Father Jakob Lord is a devout man of God, widely respected among the priesthood and the laity. He comes from an old Spanish family in which, for many generations, one of the younger sons was always given to the church. For Jakob, this was not a burden but a blessing, as it relieved him of the true burden of taking a wife.

He found himself twice blessed when he entered the Catholic school for young seminarians and discovered that, rather than punishing him or having him expelled, his confessor was more than eager to introduce him to love between men. The confessor explained to him that it is pointless to resist some forbidden desires; they can only be overcome by indulging them. Many of his fellow priests were only too willing to help with that task.