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| (Photo by Nicolas Lannuzel) |
Father Anthony de Mello's gifts to the world were apparently so powerful that 11 years after his sudden death at age 56, then-Cardinal-Prefect Joseph Ratzinger (you know, Pope Benedict XVI)
was trying to suppress them.
Although some of De Mello's works were found by this "inquisition" to be "incompatible
with the Catholic faith," they are still being widely read today. Wikipedia
reports that these works are especially popular "among those interested in Ignatian spirituality (aka "Society of
Jesus" and/or "Jesuits").
Interestingly, Benedict's
successor, Pope Francis, is also a Jesuit.
One thing that may have disturbed Ratzinger was De Mello's tendency to talk in parables. Although Jesus did the same, Ratzinger might have attributed De Mello's predilection as too "Eastern" in nature. De Mello - who was born in then-Bombay, India - was able to brilliantly convey the interspiritual nature of the world's great faith traditions. This he did with a delightful blend of humor and paradox that rivals the greatest of the Zen stories.
Here is a classic "de-lovely" De Mello tale:
"All human beings
are about equally good or bad," said the Master, who hated to use those
labels.
"How can you put a saint on an equal footing with a
sinner?" protested a disciple.
"Because everyone is
the same distance from the sun. Does it really lessen the distance if you live
on top of a skyscraper?"
Resources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_de_Mello
http://www.beliefnet.com/Wellness/2004/10/Anthony-De-Mellos-Parables-Of-The-Master.aspx?p=1
Copyright June 8, 2013 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved
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