A Question and Answer Session Between Thomas A. Droleskey and Charles Coulombe

PREFACE

[With new information having been received since these questions and answers were posted on this site on March 11, 2004, I have decided to post the question and answer session below separately from "Rejecting Satan and All his Empty Works and Pomps," which has been revised and edited to reflect this new information. The new material provides readers with more information that they can use to assess Mr. Coulombe's answers. The separation of the question and answer session from the commentary is meant to make it easier for those who have read the two earlier versions of "Empty Works" to cut right to the chase, so to speak, and read the version updated on March 15, 2004.

[I was invited by Mr. Mike Chabot to speak at the Saint Joseph Conference, which starts on March 19, 2004, in South Bend, Indiana. Information came to me in mid-February, however, that raised very serious questions about one of the scheduled presenters, Mr. Charles Coulombe. Among other things that were raised by a research of the written record was the fact that Mr. Coulombe’s name appeared on a wiccan website to “endorse” a book written by a witch, Raymond Buckland, on “gypsy witchcraft magic.” He had also authored articles in Gnosis Magazine and had given remarks at a Tolkien Conference in England in 1992 that raised a number of questions.

[As the questions raised by Mr. Coulombe’s statements and actions evidently have been the subject of “private chats” on the Internet for years, I posed a series of questions to him–both in behalf of The Remnant and this website--in preparation for an article on the matter. Mr. Coulombe responded to the questions, which responses are included below in the context of a letter sent I had sent to him, providing explanations that can be reviewed and critiqued in the open light of public discussion. My own commentary on this matter follows the presentation of the questions and answers, which are to be found also on The Remnant website, which is linked to this site. My commentary focuses on the dangers inherent in having an open interest in the occult. As Mr. Coulombe had asked questions of me in his own responses, I have used the context of my commentary to provide my answers, some of which draw from personal experience. I want to note here, however, that my answers to Mr. Coulombe’s questions are in no way meant to suggest that I am in any way a better person or a better Catholic. I am merely providing responses that I believe to be consonant with the demands of the interior life. Nothing more, nothing less.

[Mr. Coulombe has characterized my questions as being shrill, if not impertinent. The questions were asked in a direct, matter of fact matter so as to elicit responses that addressed the issues at hand. The questions were not meant as an attack on Mr. Coulombe’s person; they were asked in order to raise in a public manner concerns that had been festering below the radar screen for a long time in the traditional Catholic community. Mr. Coulombe’s responses below are in italics, which he kindly provided. They were sent to The Remnant and to me on Sunday, March 7, 2004, the Second Sunday of Lent after several attempts to reach Mr. Coulombe via e-mail had failed. Mr. Coulombe received the questions, finally, on Saturday, March 6, 2004.

[A great deal of time has been spent on this matter because of the dangers posed by any level of interest in the occult. I ask readers to take the time to digest the material, understanding that my only intent in publishing this article is to provide food for Catholic thought and reflection on these dangers. Others may have their own comments to make in different venues. Indeed, information is coming in at a rapid pace following the initial posting of this article on March 11, 2004. Although this is my one and only commentary on this whole subject, I will be adding updates to reflect this new information, as was done on March 13 and March 14, 2004.

[I thank Mr. Coulombe for taking the time to respond to the questions.]




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JMJ

March 2, 2004
Tuesday of the First Week in Lent

Dear Mr. Coulombe:

As my name has been linked to yours as a result of your being one of the speakers invited to make a presentation at the Saint Joseph Conference in South Bend, Indiana, I became concerned when information was presented to me about your and your connections to the netherworld of the occult. To be honest, the information is most disturbing and frightening. I was among those who expressed my concern about your participation in the Saint Joseph Conference, especially after I saw your name on a wiccan website. Research conducted after that point raised a number of serious questions, which are posed below for your response.

Charles Coulombe: "As I have been disinvited from the Conference, your fears on being linked with me may be put to rest. However, although your concerns would perhaps have been better expressed to me when you first found out that we might appear on the same platform, I am nevertheless grateful to you for sharing them with me, man to man. It is a rare experience amongst Traditional Catholics, I find."

