90. Why Good Men Fall: Church Scandals, Sexual Temptation, and the Crisis of Self-Control -With Father Gavan Jennings

In this episode, I sit down with Father Gavan Jennings to explore how trust, authority, and discipline have been reshaped by both historical failures within the Church and the pressures of modern digital life. We look at how major abuse scandals in Ireland exposed deep institutional blind spots, and how clericalism, poor oversight, and cultural deference allowed serious harm to go unchecked. Father Jennings reflects on how these events have permanently altered public trust, while also arguing that much of the public perception has been distorted by misunderstanding and media amplification. We discuss the tension between acknowledging real institutional failure and avoiding overly generalized suspicion of religious life as a whole. We also turn to the modern attention economy—social media, short-form content, and pornography—and how these technologies are reshaping habits, emotions, and self-control, particularly for younger generations. Father Jennings shares his own experience stepping away from certain platforms and describes the psychological "pull" of algorithm-driven content as a serious challenge to focus and discipline. Finally, we explore what it means to live with intentionality in a world designed for distraction, and how structure, limits, and personal responsibility may be essential for maintaining clarity, freedom, and emotional stability in the digital age. ----------------------------------------------- See the Feral Philosophy YouTube channel HERE  Support the Feral Philosophy mission by donating through Crowdfunder  Want to become a certified embodiment coach? More details about CEC Join Mark for in-person workshops