Thank you, Tim. A fitting service, to be sure, and oh! the Latin. My compliments to the videographer; I felt I was right there.

Yes Kate, doesn't Father Bob make Church Latin sound like the speech of God? In fact there's today's free verse:

Missa pro defunctis

Father Bob
makes Church Latin
sound like the Word
of God,
but doesn't God speak
Greek?
Or Hebrew?
I have so far to seek.

Media Productions does a very good job. There is the lacuna of the tape switching, with my dubbing in the missing thirty seconds, but I am so happy that 213 of Alan's friends who couldn't come to Fargo have had the opportunity to view this at the Sphere. And my Bishop is very happy to have a permanent record of Laliberte singing a Mass in Latin. His Ite Missa Est takes my breath away. Tim

"The Church adores poets, so it is no wonder they embraced Alan and me."

Indeed, and that is wonderful. I appreciated the Monsignor's words concerning poetry. While I would disagree with his judgment about "self-appointed intellectuals" and the "culture of death" and the scourge against science, I do see deep wisdom and comfort in his words and his sincerity. Apparently, "nothing hinders" the acceptance of Alan Sullivan's translation. That is also sweet.

More to my point, Tim, and I mean this as a gay man who differs with you on matters of faith--I'm a committed agnostic--but if there is a loving God as the Christians of all stripes say, then, at the very least, I would hope that God would love you and Alan for being gay as well. After all, if He made you, he made you the way you are. Being gay is a gift, not a sin. Your love for each other was a gift. Period. Religion is yet to catch up with this. Fortunately, Alan is way ahead of the curve with his translation: why not a gay man of faith, even orthodox? Talk about possibilities!

Until then, I wish you every reward and more for your faith.

Don

Don, I completely agree on gay matters. Too many Christians regard homosexuality as a "choice," a "lifestyle." Well who on earth would make such a "choice?" Alan and I saw it as a cross, not that heavy, which we could bear together.