Posted on 11/29/2007 6:24:40 AM PST by NYer
A macabre 17th century book about the execution of Gunpowder Plot conspirator Father Henry Garnet believed to be bound in the priest's own skin will go under the hammer this Sunday. Perhaps most spooky of all, some claim to see an image of the priest's tortured face peering out of the anthropodermic binding of 'A True and Perfect Relation of the Whole Proceedings against the Late Most Barbarous Traitors, Garnet a Jesuit and his Confederats'.
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It is anyone's guess how much the book, which was made in London in 1606 by Robert Barker, the king's printer, just months after Garnet's execution, will fetch when it goes under the hammer at Wilkinson's Auctioneers in Doncaster, South Yorkshire.
Sid Wilkinson, the auctioneer, said: "Because the subject matter is so strange, we thought putting an estimate on it might be a bit vulgar.
"It could make £1,000, it could make hundreds, we just don't know."
He said the book is so rare Wilkinson's had never auctioned one before, but added that making books out of convicts' skin was not an entirely unusual practice.
Garnet's involvement in the plot by Catholics to kill King James I and most of the Protestant aristocracy by blowing up the Houses of Parliament has long been debated. The priest claimed that, although he was not involved in the plot, he heard details of the plot during confessions, which bound him to confidentiality.
Despite his admonitions, the plotters went ahead.
Despite his lack of active involvement, Garnet was found guilty of treason and executed in May 1606.
According to legend, a piece of bloodstained straw at the scene of his execution started to develop an exact image of the priest's face, which auctioneers suggest has happened to the book.
I sometimes get a little tired of folks who take every opportunity to trash the Catholic church and call it a cult etc., whether they know any relevant facts or not.
Do some research (hopefully not on Ian Paisley's website) or ask a priest.
If you were a Wiccan, and someone said you were to keep a secret that a member of your church sacrificed a baby to Satan, and you said nothing because of some “code”, you are a cult. If you know of priests abusing alter boys and say nothing because of some “code of silence” you are just protecting your cult. There is way too much “silence” in all religions. Catholics always start the “Bashing” “race” card if someone makes a comment about Catholics. In my church, we have had preacher run off with the organ player, we’ve had secretaries steal money, etc. The difference is we don’t try to hide it or keep it a secret. I can guarantee you if my pastor found out about a member committing a crime, the police would be there within minutes. If you want to continue to defend a conspiracy to commit murder, the go for it. You make about as much sense as the ragheads saying they are freedom fighters when they saw off a head. If a person confesses a crime to a priest and the preist hides it, he becomes a conspirator and is as guilty. He isn’t some martyr.
Didn’t your Mom warn you about signs that say “Wet Paint?”
Yeah! I did was what the sign said! Jeez!
Priest can’t even call 9-1-1?
No, but he can dive out of the confesional and draw his Smith and Wesson while shouting, “Stop right there punk! Go ahead, make my daily bread!”
So you’re saying the priest should make the collar?
Yeah. And if the perp won’t come along peacefully then it’s time to send in the Nuns!
Only if he’s habit-ual.
You win.
No, but we do reserve the right to respond when unduly smeared. Like, for instance, if some moron is trying to justify using a priests skin to make a book because he wouldn't violate his oath. Maybe you could find a way to justify those lampshades at Nuremburg too.
Romans 1:32, "Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.( you don't have to be part of it to be just as guilty). How about the "Good Samaritan" parable. The religious man left the beat up guy on the road so he could follow the rules of not touching something dirty on the Sabbath. The Samaritan, which was looked down upon by the religionists, actually helped the man, but broke the rules. Which one did Jesus say did the right thing? To learn of a crime and just sit there makes you guilty as they are. Following a stupid code is choosing evil over good. Simple choice if you follow Jesus. This guy's moral compass was backwards if he chose a church rule over the "right" thing to do. He deserved to die and is no martyr.
I think that's about as plain as I can make it. If you don't get that, then you need to get a real church and get saved.
If you had bothered to investigate the facts instead of just picking up ugly gossip by the side of the road, you would know that the homosexual priest problem has been dealt with severely. The Catholic church is the only church that has hired an outside investigative/auditing firm to have absolute transparency on this issue. You may read their detailed report on just about any diocesan website.
A couple of facts to assist you in becoming less fact-free: (1) overwhelmingly the abuse occurred in the 1950s and 60s; (2) the priests who committed it have been removed, imprisoned, or are dead; (3) the bishops who looked the other way have been disciplined and in most cases removed; (4) the vast majority of cases occurred in dioceses where the bishops were rebelling against the discipline of the Church in other ways.
Contrast this with other churches (including my former denomination, the Episcopalians) which happily ordain homosexual ministers and look the other way when they seduce church members. One doesn't hear about these incidents, of course, because it doesn't fit the news media template. It never ceases to astonish me that FR members, who ordinarily are so skeptical of the news media, just swallow this particular trope whole.
The only chuckling I do is at morons like you.
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