jane Anderson’s “Priest in Love: Roman Catholic Clergy and Their Intimate
Friendships” (a book of interviews with Australian priests) (p. 93):
Fr.
Lucas and Sr. Johanna often had coffee together. He shared with her ideas for sermons and
plans for the church, while she discussed her own ministry and thoughts about
life and the church...
But
after many, many months, Fr. Lucas realized that he was becoming attracted to
Johanna in ways that troubled him. They
had started embracing each other and while holding and being held by her was a
beautiful experience, he was fearful of the desire that seemed to be welling up
inside him. Eventually, he decided that
he needed to talk openly and honestly with Johanna. So one Sunday afternoon they went for a
drive. Away out in the bush they found a
quiet spot where they could talk about their feelings for each other.
“We also
talked about the risk of our sexual attraction for each other. So I suggested the way to beat the problem
was to deal with the attraction while we were still in control. We came to a decision that embracing,
touching, intimacy, nakedness, all this was acceptable, but under no
circumstance was there to be sexual intercourse.
“Even as
I write this, I wonder, did this really happen?
What on earth did I think I was trying to do? I can answer that latter part quite
truthfully: I was trying to survive.”
. . .
(They
never had sex; eventually, Sr. Johanna got an assignment overseas, and left.)
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