Catholic Church? Why Not?

by Jack Scissons

This is a fictionalized account of journal entries of a newly ordained Catholic priest in a small rural community in western Canada. He became a priest in mid-life after being married to his childhood sweetheart, studying social work at university, working in the development of affordable housing, and losing his wife to ALS. These journals describe his first few months trying to reconcile the current teachings of the church about married male and female priests, abortion, divorce, assisted dying, and LGBTQIA+ rights with the core teachings of the Gospels such as love, tolerance, and forgiveness, as he provides spiritual care to his parishioners in his first pastoral assignment.