NZ priest publishes book on combatting pornography

Fr Robert Steele, who struggled with alcohol addiction before his ordination but has just marked 25 years of sobriety, has published A Journey of Hope: Combating Pornography on the Internet. He says his book, described as a Catholic approach to healing and freedom, comes from a place of empathy, not judgement.

The idea for the book came from his pastoral experience, speaking with men and women who were “quietly suffering from the effects of pornography”.

“Their struggles were often hidden, carried with shame and yet deeply damaging to their relationships and faith,” he said.

“At the same time, my own journey of recovery from addiction to alcohol gave me a personal lens through which I could see the need for a message of hope. I felt compelled to write a resource that is practical, pastoral and rooted in the love and mercy of Christ.”

Fr Steele, who is currently parish priest at St Patrick’s, Pukekohe, said his own experience with alcohol taught him two things: “That no one overcomes addiction alone and that God’s grace can transform even the darkest struggles.”

“My own journey with sobriety has been powerful,” he explains. “When I speak about pornography, I do so not from theory, but from a place of empathy. I know the cycles of shame that accompany addiction. But I also know that honesty, community support and spiritual practices can open the way to freedom.”

Fr Steele’s personal experience has also convinced him that those who struggle with pornography must never be judged, but instead offered compassion, encouragement and practical pathways to healing. He said all addictions “promise relief or escape, but end up trapping the person in deeper dependence”. They also “narrow life and isolate people from those they love”.

In the case of pornography, “its effects, on intimacy, on self-image, on one’s ability to love, are profound”.

Fr Steele believes the book, which is available on Amazon, can ignite a wider conversation that he says the global Church “needs to have”.

“My hope is that the book can reach those who most need it – both those struggling themselves and those who love them,” he said.

FULL STORY

Priest’s book on harms of pornography offers message of hope (Catholic Diocese of Auckland)