The mind of a foe

It isn't very often that I receive a nasty comment or e-mail from a reader. I try to keep these pages peaceful and calm, but it seems when I defend the Holy Father from false accusations - and point readers to those more skilled than I at doing so - it brings out the trolls.

Here is the original text of an e-mail I received this morning, without alterations:

Your web site smells of large ego and lack of insite into the appalling state of the Church today.

I pray everyone involved in the current sex issue is brought to justice including the Pope who is as guilty as any of the Bishops he's accepted resignation from!!!

I speak as a normal human being who is disgusted by the church cover up.

Jesus said suffer little children to come unto me....then we have this disgusting scenario....get a life and get real!!!!

I hope we are witnessing the final stages of Roman catholism.

Now, I have never denied being a proud and selfish man; while I am not as arrogant as others, I am certain not as humble as perhaps I should be. Every day I ask from the Lord the grace to be more charitable, more giving and less concerned with myself. At these words I take no offense, for the writer speaks true, but the truth of his or her comments end here.

The e-mail contained neither a greeting nor a salutation, which is not quite the respectable way to address an e-mail; the only way I know the commenter's name is that it is included in the sent line. I do not believe I know this person and there is no reason to make his or her identity known here. I bring this up only to demonstrate the thought of those who seek to destroy Pope Benedict XVI.

We might well ask: Who is the more egotistical, the one who makes facts known or the one who ignores them to suit his or her own agenda? Clearly, it is the second and so of this first charge it might be said I am not guilty (at least as far as the commenter's reason for insinuating I have a large ego).

With the commenter, I, too, hope that those involved in sexual abuse will be brought to justice. However, I also desire that those who are innocent of false charges be brought to justice. It is a matter of the truth.

Numerous writers have demonstrated clearly that Pope Benedict XVI is plainly innocent of the charges the New York Times has levelled against him and they have used the New York Times' very own documents made available on its web site.

It takes a very arrogant person indeed to ignore such facts.

I, too, am disgusted at the cover-up that certain Churchmen have encouraged, fostered and defended. However, Pope Benedict XVI has done nothing to cover-up such horrendous news, as a simple, honest and sincere review of the documents and his recent Letter to the faithful of Ireland clearly shows. He has even called for those responsible to be brought before tribunals.

I have nothing to say the childish words by which the commenter tells me to "get a life and get real," because I am not quite sure what he or she means, except to say that he or she should take an honest look at the documents.

I can, however, assure our commenter that we are not witnessing the end of the Church but a purification of her members.

Please, dear readers, pray for Pope Benedict XVI. Pray for those who have suffered sexual abuse by a cleric. Pray for those clerics guilty of such abuse. Pray for those wrongly accused of such abuse. Pray for those who wish to destroy the Church. Pray for those who wish to honestly make known what has tragically occurred so as to help purify the Church. Above all, pray.