“Greeley always insisted the sex scenes were nothing more than the product of his imagination,” wrote John Allen of the National Catholic Reporter upon his death. “He never broke his vow of celibacy, he said, and as a sociologist, he said hard empirical data confirm that celibate priests who enjoy their work are among the happiest people on Earth.”
Fr. Greeley died on May 29 at age 85. I have no doubt that he died, even after years of infirmity, as he lived his most robust life — as a happy priest. He never wanted to be anything other than a priest, he loved being a priest and he was a priest first and last, despite all the other things he did.
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