Jack the Ripper – A Love Story ( Excerpt 152 )
Once I had arrived back home, I spent two days scurrying around London to get my house, business and finances in some sort of order. Once this was achieved to my satisfaction, I felt free to visit my Sibling at his parish.
I caught the morning train to travel down to visit my Brother, deep in the English countryside that I had missed so much. My first item on the agenda was to seek my Brother’s blessing on my planned surgery, in the past his advice has always been sound and positive.
I also wanted to seek out his views on redemption, as a practising representative of Holy Mother Church, he ought to be able to give me some guidelines. Of course, the question must be hypothetical. I cannot admit that I have killed, even to my Brother.
On arrival at the rectory, I was given a warm welcome by my brother, but then I would expect nothing less. There has never been any kind of Sibling rivalry between us, in fact just the opposite we have always been close and supportive of each other.
I decided to pitch straight in and ask the question I had been mulling over on my journey down to see him. ‘Giles, this is a hypothetical question, but what are the church’s views on redemption, say for instance a soldier kills several of the enemy in the heat of battle, can his soul be redeemed.’
‘If he is at war, then personally I would have thought that his actions in that war would have been sanctioned by the Church, and as such, redemption would not be required.’
(C) Damian Grange 2019
