#1 EX SACERDOTE GAY SE CONFIESA "Te tienen que cansar para no pensar"

Summary

Mike Moreno hosts "Lejos de la Orilla," a podcast encouraging open minds and questioning norms. This episode features an anonymous guest, a former priest, sharing his sensitive story. The guest recounts his journey from a religious upbringing in rural Latin America to joining the seminary at 13, driven by a desire to escape family pressure and societal expectations regarding his nascent same-sex attractions. He details the seminary's rigorous daily schedule—early mornings, constant study, mandatory sports to suppress sexual thoughts—and the revelation of the Church's strict policies against homosexuality, which led to cover-ups and expulsions. He shares his first romantic experience with another seminarian, the ensuing guilt and flagellation, and his eventual transfer to Rome to avoid scandal. He reflects on his disillusionment with the Church's political nature, his studies in demonology and exorcism, and a personal encounter that challenged his rationalistic views. Ultimately, his decision to leave the priesthood was a mix of personal choice and community expulsion, leading him to a new life in Barcelona, grappling with the challenges of rejoining secular society and maintaining friendships with those still within the Church.

Highlights

Early Life and Entry into the Seminary00:01:15

The guest, born in a religious Latin American village, recounts his upbringing in a devout Catholic family, which led him to aspire to the priesthood. He entered a minor seminary at 13, seeking refuge from family pressure and suppressing his emerging same-sex attractions, fearing societal and familial rejection.

Seminary Life and the Struggle with Sexuality00:09:17

He describes the seminary’s strict daily routine, designed to suppress sexual thoughts through exhaustion. He explains the rigorous academic and spiritual formation, and the unspoken rule that being openly gay would lead to immediate expulsion, due to canon law. He confesses to feeling guilt and even self-harming (flagellation) due to his forbidden attractions.

First Love and Forced Relocation00:20:22

The guest shares his emotional experience of falling in love with another seminarian. Their clandestine relationship was discovered, leading to the other seminarian's expulsion and his own transfer to Rome to continue his studies, a move intended to prevent scandal and 'save' his vocation.

Disillusionment and Church Politics00:33:04

While in Rome, he studied theology, demonology, and exorcism. He reflects on his growing disillusionment with the Church's political nature, its cover-ups of scandals (like Maciel Macial), and the differing interpretations of the Bible regarding homosexuality. He highlights the Church's power dynamics and its internal judicial system that often shields clergy from secular law.

A Supernatural Encounter and Questioning Faith00:59:20

Despite his rationalistic views, he pursued exorcism studies. He recounts a harrowing personal experience during an exorcism session where a possessed girl revealed a deeply personal childhood secret, profoundly challenging his skepticism and forcing him to reconcile reason with faith.

Leaving the Priesthood and Life After01:11:06

His departure from the seminary was a mix of personal choice and institutional pressure after he refused a mission assignment due to a new romantic interest. He describes the immense difficulty of transitioning to secular life with no clear path, and maintaining friendships with priests who confide in him about their own struggles within the Church.