French Villagers Support Fornicating Priest and Woman

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
2353. Fornication is carnal union between an unmarried man and an unmarried woman. It is gravely contrary to the dignity of persons and of human sexuality which is naturally ordered to the good of spouses and the generation and education of children. Moreover, it is a grave scandal when there is corruption of the young.

2380. Adultery refers to marital infidelity. When two partners, of whom at least one is married to another party, have sexual relations - even transient ones - they commit adultery. Christ condemns even adultery of mere desire.171 The sixth commandment and the New Testament forbid adultery absolutely.172 The prophets denounce the gravity of adultery; they see it as an image of the sin of idolatry.173

2381. Adultery is an injustice. He who commits adultery fails in his commitment. He does injury to the sign of the covenant which the marriage bond is, transgresses the rights of the other spouse, and undermines the institution of marriage by breaking the contract on which it is based. He compromises the good of human generation and the welfare of children who need their parents' stable union.
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A Catholic priest in south-west France has been forced out of the clergy after admitting to the Church authorities that he was having a sexual relationship with one of his parishioners. The BBC's Emma Jane Kirby says this has set off a fresh debate about celibacy in the Church.

Uhhh, no, she hasn't. She's regurgitating the same old song that's been sung for centuries...

First, let her paint for us a picture of beauty and serenity, where everything is wonderful...

There is a wonderful sense of stillness in the mountains overlooking the little village of Asson - a few swallows surf gently on the upwind currents and a shepherd sits quietly watching his flock of fat, thickly pelted sheep graze on the velvet grass.

Moving, yes...almost wish I was there. But wait - a storm is on the horizon and closing fast!

But, in this religious landscape, those who break the rules are quickly cast asunder.

The rules? Cast asunder? What cruelty...people should be commended and praised for breaking "the rules", should they not?

To a passer by, Fr Leon and his partner Marga probably look like any other middle-aged couple taking an evening stroll together.

He is twinkly eyed and looks a little like Dustin Hoffman. She seems warm and open and is still a very attractive woman. But in the eyes of the Roman Catholic Church, Leon and Marga are sinners.

Here we go, the perfect couple...and along comes the monster - the Roman Catholic Church - to viciously and vindictively take away their "freedom" to engage in the moratl sin of fornication - a sin in the eyes of "God"... but let's not let the facts deter us from this "love story".

For the past 22 years, the couple have been in a sexual relationship, which is forbidden to a Catholic priest who has vowed to remain celibate. Fr Leon admits he has broken his promise but claims that being in love has brought him closer to God and his congregation.

It's amazing how we always seem to think that our indulgence in certain sins (usually of the sexual nature) brings us "closer to God" - We understand though, that this is a lie which we must constantly tell ourselves, in the hope that we truly come to believe it, even though we know that, as we sin, we walk farther and farther away from God...But maybe, we can convince others to affirm our sinful behavior and, in doing so, we can bring some temporary relief to our guilty consciences?

I think God can see that my relationship with Marga has brought real fruits to the church - far from being a handicap to my mission as a priest, she's been a great support...

A great support for continuing a sinful lifestyle, not to mention the unending sacriliges committed over a period of decades...

There is no doubt that Fr Leon has been an excellent parish priest.

Oh but there is! How can one be an "excellent" parish priest when his scandalous relationship is known to others and thus, promotes sin and spiritual death rather than prayer, penance and conversion...The author's opinion is from the same fouled pool as that of the father of lies...

But brace yourselves for the sobbing and heartbreak brought on by the behemoth - the big, bad Church...

...every five minutes a parishioner appears at the presbytery door with a hamper of food, a good luck card or a small child for him to bless or kiss goodbye.

Everyone is in tears, particularly when they hug Marga, who is herself overcome with emotion and sobbing.

Far from being seen as the wicked temptress, or the wanton Eve who lured a pure man of the cloth into tasting the forbidden fruit, Marga is seen among the villagers as a great friend. A devout Catholic herself, she is hurt by the Church's attitude to the man she loves.

Oh, the tears...where's my tissue? But really - How can one, with a straight face, say that Marga is a "devout Catholic"? The answer, blindess and ignorance resulting from rejection of God, His Love, and His laws...

"They have just thrown him away like a dirty thing," she tells me, her bottom lip trembling.

Sounds like a script for a screenplay, yes?

Fr Leon and Marga do not go to Mass anymore. Instead, they pray at home, reciting the Lord's Prayer together in a corner of their living room before a wooden statue of the Pyrenean saint St Jacques. "St Jacques made a long pilgrimage across the mountains," Fr Leon reminds Marga, gently stroking away her tears.

"And if there are stones in our path, we'll be able to step over them together, won't we?"

Of course we can, darling!!!

Touching. Movie coming soon, no doubt. And the closing scene:

When I had said goodbye, I went back up into the mountains, sat among the sheep and felt the stillness of the evening. Far away in the valley below, I could just pick out the banners on the church roof, silently flapping their protest to the heavens on high.

[Camera pans away from the docile sheep in the meadow and zooms in on the banners, flapping in the gentle breeze on the steeple. Then the camera pans to the stars of heaven....fade...]