Why a Catholic priest says he is 'more interested in people than in God'

Fr.

Matthew Hong Sung-nam, director of the Catholic Psycho-Spiritual Counseling Center in Seoul, says he is "more interested in people than in God." "I asked, 'God, what should I do?' and the answer that came back was, 'Make people happy,'" Hong said.

"Since then, I have lived worrying about people instead of worrying about God." Born in 1953, Hong followed an unconventional path to his calling.

He struggled with anxiety during his youth, describing himself as an "obnoxious Catholic fanatic." As a young adult seeking financial security, he apprenticed under a Korean shaman — a traditional folk spiritualist — before abandoning the training.

After seeing Jesus in a dream, he entered a seminary and was ordained as a priest in 1987.

Yet ordination did not bring him peace.

The demands of parish ministry soon overwhelmed him.

Hong began drinking heavily as his mental health deteriorated to the point of contemplating suicide.

Professional therapy from a Jesuit priest helped him overcome the crisis.

Reinvigorated, Hong earned a master's degree in psychological counseling and launched a new m ...