As the tableau that emerges from your connection to the occult world is so disturbing, I have prepared an article to raise these questions about your public statements in a public forum. This article deals only with your written and spoken words. The article is not an attack on your person. To be fair to you and to fulfill the precepts of both charity and justice, I am posing these questions to you presently. The statements on their face could be presented fairly first before giving you an opportunity to respond. Some of your defenders say that all of this evidence is, to coin a phrase, so much smoke and mirrors, that you never gave your "permission" to have your name on a wiccan website, for example. The body of evidence out there is disturbing, especially your endorsement of hemeticism and the philosophy of the "Golden Dawn." It is to provide you with an opportunity to respond within the context of the article, which may or may not be published, that these questions are being posed. Your answers will help to clarify questions that many people have about these matters:

Charles Coulombe: "I am very happy to provide the answers you request, despite the rather shrill --- not to say impertinent --- tone many are set in. I know that you have no desire to be insulting."

1) Your name appears on a wiccan website. The quote that appears is as follows: "Quite simply one of the best pieces on Gypsy life I've read." Even if Raymond Buckland’s book is an historically accurate account of Gypsy witchcraft and magic, why do a review of a book written by one of the foremost promoters of witchcraft in the United States?

Charles Coulombe: "The last part of the question presupposes a greater interest in Buckland and his activities than I possess. As a working writer in the secular realm, who must support himself through his work, I write lots of reviews in all sorts of venues --- I also give opinions on the historical or cultural accuracy of many manuscripts for many publishers. I remember reading the Buckland work, but I really do not recall where the quote --- which I do recognise --- appeared originally. If you could be so kind as to find out for me, I would appreciate it."

2) Why does a believing Catholic permit his name to appear on a website to be used as an endorsement of a book that contains advice as to how one can engage in occult practices?

Charles Coulombe: "I absolutely gave no such permission."

3) Why is it the case that your name is even known among occultists to the extent that an endorsement from you would mean something to them?

Charles Coulombe: "Presumably because my work has appeared in Gnosis and FATE, and they think that I am a capable writer. But I can honestly say that I have received no correspondence from anyone on these matters. No one seeks my advice on spell-casting, neither do I get invited to coven meetings."

4) How can a believing Catholic justify permitting his name to appear on a website so as to help generate sales for the book of a practitioner of witchcraft and that will help further the satanic ends of the website’’s owners?

Charles Coulombe: "None could, were that the case, and I have not."

5) How can a believing Catholic be a party to helping, in other words, to make money for satanists and the occultists who violate the First Commandment and sin against the virtue of Faith by worshiping false gods, conjuring up evil spirits, and attempting to tell, if not chart, the future?

Charles Coulombe: "Please see the reply to 4, above."

6) Do you agree with the following statement? "Anyone who permits his name to be used in such a way as to give an endorsement to generate sales for a book that might lead the weak in faith or those who have no faith at all to fall into 'experimentation' with the black arts is directly leading people into temptation. A book such as Raymond Buckland’’s is an open invitation to demonic possession. And there is simply no other way around this."

Charles Coulome: "Yes, indeed --- if Buckland's Gypsy book was such an open invitation. In my opinion it is not. I have not read any of his other books, and so cannot comment on them."

7) Are you aware that your name appears on the wiccan website below the space where Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft is advertised?

Charles Coulombe: "I have been since Gerry Matatics drew my attention to the site, of whose existence I had not known, last Saturday."

8) Do you know Raymond Buckland personally? If you do, how long and in what capacity have you known him?

Charles Coulombe: "No."

9) How did it come about that you did a review of Gypsy Witchcraft Magic?

Charles Coulombe: "I honestly do not recall the circumstances. As I say, if, in your research on this case you could find out for me, I would appreciate it."

10) What qualifies you as an expert in the history of gypsy witchcraft and magic so as to assess Mr. Buckland's book in a review?

Charles Coulombe: "It would probably have been my knowledge of general European history and pre-industrial customs and folklore generally, rather than specific Gypsy knowledge (although I find their annual pilgrimage to the Stes. Maries-sur-mer fascinating)."

11) If you did not give your permission to have your name used in such a way, have you made any efforts to have your name removed from the wiccan website? Have you publicly disavowed the use of your name on this website in any forum whatosoever?

