ADDICTION: - There are numerous obsessions and addictions which prevent
soul from healing or achieving its potential. Father Leo Booth and John Bradshaw have written a book on religion as an addiction that I have quoted in many other books so I will present another side to issue here. “A Priest’s Confession
Over years I’ve had a number of different opportunities to visit Province of Quebec in eastern Canada. In fact, at one time I was betrothed to a woman named Louise from Sherbrooke, but marriage never took place because of our sharp differences regarding birth control (she was for it, and I was very much opposed to it). {No doubt more control and macho issues were involved. If Churchians actually believed in soul they would want to make sure every soul had a good basis for this life development. They would know soul is immortal and flesh is just matter. If they thought we all are part of God rather than Pope being Lord’s sole representative they would know collective or Divine Providence requires all soul’s to help. Please refer to Jesus in John 10:34.}
During one particular trip to Montreal, I visited in company of a Quebecois friend of mine at Catholic parochial school. Our Lady of Pompeii Elementary on city’s north side. I can still recall numerous crucifixes on wall of every classroom {Fear mongering abounds and few if any priests know about mandalas and antiquity of cross.} and statues of patron saint in corridors. When principal entered a classroom with my friend and me, every student would stand and bid us good morning in unison (in French, of course). {How about that? Talk about robots?! The Family Compact would be proud.} Twice a week, we were informed, homeroom teachers, all of them good Catholics, set aside multiplication tables and study of vertebrates and turned their attention to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Father Jean-Pierre Morin, priest who then presided over this private parochial school, was an amiable host and quite friendly. We took lunch with him in school cafeteria and visited in his private office for several hours afterwards. Ever on prowl for useful and effective remedies, I asked him at some point in our lengthy conversations if he knew anything on this subject.
The good father folded his hands out of habit (probably from frequent praying) {Could be spelt ‘preying’.} and soberly mused on subject for a minute or two before responding. ‘Yes,’ he finally said with a sift smile, ‘I have one for you that is very personal and that I know, for a fact, works!’ He then proceeded to share with us following story.
‘When I was a young man I became addicted to some very bad substances, which I found myself unable of shaking.’ He wouldn’t even say what they were. ‘When I would try to quit them for a few days or even a week, it just seemed as if my body gave in to these wicked appetites and I went right back to using them again. ‘About this time I determined to enter priesthood, {Thus it was not an alcohol addiction and one might suggest a form of hallucinogen.} take my vows with church, and live rest of my life serving God. I went down to Immaculate Conception Church in heart of this city and there knelt before statues of Virgin Mary and Christ and pleaded for their assistance. It seemed as if Virgin Mother spoke to my mind, for I heard a female voice say ever so quietly in my head, ‘Go use catnip and you will be cured of this affliction.’
