SALT LAKE CITY — At the annual Priest Convocation at Saint Vincent de Paul Parish May 20, guest speaker Sulpician Father James S. Tucker, Ph.D., gave a presentation on the harm pornography is having on people’s lives as well as the physical harms of drugs and alcohol. He also provided information priests can use to help people overcome these addictions. "The ongoing formation for priests’ team chose this topic because parish pastors are concerned that the problem of drugs, alcohol and pornography are becoming addictions," said Father Javier Virgen, president of the formation team. "The parishioners usually bring these problems to their pastors’ attention during confession and want counseling." Fr. Tucker said he wanted the priests to better understand addictions and the different ways they can help when it becomes a pastoral problem. "The priests play an important role in the intervention in families when these addictions occur, and in helping families become well because alcohol and drug abuse is a family disease." "Fr. Jim taught us about the ritualization of addiction and as an anecdote to that, the Church has the ritualization of the Sacrament of Reconciliation," said Father Patrick Elliott, pastor of Holy Family Parish. "We live in a pornographic world and quite frequently, people don’t see until they get older that they are happier living a moral life, and that’s what the Church is asking. Frequently they don’t realize their parents were smarter than they thought. Often, what our Church asks of us are simply those things that people who have grown older recognize as a happier and better way of living. "The pornography that is part of our culture has consequences – it leads to addiction, and Fr. Tucker clearly pointed that out," said Fr. Elliott. "The addiction can be genetic. Once it becomes addictive, then it becomes a psychological problem almost more so than even a spiritual problem. And, our Church offers the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The priests are hearing similar stories in the confessional. As Fr. Tucker said, there are healthy habits and reconciliation is a healthy habit." Father Martin Diaz, pastor of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus Parish, said he thought the information about the distinction between addictive behavior and problem behavior was helpful; for example, not everyone who drinks is an alcoholic. "What was most helpful to me as a confessor was the notion of breaking the ritual of pornography, alcoholism or drugs and finding ways for people to do things differently," said Fr. Diaz. "So often in confession, when I counsel people, I say, ‘The sin part is not at the moment that this action happens, but it is what goes on an hour or two hours before the action happens. Look at those actions, because it’s in that time that the person knows this is going to happen and look at what can be done differently at that point. For example, don’t turn on the computer or buy alcohol, do something else."
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