Gerald has long known about the problems with The Catholic Church. Many times he has run into people that have told him things about that organization that were very disturbing. He once met a priest that he got on quite good terms with that was 72 years old and seen a lot. One day they got talking about The Klan and the priest looked at him rather sadly. "Unfortunately," he said, "I have had some dealings with that organization over the years. One time, at the beginning of my carreer, when I wasn't much older than you are now, I was assigned to a very important diocese in a southern city. The bishop there made it quite clear that he was grooming me as his successor. One evening in the rectory he came in carrying a white robe over his arm and announced to me that he was going out to a meeting, and as far as anyone else was concerned he never left the rectory all night. I asked him what kind of a meeting it was, and he answered "It is a meeting of The Brotherhood that protects the church in this area. if at any time while you are hearing confessions a person of color confesses that they are taking some action against this Brotherhood you must report it to me immediately so we can advise The Brotherhood and they can take appropriate action against this individual. It is important to the church to keep the status quo in these communities, as those who are against this Brotherhood are also against the church, and they must not succeed in gaining power." I told the bishop I would have nothing to do with this and that tomorrow I would be putting in a request to transfer to another parish. If that request was granted without difficulty, I would make no mention of what I had been asked to do. But if I was not transferred quickly I would make my superiors aware that I had been instructed to break the sanctity of the confessional. I do not wish to cause the church distress. But I will not be a part of this abomination.
The bishop was taken back. "If that is your wish," he remarked. "I am deeply disappointed. I had great hopes for you. I cannot believe you are throwing away your future for those who challenge the glory of the white race. Of course you know if you do this there will be no possibility of you ever reaching the status of bishop. Those who do not serve the church faitufhlly and do what must be done for it will not be elevated."
"I will continue to serve God," Gerald's friend answered. "But I will not be a part of what you are involved in, because it is not of God, no matter how much you deceive yourself into thinking it is."
"I am sadly disappointed," the bishop sighed. "I thought you had a great future in the church. But it is obvious you are blinded to many truths, and your service will fall short."
"I do not think so," Gerald's friend answered.
He was quickly transferred. "Not having spoken of what I knew," Gerald's friend answered, "has troubled me for many years. But now that I have spoken of it, I am not troubled."
"Why?" Gerald asked.
"I do not know why," the old priest answered, "but I know some day you will deal with these matters. Some day you will put an end to them."
Gerald laughed. "I'm not Catholic," he remarked.
The priest only smiled. "You serve God," he answered. "That is all that matters! Some day, some how you will deal with these matters! You will make the world aware of them."
Gerald only nodded. With the passing of the years he had forgotten this old priest's prophecy but he got talking about him to a coworker the other day and the memories of what he said came back. So many times people have given him information that they would not speak to others, somehow knowing it was important that he have it. A lot of it has been stored away in Gerald's mind and forgotten. But as it is needed it's beginning to come out.
Gerald should mention that this priest had a long and successful carreer, that many parishes that he worked for petitioned the church that he be elevated to bishop, but the church steadfastly refused, refusing to give a reason. A few years after Gerald met him the old priest died, having no regrets for his life whatsoever.
Gerald also remembers the young priest that was associated with the older one that was absolutely petrified of him, but still talked to him quite often because of a mutual interest in UFOs. He once said to Gerald, "You really frighten me!" and Gerald asked "Why?" And the young priest answered "What you say makes too much sense, it just makes too much sense and some day a lot of people are going to realize that and that is going to mean a great deal of difficulty for the church!"
Again, Gerald is afraid this is another little bit of prophecy, anyways he hopes it is!
Gerald also knew another former priest and nun who had left the church to get married, though they actually had been married quite some time before leaving the church. Gerald once asked the former priest why he finally left. 'Well," the former priest answered, "my bishop found out my wife and I had gotten married, and he came to me and said he would be more than glad to keep it a secret if I'd share. My response was to punch him in the face. The next day he made the church aware that my wife and I were married. What would you have done in the situation?" he asked.
Gerald laughed and answered, "I wouldn't have punched him in the face, I'd have punched him someplace else!" The former priest roared with laughter and answered, "You know something? I believe it!" Some people knew Gerald very well!

THE END