A so-called ‘hot priest’ who decided to quit the Catholic priesthood over its celibacy rules has said he has yet to find love.

32 year old Don Alberto Ravagnani made the radical life choice two years ago and has since become a vocal advocate in Italy for change within the Catholic Church. 

Although there were a number of factors behind his decision, Mr Ravagnani said the celibacy rule was a key part of it. 

 “It was touching my flesh, my whole humanity,” he explained on The Claire Byrne Show. 

“Then I felt, I mean, constrained in the role of the priesthood.

“In the end, I struggled with some things of the doctrine of the church; I started having doubts about it.” 

Previously, while studying in the seminary, Mr Ravagnani believed in all the Church’s theology. 

However, it was while ministering to his parishioners - especially the young ones - that doubts began to creep into his mind. 

“I started listening to young people and their questions, their doubts,” he said. 

“I found out that, well, there are some contradictions in the doctrine of the church.

“I mean, that the doctrine of the church should evolve.”

A priest saying mass at a church in France. Picture by: Robert Harding / Alamy.com. 

Mr Ravagnani now believes that the Gospel cannot be taken “literally” and people should instead focus on its central message. 

“I think what's the main message of Jesus? Jesus came here to say that God is love, that the name of God is love,” he explained. 

“Living a fully human life, that's the way to live the divine.

“And if you are related to God, that's the way you can live a fully human life. That's the message.”

A priest celebrates a Catholic mass. Picture by: robertharding / Alamy Stock Photo. 

However, despite his public disagreement with the Catholic Church over celibacy - and a social media following of hundreds of thousands of people - Mr Ravagnani said he is very much still single. 

“I understand that maybe I'm not able to fall in love,” he said. 

“Still, I'm still not able to fall in love because it is has always been out of my mind. It was not in the horizon of my life.

“So, I've never thought about it, now we're starting thinking about it and I'm finding out that it's difficult for me.”

After he announced his decision to quit the Catholic Church, Mr Ravagnani said “many, many priests” have since contacted him from all over the world praising his decision. 

It is not, he added, surprising given how foundational love and sex are to people. 

“It’s normal that a man wants to have a relationship, but also to want to have sex,” he said. 

“I think we don't have to demonise having sex and try to feel pleasure about giving love and receiving love.”

Main image: Don Alberto Ravagnani. Picture by: Alamy.com.