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About Merton, "I think Weakland found his body..." That is a funny detail. Merton died in an accident, was electroucuted by an appliance, while on a trip to a conference in Asia.

Like livius, I am suspicious of conspiracy theories especially about "infiltrators", because it is all so paranoid. However, some rather serious allegatations about the Catholic church, which I initially dismissed (indeed, laughed at) have been shown to be not wholly baseless.

I know this sounds nutty, but I have heard rumours of satanic practices in the clergy, and also masonic rings. The name of Antonio Bugnini has been mentioned in regard to this - whether fairly or not, I don't know. But in my own research into an article on police corruption in Australia, I was astonished to find that a homosexual ring in NSW, which included several highly-placed Catholic clergy, had apparently also been involved in satanic practices. Moreover, these men all died in violent deaths (suicides and murders) before the matter could fully be investigated.

On the topic of infiltrators, would not the Communists have infiltrated other religions as well? They would have found it more easy to get into the Orthodox Church, surely. But they were quite untouched by all this liturical "reform". Just try not kneeling and tossing Holy Communion around in an Orthodox Church ...

Finally, there are other religions. In Islam the Shia clergy always maintained that attempts were made to infiltrate their seminaries, by both Communists and the CIA, during the post-war era. They had various means of restricting this, including a strong insistence upon the cultural basis of their religion - clerical dress etc.

would not the Communists have infiltrated other religions as well?

Not nearly so effective: the Catholic Church is worldwide and hierarchical, so any negative influence could be spread further. There is not one Orthodox church -- the Orthodox churches are national and no one is authorized to speak "with one voice" for all of them.

"Moreover, these men all died in violent deaths (suicides and murders) before the matter could fully be investigated."

Sounds like Satan was claiming his own. Anybody who gives up their chance for Heaven for the temporary pleasures and treasures of earth has (knowingly or unknowingly) made a pact with the devil for their souls. They haven't read the fine print: Their souls are forfeit, and they are inescapably bound. They must do more and more, reach farther, grasp for more, always seeking that elusive "happiness" that Satan holds out before them like a carrot on a string. But Satan ALWAYS lies. He is the FATHER of lies. These souls have been lied to in the temptations they yielded to when they chose the pleasures/treasures of this world and gave up the chance for eternal life in the Next.