A Catholic priest who admitted in an interview that he engages in sex has caused a stir in the church and brought an apology from the archdiocese of Hermosillo.

Tomás Herrera confessed on Thursday to be “free” in his sex life and always carries a condom with him should the need for one arise.

“If there’s a need to play a match,” he said, “I play it.”

“I always carry my condom ready if necessary, because having a fling is never disagreeable to anyone and gives one emotional stability,” he said in the interview on an internet program called Proyecto Puente.

Although he said he had never used the condom, he did admit to having had sexual relations as a priest.

Church officials in Sonora, meanwhile, will investigate the matter and decide what consequences the priest will face.

The rector of a seminary in Hermosillo told CNN that celibacy for priests in the Catholic church was a requirement and not an option.

Originally from Spain, Herrera was appointed this week as parish priest at San Pedro-El Saucito to the east of Hermosillo, but spent six years away from the church as director of the state Institute of Values and Training.

His role was to develop a humanist vision among public servants, providing training in ethics and morals.

He was hired by former governor Guillermo Padrés, who is now in jail facing corruption charges. He is accused of embezzling nearly 450 million pesos.

Source: Animal Político (sp), Excélsior (sp), CNN (sp)