Fr George, isn't the assertion that you "speak the undiluted truth" (post-stroke or not) not a bit arrogant. I am sure that any mullah would assert that he speaks "the undiluted truth" of Allah.
in response doug:one can speak the undiluted truth without being a raving mullah or pol pot or other extremists--no doubt there are some very good kind mullas[scholars,teachers,leaders0 on the other hand i have come across some fanatical secular atheists and lefty trendoid 'fascists' who are immoveable in their so called open flexible viewpoints--try disagreeing with them on some undiluted relative truths mon dieu![an old saying "scratch a relativist find a fascist wth DNA of adolf--pope benedict speaks of 'the dictatorship of relativism'-yes i have a whole lot of truths i adhere to and have suffered for at the hands of rigid lefty religious dissenters of so called liberal worldviews but i have also warm relationships with atheists,agnostics,secularists[who are refreshed to hear someone with convictions and not trying to sound oh so damn 'with it' and wishy washy--i have more complex relationships with trendy catholic dissenters especially if in the hierarchy--but we try!

"No more self-flagellation, no more guilt, and the amazing sense of freedom that comes from accepting responsibiliy for oneself, instead of dumping it all on the Big-Guy-in-the-sky."[doug's posting earlier! I dont know who taught you the Catholic religion but it sounds more like Grim soul destroying Jansenism to me. Fortunately due to my background I was brought up with the freedom of the children of God and the words of CHRIST:
'Come to me all you who labour and are are burdened and I will give you rest,learn of me for i am meek and humble of heart' Doug I have always taken responsibility for my own actions, as for no more guilt feelings. After my study of the guiltless sociopathic personality,i welcome a touch of rational appropriate guilt reaction[eat your hearts out Idi Amin,Joseph Stalin,PolPot,mr and mrs Cecescau and the other 'guiltless ones'including adolph[no doubt the scales had fallen from their eyes too after the Great Account was rendered at death]
re my 'cure' sought yesterday-there i was in wheelchair stuck at the bus stop sans 'procession' and no bus for handicapped arrived so i drove back to the nursing home attacked by a dog or two who think i am a motor car! but dont worry Jesus still loves me and thats all that matters
re your Early morning life-decisions they have strings attached--the critical faculties are at a low point,subconscious 'irrationalities' can dominate,best to wait till full faculties awaken[not a good time to make a decision re medical procedure,for example, let alone one's eternal salvation]i think you rejected a parody of catholicism[i shouldnt do cyber diagnosis!

David James,
You said after reading Collins' book you "don't see much to encourage you to go back", or something along those lines.

There is a book called "Dream and your dreams will fall short" by Pedro Casciaro.

It's basically a biography of a man who lived for many years with St Josemaria Escriva.
Don't let that suggest a boring story.
St Josemaria's life was nothing short of an adventure.
This book, I can promise, will cast new light upon the Church.
You may need to do some hunting to track it down but it is worth it.

doug,
if you wish to keep up to date on posts in this thread, you can use the email alerts option (can be found on this page).

Dr Doug while your decision made in an early morning hypnoidal state may by this be 'set in concrete' as an alternative to that drab guilt-ridden caricature of the catholic faith,I nonetheless urge a closer look at the Catechism of the Catholic Church for a sound balanced doctrinal presentation I personally have found the writings of the 17th century bishop Francis De Sales[though a trifle 'dated' in literary form] nonetheless most ediying and balanced. He was abhorred by the grim 'sour-puss' guilt-ridden Jansenists[whose ghosts can still be heard among some catholics reacting against or burdened with its poisonous doctrines of self hatred. One Jansenist, the 17th century mother superior of Port-Royal convent France, refused the good bishop De Sales entrance to the convent considering him not grim enough!--of her the saint commented "mother angelique[the superior] is as chaste as an angel but as proud as satan" By the way the poisonous doctrine of Jansenism was vehemently condemned by the church for its deplorable view of human nature as evil and other such drippy notions--Jansenists detested the hope-filled devotion to the loving and merciful Heart of Jesus. The church never quite succeded[despite enormous effort in fully ridding itself of this abhorrent heretical cancer with its tsunami-like devestation over centuries

In answer to the question, "Is the Pope Catholic?"
Yes, the Pope is Catholic.

And who would be closer to the "truth"?
The Pope?
Or cafeteria-catholics who pick and choose what is healthy for their souls, such as going to Mass according to their whims?

Jose,
Sorry to be a bit late with a response; ISP was "down" last (Tuesday) night. In what follows, I mean no offense. If Guadaloupe works for you, then go for it. Even when I was a practising Catholic over 20 years ago, I was minimalist Marian. I was never able to understand why a woman, the information about whom in the Bible, could be written on the back of a DL envelope, has become by the early Twentieth Century almost equal to God/Goddess. Even then, I found Mariolatry cloying, saccharine, over-sentimentalized, puke-making, and pretty close to heresy. One of the most delicious "theological" ironies of recent years was that Johannes Paulus Secundus, had to be talked out of declaring Mary as "co-redemptrix" with Christ by none other then the Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger!
Doug