Charles Coulombe: "Yes. When Gerry asked me about the question on 21 February, I sent the site [address omitted so as to avoid tempting readers to go there] the following e-mail, sending a copy to Gerry as well: 'Gentlemen: It has come to my attention that a comment of mine --- "Quite simply one of the best pieces on Gypsy life I've read." - Charles Coulombe, historian, lecturer and author of The White Cockade --- has been placed on your site as an advertisement for a book on Gypsy Witchcraft and Black Magic by Mr. Raymond Buckland. While the comment is true as far as it goes, the author having compiled a wealth of authentic gypsy folklore not easily available elsewhere, Mr. Buckland's highly visible profile as an apologist for wicca has led to the impression in certain circles that I myself share his views. As a practising Catholic, I most certainly do not, and so must ask you for the courtesy of removing my endorsement from your site. Thanking you in advance for your assistance in this matter, I remain, Yours faithfully, Charles A. Coulombe.'  More than that I cannot do, seeing that they are in Finland. I would invite you to notice that your first ten questions presumed that I had indeed given my permission to the site. In reality, this eleventh question ought to have been the first. As far as a public forum for such a denial goes, this reply to you is the closest I have been permitted. Feel free to circulate it, or to e-mail the Finns and second my request."

12) I have heard that you have told people that you want to give people your explanation on these things privately, either in a phone conversation or in writing, rather than having them aired in a public forum. As your name appears quite publicly (we have a downloaded copy of the whole website) on the wiccan website, do you not think that Catholics who have put their trust in you have a right to have you respond to these questions publicly?

Charles Coulombe: "I believe this question is miscast. Since I have been disinvited to the conference, I do not want friends of mine there to suffer from the guilt by association so beloved of certain "Traditional" Circles. Hence my request that I be directly contacted by those interested in the question, rather than have friends of mine bedeviled by impertinent questions they ought not to be bothered with (and subtly threatened at the same time). Given that all of these allegations were bandied about in a hole-and-corner manner, what I said was that I would be happy to reply to the bandiers myself (perforce privately, since I was disinvited), rather than have a public debate on me without my presence. I would be very happy to answer any questions publicly, but my disinvitation ensures that that will not happen --- save for the splendid opportunity that you are so kindly offering me."

13) Pope Leo XIII wrote this in Immortale Dei: "Whatever, therefore, is opposed to virtue and truth may not rightly be brought temptingly before the eye of man, much less sanctioned by the favor and protection of the law. A well-spent life is the only way to heaven, whither all are bound, and on this account the State is acting against the laws and dictates of nature whenever it permits the license of opinion and of action to lead minds astray from truth and souls away from the practice of virtue." Is not the whole intent of Raymond Buckland's life to lead minds astray from truth and souls away from the practice of virtue so that they can be trapped in the netherworld of the occult?

Charles Coulombe: "I certainly agree with Leo XIII, and the mourn the fact that our country and society spit upon these words --- given that almost everything you will read or watch does precisely what he condemned, in greater or smaller doses. Alas, I cannot gauge what Mr. Buckland's life-intent is. Most Wiccans I have known have been deluded believers in a supposedly 'ancient' pagan religion of nature, invented by Margaret Murray way back in the 1920s. I find their beliefs rather silly, to be honest. If one dies believing them, of course, one will go to Hell --- but such is the fate of Heretics, Jews, Infidels, and Schismatics, if we are to believe the Council of Florence (and I do). In that sense, all non-Catholic religious writers (and quite a few Catholic ones) work will lead the unwary to damnation --- but I highly doubt that that is their conscious intent, although it may be the fruit of their work. Again, you will know Buckland's writing better than I do."

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14) What is your fascination with haunted and spooky places? Again, are you not inviting the weak of faith--or those of no faith--to become absorbed in things that trap the soul in the dark and satanic, leading them away from the practice of virtue and from a commitment to personal sanctity?

Charles Coulombe: "It is not a 'fascination with haunted and spooky places' as such, any more than Sir Shane Leslie or Dom Alois Wiesenger, O. Cist., were fascinated---or, for that matter (not that I a- in any way comparable) St. Gregory the Great and St. Augustine, who dealt with such topics. Rather, as you may have noticed, we live in a rather materialistic and unbelieving era. It is a sad testimony to the nature of the human condition that the unbelieving often require a brush with the spiritual dark to realise that there is more in creation than the physical. You will recall that Fr. Malchi Martin did not begin to believe until he had the daylights scared out of him at an exorcism."

15) Why, therefore, have you written a book on "haunted and spooky" public places in the United States?

