Godsplaining What Red Flags should Catholics be looking out for in relationships?
Mar 19, 2026
Priests-turned-counselors unpack dating red flags like pornography, pressure for premarital sex, and fast-tracked emotional bonding. They stress spotting poor self-control, manipulation, or anger and watching how someone treats others. They discuss weighing religion and openness to children, and warn against rigid checklists and mismatched communication or pacing.
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Priest Turned Relationship Counselor
- Fr. Joseph-Anthony discovered he was primarily a relationship counselor while doing campus ministry.
- He handled romantic, roommate, parent, and God-relationship issues and prepped many couples for marriage over a decade of ministry.
Preferences Versus Essential Criteria
- People confuse preferences or checklists with essential criteria, which narrows dating options unnaturally.
- Fr. Joseph-Anthony warns against treating dating like grocery shopping or forcing someone to fit a role.
Reject Disordered Sexuality In Dating
- Avoid partners with disordered approaches to sexuality like active pornography use or pressure for premarital sex.
- Fr. Patrick says compatibility for sex belongs to marriage and mismatched views on sexuality are non-negotiable roadblocks.
