"I'd guess so."
A hobby that wouldn't derail a priest's career but would tarnish his reputation—just as Kraft had expected. The sort of person who didn't pay much attention to rules and doctrines in his private life.
It was worth mentioning that the Church didn't explicitly forbid drinking. Clergy, laypeople, and believers alike drank widely, and often alcohol was more than just a beverage for pleasure.
It also served as a nutritional supplement, even a medicine. Monasteries brewed their own beer and allowed it to be consumed in measured amounts. Alcohol also played a significant role in all kinds of folk remedies, used alongside medicinal herbs as a vehicle for swallowing them or as part of a remedy.
People here also had a habit of soaking all sorts of things in alcohol, often causing it to spoil because the alcohol content was too low. This had fostered a widespread belief: the stronger the alcohol, the better.
Of course, drinking and alcoholism were two different matters and had to be discussed separately. The Church classed drunken misconduct and a lack of self-control as "immoral." There was no objective standard for this; it was entirely a matter of personal judgment. Passing out drunk in a tavern might or might not count.
Someone who'd earned the nickname "the Drunken Priest" clearly did more than enjoy a quiet drink in private. He'd gone far enough that people could question his piety as a member of the clergy based on his personal conduct.
"Where'd you hear about him?" William wiped his lips, hidden behind his bushy beard, and swallowed instinctively. "If you're planning to confess to him, I'd advise you to find someone else."
"What do you mean?"
"Adrian was banned from entering the confessionals last year." His facial muscles twisted as he tried to