Charles Coulombe: "For three reasons. First, because it allows me in the afterword to talk about Purgatory to an entirely secular audience; second, because it allows me to deal with some interesting phenomena, which, honestly examined, must force the materialist to question his non-belief; third, because my agent made the deal with publisher and I have received an advance. Again, this is how I make my living. Obviously, were I able to make as much money writing strictly on Catholic topics, I would do so. But I cannot."

16) You wrote five articles and four book reviews for Gnosis Magazine before its demise in 1999. One of those articles, published in 1990, compared the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass to magic and stated that neo-Platonism, magic, alchemy, astrology, and Kabbalism are integral components of orthodox Catholicism." Why did you write for an magazine dedicated to a fundamental Christian hersey, gnosticism?

Charles Coulombe: "You will pardon my impertinence, but I will ask you a question. Have you read the article on its entirety (to say nothing of the rest of my work in that magazine)? My point was that all of these things arose from the same philosophical milieu (i.e., Platonic Ultrarealism) and so made the same cosmological assumptions, as did the writings of the Church Fathers and the first formulations of our Faith. As for why I wrote for Gnosis, there were two reasons: 1) I saw it as a chance to write about the Faith to a putatively hostile audience, in hopes of reaching well-intentioned souls in ways they would understand; and 2) As a writer, I was happy to ply my trade, being paid while evangelising. Of course, Gnosis began to be attacked for Catholic proselytising. In 1993, one Michael Hoffman II, enraged by supposed 'unpatriotic sentiments' in an article I wrote for the Angelus, went on a campaign to 'reveal' my past as a writer of 'occult aricles for Satanic magazines' or whatever, which has continued until to-day. This has been most annoying. But since I know of at least one conversion due to my "Gnosis" writings, I consider the annoyance worth it."

17) Do you stand by your statements that neo-Platonism, magic, alchemy, astrology, and Kabbalism are integral components of orthodox Catholicism?

Charles Coulombe: "See above."

18) Do you stand by your statements about the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass ("for if the Mass is not magical, then what is?) made in that 1990 article in Gnosis Magazine?

Charles Coulombe: "The Medieval Scholastic definition of magic was the accomplishment of ends out of all proportion to means --- whether those means were natural, angelic, or diabolic. The point that I was trying to make to an audience who consider magic to be a good thing is that the Mass is --- in the Medieval sense --- the most "magical" thing there is; the bringing forth, not of Angels or demons, but of God Himself, really and truly present, on the altar. Before that tremendous reality, all lesser rituals pale. The whole end of the artcle was to show folk interested in such things that all they think they can arrive at via the Occult --- communication with the Divine--- is actually to be found in Catholicism and her Sacraments."

19) What is your relationship to Stephan A. Hoeller, the gnostic "bishop" of Los Angeles?

Charles Coulombe: "I have known him since 1977, and consider him a good friend. We have many interests in common --- history, literature, genealogy, heraldry, folklore, comparative religions, and the like. I practise my French and German in conversation with him, and consider him one of my prime conversion projects (as must all Catholics consider all their non-Catholic friends). In personal terms I have found him to be honourable, kind-hearted, extremely learned, and good company, with an extremely high moral sense. All merely natural virtues to be sure, and so in no way salvific. But grace builds upon nature, and many a Catholic of my acquaintance could use a dash of his forthrightness, intelligence, and width of knowledge."

20) Why did you consider an endorsement from Mr. Hoeller to be important to include on the cover of Every Man Today Call Rome?

Charles Coulombe: "Two reasons: 1) He read the book and enjoyed it very much --- asking if he might endorse it; and 2) I knew very few published authors at the time. You will note that Mark Lindquist and Fr. Malachi Martin also endorsed it --- two very different writers, all of whose work and sayings I might not agree with, but who also were extremely competent. I might add that Stephan's endorsement of my work has not helped him with his core audience: according to one sarcastic reviewer of his most recent book, "It is heartening to read on page 182 Bishop Hoellers praises of the insightful Monarchist writer Charles Coulombe, who also received Hoellers effusive thanks for the "encouragement" he gave him with the writing of Freedom a decade ago. Mr. Coulombe, a Catholic Ultra-Traditionalist, is the author of Every Man Today Call Rome and Desire and Deception, a spirited defense of the position that only formal members of the Catholic Church have a chance to be saved." This was not, believe me, a favourable reviewer. Stephan is often accused of being a "Catholiciser;" if that charge is true, and I have had any part in making it true, I am happy. But, as with all my non-Catholic friends, I will be happiest if he is reconciled before he dies. I will ask two questions --- do you have non-Catholic friends? If so, how do you work on their conversion?"

