[Kate Benedict]

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

[Tim Murphy]

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

[Don Jones]

"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

[Tim Murphy]

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.