S3E12 When A Founder Falls: One Priest's Journey to Truth and Forgiveness

* 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: your pain matters. Truth may take years to surface, but light always exposes what darkness tries to conceal.

Forgiveness is not denial. It is not spiritual bypassing. It is a grace which is often slow, often costly, but real.

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:32

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Credits

• Host & Producer: Dr. Carron Silva
• Podcast Editor: Dr. Carron Silva
• Cover Art Designer: Dr. Carron Silva
• Music: Kode M (@kodemaster90)
• Social Media Manager: Diamond_Media00

Disclaimer

Opinions expressed by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host. Guests are welcomed in a spirit of respectful dialogue and freedom of expression.

A Final Word

Thank you for listening, Friend. Remember: Forgiveness is for YOU.