21 Are you aware that Mr. Hoeller's "church" has a "concordat" with a satanic "church"?

Charles Coulombe: "I know no such thing, and would appreciate your offering details on this supposed event."

22) Do you believe that what appears to be a most active interest in the occult on your part is carrying on the work of Blessed Raymond Lully?

Charles Coulombe: "What is presented here as 'a most active interest in the occult' on my part is in fact an attempt to revive interest in the Ultrarealism of the Fathers, the Early Medievals, the Scotists, and, yes, the Lullists. I suppose my interest in Bl. Raymond Lully was sparked by my historical interest in Bl. Junipero Serra, a onetime professor of Lullist Philosophy at the University of Palma. Like his master, Bl. Serra was forced by the dynamic of his philosophy out of the classroom, and into the missions. The networks of missions he founded in central Mexico and the Californias were modelled on those proposed by Bl. Raymond Lully in his novel 'Blanquerna.' Unlike his spiritual mentor, who was martyred by those he sought to convert, Bl. Junipero was quite successful; even so, he ordered that he be buried with a relic of Bl. Raymond Lully on his chest, which relic I have venerated at Carmel Mission. If, like them, I can spend my life showing those outside the Church how she --- and she alone --- can give them everything they truly desire desire spiritually, then I will have achieved my goal. I was not, however, raised in the proximity of Medieval Muslims and Jews, nor among the Indians of 18th century Mexico. Instead, I have lived most of my life in modern day Los Angeles, filled as it is with every kind of bizarre religion. I must evangelise those I am among. Believing, as did the two Blesseds under discussion, that those who die outside the Church will suffer eternal torment, I could no other."

23) Your remarks at the 1992 Tolkien Conference raise a number of questions. Do you stand by the following sentences? "Exiled from mainstream Christian theology, academic philosophy, and the sciences, it [the Hermetic/Neoplatonic worldview] has nevertheless subsisted, and even thrived---at least among readers of such literature. But developments in such areas as Depth Psychology and the New Physics suggest that it may indeed have a validity beyond the pages of fiction. The popularity of the New Age might notify Christianity of a hunger unfed by either social activism or doctrinal rationalism. The Christian Hermeticism encompassed by the Golden Dawn, like all such Hermeticism, might well be symbolised by a scene in the Medieval Quest of the Holy Grail (p. 275), wherein Joseph of Arimathea took from the Vessel a host made in the likeness of bread. As he raised it aloft there descended from above a figure like to a child, whose countenance glowed and blazed as bright as fire; and he entered into the bread, which quite distinctly took on human form before the eyes of those assembled there. When Josephus had stood for some while holding his burden up to view, he replaced it in the Holy Vessel. In a real sense, the whole conundrum regarding an authentic understanding of the Golden Dawn's teaching may be symbolised by the Ace of Cups in the Tarot Deck. Considered merely as a fortune telling device, it can mean plans or latent thoughts, ready to be put into action but whose meaning is still hidden. On a higher level it is said to mean psychic protection and knowledge. But its appearance suggests a world of meaning. For it shows a chalice held by a hand descending from a cloud. The Dove of the Holy Ghost conveys directly into it a wafer bearing a cross, and out from the chalice pour into the sea streams of pure and living water. We have at once a representation of the Sacramental system (the Eucharist and Baptism), and of the Holy Grail. Two mysteries, one attainable only at the end of a long quest, and the other so near as to be taken for granted. Yet they are in fact one. This is deepest Christian Hermeticism indeed. It is to the honour of the Golden Dawn that the Order both developed an authentic strand of such Hermeticism, and attracted members of the calibre necessary to convey such to a world not without need of it."

Charles Coulombe: "Presumably, what you are questioning is whether or not the words in Italics in the fragment quoted are an endorsement on my part of fortune telling. They are not; rather they are a factual explanation of the meanings given the card by the fortune tellers --- the only folk who deal with the Tarot that most people are likely to encounter. Have you read the essay in its entirety? If you have, you will recall that I showed how their experiences with the Golden Dawn led Arthur Machen, Charles Williams, and William Butler Yeats from Evangelical and anti-Catholic backgrounds to an understanding of the Sacraments and of Catholicism. I quote Machen as saying that nothing that is out of accord with Catholicism can be called literature, and Yeats in declaring that Westerners who reject the Incarnation in favour of Eastern religions develop 'watery minds.' Bear in mind that audience was one which considers these men to be important figures, etc. Sure enough, there were complaints that I was 'using' them to push Catholicism, a conclusion anyone who knows the topic of fantasy literature (as did my audience) would easily come to. But as for the rest of the citation, yes, I stand by it."

