Paul Thigpen has a great new book out called Last Words: Final Thought of Catholic Saints and Sinners.
On his deathbed, the man with the cruel, piggy eyes to the left cried, “All is lost. Monks, monks, monks. So, now, all is gone–empire, body, soul.
Was this the final cry of a man who was lost, or was it expressed as a final regret for his violent and pitiless life? God only knows.
Knowing the extent of his degradation, cruelty and wanton pillage of the Catholic Church the natural human reaction is to hope that he is roasting in the same lake of fire as Stalin, Mao, Caligula and Pol Pot. However, he too was a human soul. He too was destined for glory. If we are commanded to pray for our enemies we had best pray for him too.
And pray for him I do. In spite of the fact that he was a piggy eyed, wife killing, bloated old tyrant, I have always felt a slight inexplicable affection for the reprobate. May God have mercy on King Harry and on us all.Brother Dwight,I didn`t realise you were a speaker at the CHN Conference this year or I`d have found a way to attend. Your conversion story influenced me when I was contemplating my own conversion. As I was taking down a CHN poster after Mass yesterday, I saw your photo and wanted to kick myself:-)I am so pleased to learn that you are to be ordained Priest next month. The prayers of many go with you.Brad
Thank you Brad! God bless you.
He was one of the most tragic cases of unfulfilled potential in human history.