Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Agnes of God?


"Don't ever think for an instant your habit will protect you..." - Mother Mathilde to Sr. Luke, The Nun's Story
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Remember the film, Agnes of God?  Meg Tily played the role of Agnes, a very simple young novice who believed she had been impregnated by an angel.  Scandal erupted when the remains of the newborn were found hidden in her cell.  As was typical for the time, the movie was criticized as an anti-Catholic smear against the Church.
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I thought of the film while reading a story about a sedevacantist nun, a member of a religious cult/order called the Apostles of Infinite Love.  The woman claimed to have been raped by a big black man, who supposedly dragged her eight blocks to ravish her.  The woman has since recanted her story.  What really happened is that she sneaked a guy into the convent and engaged in consensual sex.  Story here:  East Flatbush nun recants accusation of rape. 
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It is understandable someone might lie to cover up an offense or a shameful act.  The woman obviously panicked and sought to maintain her religious image/decorum.  Fortunately she recanted.
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Novice beware.
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It doesn't matter if the religious is a member of a sedevacantist group, or a fringe diocesan community now suppressed, or the member of a well known order of Catholic nuns in good standing.  Sexual temptation and emotional entanglements can trip up the best of us if we are not vigilant. 
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I'm sure I've mentioned in another post or a comment elsewhere, the story about a novice nun, now a former-member of a rather popular order.  The young sister's spiritual director, a respected priest, advised her to have sex with him - loosely justifying the relationship with some bizarre, personal interpretation of Theology of the Body, as well as convincing her that it was for her 'healing'.  My friend told me the priest even got up in the middle of the night for his regular hour of adoration, while she remained in bed.  She refused to tell me who he was except that he was well known and I would be shocked if she told me.
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Such strange coincidences, don't you agree?
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Top image:  Ex-Apostles:  Breaking the Silence
Art:  The Novice

3 comments:

  1. +JMJ+

    Those eyes . . .

    ReplyDelete
  2. lol. Terry: WHERE do you get these stories? I know this isn't supposed to be funny, but still, I'm laughing!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mr. Nelson,

    God writes straight with crooked lines.

    Sometimes He uses the hand of an artist to do so.

    Crayons in hand, keep painting the picture God wants drawn.

    *

    ReplyDelete


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