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JOSEPH RATZINGER, POPE EMERITUS
It has been about 600 years since a pope resigned. Consequently, there is some confusion about what the former Pope should be called. At the moment, he is simply known as the Pope Emeritus. Whether he adopts this title as his formal title remains to be seen. Joseph Ratzinger had been the Pope of the…
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THE POWER OF PRAYER TWO
You may recall that a few months ago an essay was dictated at this desk that had to do with Bishop Eddie Long who was pastor of the New Birth mega-church in Atlanta. It seems as though Bishop Long had thousands of followers and they clung to every word that he uttered. Not to tell…
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DIVINE ECCLESIASTICAL THOUGHTS
For those of you who follow the publication of books, there is a new one that you may wish to keep track of. It is called “The Infancy Narratives,” and it was written by none other than Joseph Ratzinger, the head man of the Roman Catholic faith. This is the third book in a trilogy…
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WHY DID SAVITA HAVE TO DIE LIKE THIS?
This essay has to do with the very recent death of an Indian woman who had moved to Galway, Ireland. Her death has bothered me greatly. The fact of the matter is that she did not have to die. As it turns out Savita is dead and the authorities are doing nothing about it. During…
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PURGATORY
This essay about Purgatory comes about because of my insatiable curiosity. It is not meant as a diatribe against the Catholic belief. On the other hand, it is meant to determine what is meant by Purgatory and what we must do while we are here on Earth to enjoy the benefits or lack of benefits…
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THE ULTIMATE DECIDER
A good many years ago my eldest brother married a woman named Rose Wilson. Rose may have been the kindest woman known to mankind. As my mother would have said, “She had a big heart.” Although I did not see much of Rose because of my living in Kansas City, Chicago, and New York, I…
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A PAIR OF SABBATH THOUGHTS
This dictation is taking place on Sunday, September 2nd, which happens to be a Sabbath in the Christian faith. And so it is that I have a pair of Sabbath thoughts. One is of recent vintage and the other reaches back to, I believe, 1958. Let us take the one of most recent vintage. Last…
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A FIVE-STAR QUINELLA
For a number of years, I have kept two dictating machines on a table near my desk. On the left side, there is a machine that I use to dictate what I hope is the final product for Mrs. Baker, the transcriber. On the right side, there is a machine that keeps notes for titles…
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THE POPE’S BUTLER
Those of you who follow the news from abroad or, more specifically, from Vatican City may be aware that the Pope’s butler is in a heap of trouble. Apparently the Pope’s butler, who has access to the body of His Holiness, was alleged to be the person who has leaked salacious gossip to the Italian…
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VATICAN LULLABIES
The title of this essay suggests that it will be about the Catholic Church. At the outset, it should be stated that the author of this essay, who is also the editor of Ezra’s Essays, is not a Catholic and has no intention of becoming one in the near future. But in this essay, I…