I am also catholic but my husband isn't and he doesn't understand us "catholics". We were reading the book together and he reached a point where he couldn't put it down and finished before me. The part about confession really unsettled him. He has always had many questions about confession - thanks I'll show him your posting. We both love the book and I'm with you - I love reading about the catholic religion! I purchased "World without end" as a xmas present for my husband. I hope he reads it as fast - ha!

It's important to remember that the depiction of confession in "Pillars" is in a historical context of the 12th century. The manner of confession that many of us grew up with is a 19th century version!

Follett shows many aspects of Catholic life which seem unsavory, e.g. bargaining for bishoprics, etc., which are historically accurate, but are unthinkable today.

If you look back on some interesting posts, even life was not the same as it is now back in the 12 c. And that's why the Germans began strick beer laws as people would put anything in beer back then even rotting meat, yuck. So I would think that the confessions meant an entirely different thing back then!

Wow, thats interesting and so cool to know Merty. It's facts like this that are some of the main reasons I love to read. Merry Christmas all!

I enjoy reading your posts as well!

Merry Christmas to you too!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING. I TOO AM CATHOLIC AND APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO TALK ABOUT IT. I'M NOT SURE IF EVERYONE WILL MAKE THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE TYPE OF PENANCE GIVEN THEN AND THE TYPE GIVEN TODAY. THANKS TO YOUR E-MAIL NON CATHOLICS KNOW ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE.

IT'S FASCINATING TO HEAR ABOUT HOW THE RELIGION WAS PRACTICED IN THAT TIME AS OPPOSED TO THE WAY IT'S PRACTICED NOW.

LIKE SO MANY OTHERS I LOVE THIS BOOK, CAN'T PUT IT DOWN AND AM HAPPY TO KNOW THERE'S A SEQUEL. DO YOU THINK THERE WILL EVER BE A MOVIE?

THANKS

Actually this is exactly how Confession worked then. The church was corrupt and has had people like Waleren and William who used the Confession to relieve there guilt on earth to make them feel better that is all Confession can do. When William got absolution he felt better that happens all the time. A preset can absolve you but G-D will still judge you for he is the only one who can give absolution. In the Story the churches controlled the land and was the hand of G-D to most of the people. Just because we are more enlightened a know that evil is not the way of G-D. Wite a minute did not the 911 terorist get absolution from there clerics for the acts on that day. So I guess we are not so enlightened yet.

In the story and in cherch tempel we are called G-d's children and that is what we are. We are children who think we know better then our father. We are like kids running around G-ds house (the world) with a knife. WE know better we have the knowledge of the geno, the atom bin to the moon and to some if the ocean bottoms. We have degrees given awards of knowledge and show kindness to our fellow man. So are we grown up yet do you know the truth or are we gulty if the sin of pride like Philip was.

Ken was one of my favorate oftheres as I loved reading his stores of WWII and know that I have red this book he is #1. I have always loved hisory but most books tell the sory of the history he let's History tell it's own story and is more intresting.

To me, this book was written like a screen play for a movie, - all the main characters lives artificially enhanced for maximum effect. Life at that time, though very difficult, was probably much more likely to be less dramatic than depicted. Also, being familiar with the writings of the desert fathers, the depiction of monastic life in the book had a fair amount of twentieth-century stereotyping included. I was waiting for an indication in the story of the author's research on that, but it never materialized even though it would have provided more depth to the characters and story.

The book also was unnecessarily graphic, and left no compelling reason for the telling of the whole tale by / at the end. The message I got was, - life was hard, people can be incredibly cruel and some very kind, good people aren't perfect, bad ones can do occassional good things.
Already got that, thanks.