Daily Archives: 2012/01/31

Thanks again to TMB for sending the Trilogy in to the hermitage.

Let me just direct this review to Brian… My disclaimer, Brian, is that I’m not very well read with novels. I’ve only read Fatherless once. I haven’t yet read the other two volumes in the Trilogy, yet, though I immediately started in on the second volume, Motherless, which is a good sign, no? This is just a first exclamation following a quick read… And only a few thoughts, as I didn’t jot things down as I was reading. Your work brought back many memories of my own pro-life work, and that’s another good sign for me of the book’s reflection of the reality about which you write.

My first impression: Excellent. Because of your business ranking, your work is sure to be read by some rather important execs, just to know who you are and what you’ve done. They will surely take an interest in the how-to-do-business-and-succeed aspect to the book, which will draw them in to the points you want to make. I do think it will work on all who read it, and on some it will hit home sooner than later. The elite movers and shakers are clearly your intended readership, along with some of our weaker, silent or more liberal priests and bishops. I thank you for your effort. You certainly have my prayers and blessings. I was happy to see that you were on the board for Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary in Overbrook, on whose behalf I’ve done some teaching for one of their seminarians all the way from the hermitage.

Brian, you may help to save uncountable women from suffering and dying from breast and cervical cancer induced by the contraceptive/abortifacient pill, not to mention the lives of untold numbers of children otherwise subjected to such an early chemical abortion. I like the way you repeated some of the info again at the end, just before closing. That will clinch the argument for some individuals. It’s not just clever. We see that you’re a true believer, both in the Natural Law and with the faith. And, yes, that does work on the hearts of those trying to make themselves believe they are hardened atheists. Your work should be gifted to all in the Fortune 500, not to mention to all the bishops, not to mention ad agencies, pharmaceutical companies, investment firms and politicians, though with hand signed cover letters covering the points on just one page. You know how these things go.

The timing of the publishing and republishing of the volumes couldn’t be better, with the Obama administration pushing chemical contraceptive/abortifacients the way he is. We all thank you. I’ve scheduled a Mass to be offered for you and yours and your intentions on 27 March 2012, here at Holy Souls Hermitage, in thanksgiving… motu proprio.

Perhaps, Brian, you could write something on the introduction of the “date rape” abortifacients introduced into Catholic hospital emergency rooms. This would be extremely timely. Obama is sure to point out the hypocrisy of the present push of the USCCB (and as of the last count today, more than one hundred individual bishops) to complain about Obama’s infringement on conscience rights regarding the non-provision of contraceptives/abortifacients, and will therefore, perhaps, get a favorable hearing from the Supreme Court. Florida has a bill put forward to repeal Obama’s attack on religion, but will it succeed with this congress? If you want to know the history of the introduction of abortifacients into Catholic Hospital emergency rooms, with uttterly unexpected names and dates and places — and a monitum about who those people are today — send me an email (see the graphic on the sidebar of the blog — also, check your inbox). I was right in the middle of all that, hospitals, ethics committees, journalists, priests and bishops. You name it. The lie is that one can know at the very moment of conception that the woman has conceived or not. This is, of course, categorically, scientifically impossible, at the moment of conception, just before, during or immediately after the sperm has reached the ovum, but it’s just at this time when such harse chemicals would be provided to — usually — girls and young women. As I’ve said before, one is not to act on a doubt, especially when homicide is at stake, but it happens all the time, with the blessings of the icons of clerical moral theology orthodoxy, with the blessings of priests and bishops. Having said all that, maybe this is one of the major themes in “Childless”, which I’ve not yet read. If it isn’t, perhaps you might fit this in for a revised edition. I note that the other two volumes are already revised.

I’m guessing that you’ve had a hard time of it with some of the ecclesiastics of today’s Church and… and… that you haven’t come to know well very many good priest or bishops. That’s understandable, given the times in which we live.  I understand the point of the book is about being “Fatherless”, both in parish families and biological families, and why. I’ll save my thoughts about Grogan and Father John until I’ve read a bit more! Whoever advised you on the exorcism bits made some terribly grave mistakes about exorcism. Your exorcist also has a mistaken idea of vicarious suffering. Back in the day, I knew very well the exorcist in New York, indeed, Father James Le___ (R.I.P.) and helped to teach the one back in the day in Philadelphia, and, through pastoral circumstances, know way more than I want to know about Euteneuer’s case…

Sorry to say, there is a rather appalling bit to Father John’s talk with JPII. The blessed Pontiff is depicted as listening to Father John indirectly (perhaps because of the uniqueness of the unrepeatable circumstances, directly) violating the seal of confession. I’m sure any priest who attempted to do that with Cardinal Ratzinger or John Paul would have been stopped dead in his tracks. Having met up with so much of this kind of rubbish, I had a long chat with now Cardinal Raymond Burke. Something was done about it, as he promised me, so that now also the indirect breaking of the seal of confession is, in law, held to be among the gravest of crimes, ranking along with sexual abuse of minors. This is something to change in a future revised edition.

I don’t think these last comments of mine should stop people from getting the book, reading it, sharing it. But these are my monitums.

A last suggestion would be for your own reading pleasure, a simple Master’s Thesis at the Dominican House of Studies written by a rather outgoing New York journalist, truly worthy of a Pulitzer for her efforts. Anyone reading Dawn Eden’s very readable work (here’s a free .PDF) would hesitate to put up those she mentions as those promoting their books. It’s a short read, well worth it.

Finally, again, thanks, Brian, for this wonderful first volume. Everyone should read it. Again, you have my prayers and blessings.