24) Do you still embrace "Christian Hermeticism"?

Charles Coulombe: "What do you mean by that? If you mean do I still embrace Platonic Ultrarealism/Augustinianism/Lullism, etc., the answer is yes. If you have some other meaning in mind, tell me, and I'll answer."

25) Do you still endorse the philosopy of the "Golden Dawn"?

Charles Coulombe: "I do not endorse it, any more than I do Anglo-Catholicism. As with the A-Cs, the GD led some people closer to the Faith, others away from it. If experience with Anglo-Catholicism serves a Protestant as a half-way house to the Church, familiarising him with doctrines and practices formerly repugnant to him, and so preparing him to 'Pope,' well and good --- for him. If it leads him to think he can have everything the Church gives, without that nasty old Pontiff, and so he dies outside the Church, than it was evil for him. Inherently, no non-Catholic religious group cna be 'good'" but subjectively, if it serves the individual as a 'preparatio evangelium,' then it has good effects, without itself being good. Ask any convert. I know one fellow who had been out of the Church for years. He said the GD invocation of the Archangel Gabriel, and suddenly his head was filled with the 'Hail Mary' (not suprising when you remember that Archangel's biggest accomplishment). At any rate, it was the beginning of his return to the Church. Now that does not mean that the GD is a good thing, anymore than someone learning to love the Rosary in an Anglo-Catholic parish makes Anglicanism good, and I would rather that no one join either group, but rather just come straight into the Church. But neither experience is likely to happen to a devout Presbyterian."

26) Is not the "Golden Dawn" a Luciferian philosophy, as described on two of its own websites?

Charles Coulombe "There are two different points here. First, please define what you mean by a 'Luciferian philosophy.' Secondly, the Golden Dawn as such collapsed shortly after the turn of the 20th century, and broke up into fragments, each of which went in varied directions --- not surprisingly, Yeats, Machen, and Williams all belonged to the same fragment, which was initially concerned with Theurgy and then sort ofshaded off into hyper-piety; read Waite's condemnation of ceremonial magic as such. Various groups claim the name, but there is no patent on it, so anyone is free to call themselves and their sites after it. I myself have not explored any such sites, and so cannot comment. What I can tell you is that Israel Regardie, the foremost populariser of the GD rituals, did his best (perhaps because of his religious background) to de-Christianise their rituals and teachings. As many if not most groups that claim the name follow his teachings, I suppose that the sites you refer to may do so as well."

27) Do you believe that a Catholic can in good conscience use Tarot Cards?

Charles Coulombe: "If by 'use,' you mean to reveal a supposedly irrevocable future, the answer is no. Anything that denies free will is forbidden the Catholic."

28) Why would it be unfair to conclude from the evidence provided in your writings that you are attempting to engage in a syncretist effort to find a bridge between the aforementioned philosophies and occult practices and the Catholic Faith?

Charles Coulombe: "Because it would imply that the Jesuits were trying to merge Confucianism or Hinduism and the Faith with the Chinese and Malabar Rites (which canard was condemned by Pius XII); that the use of pre-Christian religious customs in Catholic liturgy or para-liturgical customs is a sign of Catholic-Pagan syncretism, as some Protestants allege; or that the study of the Kabbalah by Bl. Raymond Lully, Pico della Mirandola, or Reuchlin was an attenpt to do the same with Judaism; or that your use of the Christmas Tree is really Thor worship. If you want to evangelise people, you must use words, ideas, and actions that they will understand. To the uninformed, this may well appear like syncretism --- and indeed, mistakes in this realm are sometimes made, as history tells us. But mistakes from an excess of zeal are far better than a cold-hearted smugness, which does not think the souls of the heathen worth either the risk of failure or, worse still, the mere effort."

29) Your book review in the December 1998 issue of Fate Magazine seems to imply that an active interest in the occult during the Victorian Era in England was a sign of progress. Is this a fair reading of your linking "scientitfic discovery" and "interest in the occult was never greater"?

