I Stand By Edward Pentin

I'll never forget when I met Edward Pentin, the journalist who recorded Cardinal Kasper's comments about, among other subjects, the African bishops, in Italy.

He came to visit fellow journalist Hilary White on one of her bad days, when she was undergoing experimental chemo for cancer. It was August 12, 2011, to be precise, after three in the afternoon.  Edward came to see how she was doing. She had just woken up from a nap.

Now, I hope Hilary doesn't mind me mentioning this, but Hilary was not doing all that terrifically well. She spent most of her time asleep or looped on drugs. She was as bald as Dobby the House Elf.  She was gaunt.  She was often in terrible pain. And she was occasionally inclined to tell visitors the ghastly details of her treatment or symptoms. I saw one chap almost die from discomfort.

But not Edward. Edward never flinched. He listened to everything Hilary said with interest and compassion. He chatted with me, too, about Seraphic Singles. And I was very impressed. I liked him very much, not only for coming to visit Hilary, but for being so present to Hilary, if you understand what I mean. He didn't flinch. He didn't shuffle. He didn't avert his gaze.

Other friends and journos in Rome who know Edward Pentin much better than I do, know that Edward does not tell lies. And they also know that Edward records everything. So here is a link to Edward Pentin's recording of Cardinal Kasper's remarks. 

 Meanwhile, I just keep reading all the interviews with Cardinal Burke, for they are truly inspirational and make me feel so much better about this Synod. And B.A. and I keep praying to Saint John Paul II, which is a bit of a departure. As I keep saying, I was not brought up in the modern (i.e. post-Pius IX) papal cult, and I  got all excited about Benedict XVI only because of B.A.'s influence and the importance of Benedict's great Motu Proprio in our lives. However, Saint John Paul II wrote so much to support the family and the Gospel of Life and did so much, in joy, to contradict the Sexual Revolution, that he really seems to be the right saint to whom to pray right now.