In his tiny parish on the English coast, Father James has remained untouched by the modernizing of the Catholic Church. But when he’s handed evidence of serious wrongdoing by Mark Boulder, an ex-university friend, he is obliged to take it to his bishop. He refuses a bribe to drop the case, and the bishop brings swift retribution upon him.
Mark is riding high until his brother-in-law, the bishop warns him about the evidence from Father James of a scandal which could ruin his flourishing investment business.
Alarmed, Mark tries to dissuade the priest from pursuing justice against him, for the sake of their old friendship. But Father James cares far more about the man’s eternal salvation than his secular ambition. He stands firm, and suffers more reprisals from his bishop.
Details of Mark’s malfeasance reach the media and he becomes wanted by the police. With his reputation in ruins, and shunned by his wife, children and the bishop, he realizes only one person can rescue him: the very priest whose vocation he has destroyed.
Can Mark humble himself to ask the priest’s assistance?
If he does, why should Father James help him?
The clash between traditional Catholic teaching and its compromised modern equivalent reaches a climax in this novel by a multiple bestselling Amazon author.
This is the first fiction book I am aware of that deals with the current crisis in the Catholic Church, where faithful priests holding to the Truths of Christ are being canceled for not conforming to the progressive element that seeks to undermine the Deposit of Faith.
I like the scene where Father James manages, with the help of his Border Collie, to prevent a young woman from throwing herself off the cliff behind his rectory. In it, the priest shows God's compassion towards sinners, while exhibiting a sense of humour.
Father James saw a disturbing sight through his kitchen window.
He was pouring the boiled water he’d used to warm the tea pot into the sink when his eye caught a woman moving rapidly in the direction of the cliffs, holding high heels in her left hand. He didn’t like her demeanour; her head was bowed low and he feared the worst.
“Come, Judith!”
He grabbed his coat and jammed his arms through the sleeves while running out of the back door. The Border Collie bounded beside him, thrilled to be going on another walk.
“This is serious, girl.” He stopped and pulled the lacrosse ball out of his pocket. Please, Lord, make this a good one!
He flung the ball as far as he could, aiming for the narrowing gap between the woman and the cliff edge. With a high yelp, Judith flew after it.
Yes, Lord, thank you! The rubber orb was poised to hit the ground just in front of the mystery lady, when Judith intercepted it.
The woman gave a startled cry and Father James, jogging along the ball’s path, yelled “Sit!” to his dog.
Judith immediately complied, facing the woman. She bent down to stroke the animal’s head then looked up and saw the priest loping towards her. “Is this your dog?”
“Yes, I hope she’s not bothering you.”
“No, not at all.” She continued to pet Judith, avoiding his eyes.
What was such a pretty lady doing on these cliff tops?
She seemed disinclined to talk.
“I don’t remember seeing you in St. Jude. I’m Father James, the pastor.”
The woman stood up and appeared to register for the first time that he was a Catholic priest.
“Yes?” he asked, sensing a question.
She faced the drab waters of the English Channel. “Is it true that God can forgive all sins?” She glanced at him, then looked away again. “I mean, the really, really bad ones.”
“God is omnipotent and all-loving. He can and wants to forgive absolutely anything.”
“But I thought there was an unforgivable sin?”
“True, the sin against the Holy Spirit.”
“Which one is that?”
“Lack of repentance,” replied the pastor. “Refusing to acknowledge that we have sinned and refusing to ask God for His mercy and forgiveness.”
The young lady blinked several times and wiped her cheek with a blue-gloved hand.
Judith had dropped the ball at her feet and was staring up at her.
“She’d like you to throw it for her,” explained her owner. “Preferably not into the sea.”
A smile crossed her face. She reached down and picked up the ball. “Where should I throw it?”
He pointed behind them. “How about towards the rectory? I was just brewing a mean cup of tea.” He added, “I also have a new packet of McVitie’s chocolate biscuits.”
“How can I refuse them?” She laughed and hurled the ball inland.
As an ecstatic Judith bolted after it, the lady took off her right glove and stretched out her hand. “Rita Shoreham.”
Father James pressed it firmly. “Very glad to meet you, Rita. Now let’s get warm by my fire.”