Fictional: An Act of Mercy

[T.A.Stobie_SFO]

An Act of Mercy

Angel appeared. I stopped reading. Angel reported.

I willed myself to Chilean woman raped, beaten, and hysterical.

I read her soul. I understood her part in it, leading on the assailant.

I consoled her in an Incan dialect which I would not normally understand.

I heard her confession. I had to extract a few additional sins she was reluctant to share. I assigned a penance and granted absolution.

With her I discussed her life and made a few suggestions. I prayed with her for cleansing, healing, and a better life.

I willed myself back to my cell.

I resumed reading.

*This is a fictional account (translated into English) of what an entry in St. Pio of Pietrelcina’s Journal of his activities would look like if he was required to keep a concise one by his superiors, otherwise in his humbleness he would not have told anyone nor written it down.
*

Copyright 2915 - Thomas A. Stobie, SFO - Permission to copy for personal use granted.

 

[T.A.Stobie_SFO]

Wrote this this morning in response to a challenge. Hope you enjoy it. Any comments?

 

[Jean_Anthony]

Is this a case of bio-location? Why pick this particular incident out of everything he wrote? Is it even possible for someone to receive absolution from a priest who bio-located to hear it–would it be valid? I’m confused as to what we’re supposed to make of it.

 

[Della]

Is this a case of bio-location? And it’s fictional? Is it even possible for someone to receive absolution from a priest who bio-located to hear it–would it be valid? I’m confused as to what we’re supposed to make of it.

 

[T.A.Stobie_SFO]

Yes, I was depicting bi-loication, yes, the confession is valid as the priest is in person.

I was trying to get people to see how some for St. Pio’s life was like.

 

[Della]

Yes, I was depicting bi-loication, yes, the confession is valid as the priest is in person.

I would want official approval of the idea that a bio-located priest can minister a valid confession before I’d use it in a fictional work. I doubt is there a liturgical precedent for it, for one thing, and since no one except the pentitent say that the priest was there–and that could have been her imagination, I believe it would be questionable.

I was trying to get people to see how some for St. Pio’s life was like.

Well, I don’t think it’s a good idea to use an actual person, especially one so recent, to put across a fictional account because someone is bound to think it’s real, which could cause confusion at the least and trouble, perhaps a lot of trouble, at the worst. There’s too much miisinformation floating around as it is. Why add to it, is my concern.

 

[SayehMahtabi]

I read her soul. I understood her part in it, leading on the assailant.

I understand what you’re trying to get across here, but as a survivor of sexual assault, it rubs me the wrong way. On the other hand, St. Pio rubs me the wrong way too, so maybe this just means you’re portraying him well…

 

[Jean_Anthony]

I understand what you’re trying to get across here, but as a survivor of sexual assault, it rubs me the wrong way. On the other hand, St. Pio rubs me the wrong way too, so maybe this just means you’re portraying him well…

Yes, I also thought, “Why does the penitent have to be an abused woman?” That brings up a lot of issues all on its own, such as “What can this poor woman have to confess that a priest needs to bio-locate to hear her confession?” The text implies she had to take a part of the blame for being raped. As a woman, that raised a lot of red flags for me, too.

It’s good to get feedback from potential readers, but really this story idea, as it stands now, should remain a writing exercise. I can’t think of any publisher that would take it, especially using a real person of living memory as one of the main characters, and employing such a hot button issue as a mere vehicle for “a day in the life of…” a real person.

 

[Della]

I understand what you’re trying to get across here, but as a survivor of sexual assault, it rubs me the wrong way. On the other hand, St. Pio rubs me the wrong way too, so maybe this just means you’re portraying him well…

Yes, I also thought, “Why does the penitent have to be an abused woman?” That brings up a lot of issues all on its own, such as “What can this poor woman have to confess that a priest needs to bio-locate to hear her confession?” The text implies she had to take a part of the blame for being raped. As a woman, that raised a lot of red flags for me, too.

It’s good to get feedback from potential readers, but really this story idea, as it stands now, should remain a writing exercise. I can’t think of any publisher that would take it, especially using a real person of living memory as one of the main characters, and employing such a hot button issue as a mere vehicle for “a day in the life of…” a real person.

 

[AKDee]

St. Pio rubs me the wrong way too, so maybe this just means you’re portraying him well…

Drifting from thread long enough to ask- why does St. Pio rub you wrong? This comment really surprised me. I’m curious why.

To the OP- I thought it had a ring of authenticity to it but agree with another comment that if you’re going to write fiction you should also have a fictional priest. You might base that priest on St. Pio but I would name him something different and change enough details so that people don’t get confused.