The Church Podcast

Episode 059 – Fighting the Pornified Culture with Fr. Allen Hoffa

Written by Christopher Wesley | May 5, 2026 12:51:31 PM

In this episode of The Church Podcast, Christopher sits down with Fr. Allen Hoffa, priest of the Diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania, and speaker and advocate with Integrity Restored, through the NFCYM Podcast Network.

Fr. Hoffa shares how nearly two decades of parish ministry — and a defining moment involving a student whose private images were shared without consent — led him to dedicate the last ten years of his priesthood to traveling the world addressing the epidemic of pornography. As a priest, football player turned lineman for truth, and co-architect of the Lumen Christi Commission in his diocese, Father Hoffa brings both pastoral depth and practical urgency to one of the most critical issues facing families and the Church today.

Together, Christopher and Father Allen explore the five A's that make pornography the most pervasive threat in our culture, what a comprehensive diocesan strategy actually looks like in practice, how parents and parish leaders can begin having honest conversations without shame or fear, and why the Church's silence on this issue is itself a victory for the enemy. They also discuss betrayal trauma, the connection between pornography and human trafficking, and the recent Supreme Court win that may reshape how pornography is regulated online.

In This Episode

  • The five A's of pornography — Fr. Hoffa explains why pornography is unlike any other threat facing young people today: it is affordable, anonymous, accessible, accepted, and aggressive, making it nearly impossible to avoid without intentional intervention.
  • Spiritual fatherhood as the foundation — Christopher asks Father Hoffa about the pastoral instinct behind his ministry, and Fr. Hoffa reflects on the priestly example he witnessed growing up and how the clergy sexual abuse crisis — rather than silencing him — deepened his resolve to reclaim what authentic spiritual fatherhood looks like.
  • The devil's long game — Fr. Hoffa makes the case that Satan's assault on human sexuality is not random but strategic, tracing a through-line from the post-World War II sexual revolution to the pornified culture of today, and connecting it directly to the clergy abuse crisis as an attempt to strip the Church of her moral authority.
  • What a diocesan response looks like — Father Hoffa walks through the Lumen Christi Commission, one of only five diocesan commissions in the Diocese of Allentown, as a model for how bishops and priests can take comprehensive, coordinated action rather than settling for a box-check mentality.
  • How to talk to your kids and your parish — From "Porn Is Lame" stickers in a third-grade classroom to reframing the theology of the body as an invitation to a greater love, Fr. Hoffa offers concrete language and resources for parents, youth ministers, and priests who want to have these conversations well.
  • Updating marriage prep — The Lumen Christi Commission redesigned the prenuptial inquiry in the Diocese of Allentown to now include specific questions about pornography use — a small but significant change that opens the door to honest conversations before couples walk down the aisle.
  • Betrayal trauma and healing — Fr. Hoffa highlights a dimension of this issue that often goes unaddressed: the profound harm pornography use causes to spouses, children, and others close to the user, and the ministries working specifically to bring healing to those affected.
  • A legal win worth celebrating — Father Hoffa closes by sharing the Supreme Court ruling in Paxton v. Free Speech Coalition, which upheld Texas's age verification law for pornography sites and clears a path for federal legislation — one small barrier that data shows actually makes a difference.

About Fr. Allen Hoffa

Fr. Allen Hoffa is a priest of the Diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania, currently serving at Holy Guardian Angels Parish in Reading. Ordained in 2008, he has served in parish ministry, school ministry, campus ministry, and as the diocesan director of youth ministry. For the past decade, Fr. Hoffa has partnered with Integrity Restored as a speaker, educator, and advocate, traveling internationally to address pornography from the angles of prevention, intervention, and healing. He is the co-founder of the Lumen Christi Commission, the Diocese of Allentown's comprehensive diocesan response to the pornography epidemic, and is known for his direct, pastoral, and unapologetic approach to one of the most pressing moral issues of our time.

Resources Mentioned

Connect with Father Allen

 

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