[jochebed]

From the internal evidence --- the rotten spelling and grammar that you note among that evidence --- I've come to the conclusion that the letter is a fake, created and distributed by one or another of our poor Church's faction fighters to calumniate some priests or just to start a fight and enjoy watching it play out. My diocese (Milwaukee) has great flocks of faction fighters of all stripes, even more than Altoona has, and those faction fighters can be and have been underhanded and downright vicious. Lord, deliver us from the Wandering Actionites, _please_!

[Polycarp]

We've been heatedly debating this locally since it was mailed out Thursday. My conclusions are posted in 233.

I could very well be wrong. But if its a hoax, it did not originate in the "conservative" camp, IMO.

[Kenny Bunk]

I had considered, as did you, that this missive and post were fake, but for, and I must confess, entirely malicious reasons, I prefer Polycarp's theory of episcopal deviancy. In my religious outfit we have long endured an ingrained, indeed by now almost hallowed, tradition of curial buggery.

It is with no small amount of schãdenfreud that we welcome our erstwhile brothers from Rome to the battle against this pervasive and thoroughly shameful problem. Let's face it, there have been perverted priests, bishops, cardinals, and even (mamma mia) popes, but at least they had the Christian courtesy to discuss their failings and unnatural lusts with their confessors. They did not form a bloody queer union.

If one is light in the loafer, the place for one is in the window dressing department of Lord and Taylor, not in the priesthood. The only guy in both churches who has it right is Tough-Talkin' Tony Bevilacqua, Roman Archbishop of Philadelphia. Since he is hopelessly politically incorrect, he is "but a voice crying in te wilderness."

BTW, you guys got a great guy out there "Bishop Harry," who has been handed the assignment of rooting out these foul bastards. He's getting no official support, and I suspect they gave him the job to bury him. In the meantime, not even the ugly acolytes and choristers are safe!

[ninenot]

Since we share a Diocesan address--perhaps you'd like to expand a bit on your dark hints about 'faction fighters' here in Cheeseland...

You do know, of course, that the most underhanded, sneaky, and vicious person here is Rembert Weakland, OSB...or don't you?

[ninenot]

Seems that jochebed had only one thing to say, and that was to smack up conservatives and declare that the story was false, based on "internal evidence." So we have a Scripture "Scholar" who registered 5/17/03, hasn't been heard of since.

DU refugee/lurker?