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William Murphy's avatar

Alistair McFadden wrote a fascinating monograph (it is far too long to be called an essay) on the countless wacky beliefs espoused by allegedly "traditional" Catholics. Plainly "traditional" is just another example illustrating Humpty Dumpty's declaration that a word means whatever he wants.

No surprise that Morello's book is published by Os Justi Press.....which was founded by that uber-traditionalist Dr Peter Kwasnieski.

https://justacatholic.medium.com/observations-on-the-influence-of-the-occult-in-traditional-catholic-discourse-2d798e5ba51c

McFadden gives ample space to Valentin Tomberg and his huge book "Meditations on the Tarot". The very cover would surely have any sane Catholic choosing to spend his money elsewhere (it is usually blokes who are interested in such topics). What on earth have the Tarot and hermeticism got to do with anything Catholic?

How on earth can any Catholic defend a book which describes reincarnation as "a fact of experience"? If it is seriously a fact of experience, is there anything left of Catholicism? Unless the reader goes through a continuous mental filtering of anything which looks dodgy in "Meditations". No, we'll skip reincarnation. And hermeticism. And Magic. And Kabbalah....

My interest in Tomberg was mainly provoked by the fact that he lived about 15 minutes walk from where I now live. He would have lived in my parish, about 15 minutes walk from the Parish church, when I was growing up. But I have no memory of even seeing him. I wonder if he ever discussed Kabbalah, reincarnation and hermeticism with our Father William O'Malley, who was very old school Irish?

Tomberg had such a complex religious history that maybe his internal logic just digested anything which he felt was true, authentic or spiritually helpful in his very turbulent life. He survived the Russian Revolution and WW2 France.

He was interested first in Theosophy, then Martinism, then eastern Orthodox mysticism. Then for years he was a very active advocate of Anthroposophy. Then he was Russian Orthodox, allegedly until he found that the WW2 Orthodox in France were pro-Hitler.

Then he converted to Catholicism and ended up writing this huge book with an afterword by Hans Urs von Balthasar. What on earth goes on below the academically respectable surface of theology?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentin_Tomberg

His house is a very ordinary suburban semidetached such as a junior bank manager might own. I bet its current owners would be stunned if I showed up at their door offering to attach a heritage blue plaque to their wall.

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Tony Stephens's avatar

I am an american orthodox , currently living and backpacking through South America with a new testament and komboskini. Certain hippy towns are full of new age backpackers from all over the world. The sheer amount of magic, galactic, ufo, alien, yoga , templar,pscyodelic drugs, workshops and seminars is beyond belief at times. The amount of people who say they interact with entities and ET s is also shocking. I ve also seen very dark things in these circles.

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