Posted on 01/06/2007 5:47:17 AM PST by Condor 63
True. Recently there was even a bio of his boyfriend Boise. Why did Boise rate a bio? Because he knew the infamous Wilde.
Wilde came to a tragic, sad end. Hopefully he found some solace in his religion.
There is a persistent fascination with Edwardian weirdness from Jack the Ripper to Oscar Wilde. Lord Alfred Douglas ( Boise) was about as creepy as they get even creepier than Wilde himself. While Wilde's professed "aestheticism" was long and windy it it little more than galloping narcissism. In the end Wilde's choice of Douglas was pathetic. Douglas turned into a vicious little bastard of unparalleled vindictiveness.
As far as Wilde as a great writer I can only note that his scope was narrow ( He only wrote about the foibles of the British aristocracy and himself) and his output was meagre.( In 26 years of writing he generated one notable novel, three notable plays, and one notable poem. The remainder was sheer self absorbed crap.
If not for the scandals of his life I doubt he would be remembered much at all.
FYI - I never knew that Wilde was Roman Catholic.
**deathbed convert to Catholicism,**
I wonder how often this happens?
**Deathbed conversions come pretty cheap IMO.**
No, they don't come cheap.
The Sacrament of Baptism, where the person repeats the tenets of the Apostles Creed and/or the Nicene Creed -- thus believing in the Catholic Church.
They involve the Sacraments of Reconciliation -- Confession -- a difficult thing to do in light of a lot of people's pride.
The Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist -- accepting that Jesus Christ, the Real Presence, is accepted by them.
Usually, the Sacrament of Confirmation -- vowing, if they recover -- to reach out to others and bring them to belief in Catholicism
And finally the Sacrament of the Annointing of the Sick -- which is really the easiest of all.
Bet you didn't realize that five out of the Seven Sacraments were contained in the Last Rites, did you? Especially in a deathbed conversion???????
Actually I did. I also still think it is a lot easier to give up a life of sin when death is eminent. In other words the old saying there are no atheists in foxholes or death row holds at least a little merit IMO.
I'm not accusing Wilde or anyone else of it and neither do I think it is my place to judge the salvation or heart of another.
Hopefully, he found Salvation in the infinite Mercy of Our Lord.
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
If his conversion was sincere, then our Lord Jesus would have honored Wilde's profession of faith and gathered him in His loving arms for eternal protection. Only the Lord God knows what was in Oscar Wilde's heart. That it was broken by suffering and illness was certain. That Christ can make us all knew is more certain still.
John Wayne had a deathbed conversion to Catholicism. His son (?) or grandson is a Catholic priest in So Cal.
Somehow I can hear Big John Wayne's voice coming thru the sermons given by his son or grandson, hehehe.
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