Saturday, April 16, 2005
SOMEWHAT OF A JAW DROPPER...
In looking at the alchemists of the 16th century who were the forerunners of the Masonic Lodge,and who studied and used the Kabbalah, I came to John Dee, who is known for his conversations with angels. Dee and his protege Edward Kelley met up with Francesco Pucci, an on-again, off-again Catholic, in Cracow, Poland in 1585. Pucci attempted to persuade Dee and Kelley to go to Rome and conduct their angel raising sessions for the Pope. Dee and Kelley refused.
That information comes from a paper by Ron Heisler at The Alchemy Website. Something else does as well:
Pucci proposed the organization of a secret "republic" of good people in all lands, who would prepare the world for a great council that would reunify Christianity....His objective was the unification of all peoples in a comity that reached even the mosque and the synagogue. His immediate target – the eradication of the Christian schism – would be effected by the calling of a general council of "spiritual persons" and "lovers of truth". At times he contemplated this council being called by the Pope.32
32. M. Eliar-Felden "Secret societies, utopias, and peace plans: the case of Francesco Pucci" Journal of Medieval and Renaissance Studies vol.14 (1984).
Here's the link.
Meanwhile, from my email box and the Washington Post:
After two decades of contact and dialogue with the Islamic world under Pope John Paul II, the Vatican is rethinking an outreach program that critics say is diluting Catholicism and has brought almost no benefits to beleaguered Catholic minorities in Muslim countries.
The late pontiff undertook the drive as part of a broad effort to open channels to other religions. He applied a personal stamp by stepping into a mosque in Damascus and meeting with Muslim groups more than 60 times. He also visited a synagogue in Rome and Jerusalem's Western Wall.
Do we live in interesting times, or what?