Charles Coulombe: "No, it is an historical observation --- and it is a phenomenon which continues. The founder of Cal Tech was a practising Crowleyite; to this day it is not known whether it was a scientific or magical experiment upon which he blew himself up in his garage."

30) What would a soul have to profit unto eternity from reading Fate Magazine, a journal whose very name signifies a violation of the First Commandment?

Charles Coulombe: "What would a soul have to profit unto eternity from most things he would read to-day? The papers and magazines? And yet, they WILL read them. Surely, since FATE has a devoted fan base, it is better that they read something decent now and then in it (although I no longer write for them). And, again, I am a writer --- it is what I do. Were I subsidised, things would be different, but you will find that most people have to work for institutions to-day which are to a greater or lesser degree evil. At least I have a certain leeway in whom I must labour for; most are stuck with whatever they can get. If all Traditional Catholics worked only for Traditional Catholics in this country, it would be a blessing. But I do not see it happening soon."

31) Would would you say if Pope John Paul II or Roger Cardinal Mahony did and said the things that the public record has shown you have said and done, especially having their names appear on wiccan websites and in gnostic and occult journals?

Charles Coulombe: "I would ask the same questions any intelligent person would ask --- why. Then the answer would satisfy me, or it would not."

32) It is reported that you gave your word after your 1990 article in Gnosis Magazine that you would not write for that journal again. Is such a report accurate?

Charles Coulombe: "Partly. In 1994, I agreed not to write for them as the price of staying employed at the Angelus. The Angelus fired me in any case, so I did not feel bound any further by the agreement."

33) It is reported that you write under various pseudonyms in gnostic and occult outlets. Is this true?

Charles Coulombe: "Absolutely not."

34) Are you willing to renounce, publicly and permanently, all of the philosophies and practices mentioned in your articles and statements as being antithetical to the Catholic Faith--and thus to the sanctification and salvation of immortal souls?

Charles Coulombe: "First, let me say what I do believe. I accept all four of the Creeds and all the Ecumenical Councils and Infallible definitions of the Popes in the light of the anti-Modernist Oath. I also accept Bl. Pius IX's Syllabus of Errors in the same way. Many Traditionalists of my acquaintance cannot say the same, at least as far as the Athanasian Creed, Unam Sanctam, and the Council of Florence are concerned, finding various ways to interpret the words to mean other than their clear meaning. That being the case, I absolutely abominate anything which contradicts those teachings --- such as the so-called 'Baptism' of Desire, and the notion that ignorance, rather than Catholic Faith, can be salvific. Now, as to all the philosophies and practises of which you speak,I cannot renounce what I do not hold. I am no Wiccan, nor Satanist, nor Occultist, all of which I hold in the loathing I must feel for all false creeds, be they Zoroastrianism or Methodism. All will lead you to Hell. But you will understand that given this point of view, I consider evangelisation to be the ultimate mission of all Catholics, and I will pursue it to my last breath, regardless of the misadventures it brings me. If you ask me to renounce Ultrarealism, this I cannot do. But if you condemn me for this, do you condemn also St. Augustine, St. Gregory the Great, Bl. Raymond Lully, St. Bonaventure, and Bl. Duns Scotus? If not, why not?"

The answers to these questions must be in writing via e-mail so that there can be no question of misquoting or misrepresenting you. Your prompt response to these questions would be greatly appreciated. Your actions and statements are a matter of the public record. They need a public response to provide Catholics of good will an opportunity to measure them against the Deposit of Faith entrusted by Our Lord to Holy Mother Church. I would appreciate hearing from you at your earliest opportunity. Again, as there is great concern in the minds of many Catholics about your work, these are legitimate questions that need to be answered. Your comments at the Tolkien conference alone raise many concerns. It is thus hoped that you can clarify these matters. An assessment of what will be done with this material will be made upon reviewing your answers, which I request be made on a point by point, question-by-question basis so as to avoid muddling the issues.

Charles Coulombe: "So I have. I much appreciate this opportunity to answer publicly what has heretofore been a nasty, niggling campaign of whispers. All of these accusations have, before your kindness in broaching them, festered quietly in venues to which I had no access. Thank you for allowing me to state my case."

I offered up my reception of Holy Communion for you this morning [March 2]. This distasteful business does not mean that I have any personal animus against you whatsoever.

Charles Coulombe: "Same here, and to-morrow I will offer my Holy Communion for you. Yours faithfully, Charles A. Coulombe"