Whisky priest

Whisky priest (sometimes Whiskey priest) is a priest or ordained minister who shows clear signs of moral weakness, while at the same time teaching a higher standard. A whisky priest's shortcomings may include many vices, but usually include alcoholism. Graham Greene coined the term, referring to the unnamed main character in his 1940 novel The Power and the Glory.^[1]

Examples in literary and fictional works

• The character of Father Matthew Doonan in the movie The Devil at 4 O'clock, who regularly drinks himself into a stupor.
• Friar Tuck, of Robin Hood fame, is sometimes depicted as a whisky priest, although more often his physical weakness for food and drink is not shown as spiritual weakness.
• Father Jack Hackett in the Father Ted comedy series is an extreme example, though he doesn't appear to teach any standard at all.
• The unnamed protagonist of Graham Greene's The Power and the Glory is referred to as a whiskey priest.
• The novel Whiskey Priest by Alexander J. Motyl (2005).

Other references

Season 3 (Episode 6) of Yes Minister was called "The Whisky Priest". In the episode, Jim Hacker's wife tells him that, unlike Sir Humphrey Appleby, he at least has enough moral sense to know when he's done the wrong thing.

Whisky Priests were a UK folk band active during the 1980s and 90s.

Whiskey Priest is the name of an Irish Pub in Boston, MA.

References

1. Quotation from The Power and the Glory