Pope Benedict XVI once famously wrote: “What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too...” The Holy Father’s wise statement was made in the context of allowing for wider use of the Traditional Latin Mass, although his words can be applied more broadly. This maxim is nowhere more evident than in the shamefully fla...

In this article, I begin to discuss the seven points of the Integrity Starts Here! recovery program.  The first two points are 1) Honesty, Self-knowledge, and Commitment; and 2) Purifying your Life.  Here I provide a description for each of these points.   Honesty, Self-knowledge and Commitment:  This point focuses on being honest with you...

Eight years ago, when people began coming to me for help with pornography addiction, they were searching for a Catholic recovery program.  I searched everywhere, but could not find one.  After much prayer and discernment, I realized that God was calling me to create one.  Rather than “reinvent the wheel” I decided to research several success...

In this article, I discuss the seventh and eighth characteristics of pornography addiction. It is Used as a Reward.  Pornography addicts can also justify their pornography use by viewing it as a reward.  Whether they have been working hard in their career or around the house, they justify their pornography use as a reward for “a job well d...

In this article, I discuss the fifth and sixth characteristics of pornography addiction.   It is used to Escape Negative Feelings.  Here is where we often hear the term “self-medicating.”  Addicts often use pornography as a coping strategy to deal with deep emotional pain.  Often they don’t even realize the pain is there or th...

In this article, I discuss the third and fourth characteristics of pornography addiction. It is Degenerative and Progressive.  Over time the addiction gets worse.  As with any addiction a tolerance develops.  With this, the need for pornography grows.  In addition to spending more time viewing pornography, the type of pornography sought be...

When I became a Christian in high school I got involved with the Protestant ministry that introduced me to Christ.  This led eventually to me being a “leader” in this ministry and helping to host camps for teenagers.  It was wildly formative as I was able to work alongside men, young and old, and learn how they did things, handled challenges,...

The late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen begins his book Three to Get Married by drawing a distinction early on between sex and love.  He says the following: “[S]ex seeks the part; love the totality.  Sex is biological and physiological and has its definite zones of satisfaction.  Love, on the contrary, includes all of these but is directed to t...

In my last article, I discussed healthy intimacy in friendships. In this article, I focus on intimacy in romantic relationships. For many men, their goal in life is to get married and have a family. Finding a wife begins with knowing how to date successfully. This can be difficult for many men as pornography has damaged their ability to relate to w...

“No, Father, I haven’t thought about chastity since I was in high school. Besides, I’m married.” I have heard these words many times when talking to men about their struggles with sexual sin. There seems to be an unspoken understanding among Catholic men that chastity is only a virtue for those of us who are not committed to a wife. Almost ...