The Bad Samaritans

The Samaritans are not meant to advise callers at all - nevermind advise suicide!

Quite recently, I met a man who confided in me a crime or series of crimes (he was so drunk that he cannot remember whether he was guilty or not) that he committed over 30 years ago - a crime for which he served 10 years in prison.

The crime for which he served time was unspeakably terrible and because of this his guilt and despair was huge and to a point still is. I've done some 'unspeakable' things in my time also. The man in question has been 20 years off alcohol and he lives now, in his own words, to try and atone for what he did.  However, his crime is not the subject of this blog post, horrendous as it was. No, the truly horrifying thing that he told me is that when he called The Samaritans relatively recently and he told them his 'story', he told whoever was on the receiver at The Samaritans that he felt suicidal and that he was contemplating taking his own life. His story is tragic and shocking, but perhaps more shocking is that on telling the volunteer at the Samaritans that he felt like taking his life, he alleges the volunteer told him to "go ahead and do it", presumably because his offense repulsed him or her.

The man in question is a Catholic, but is currently involved what sounds to be a Pentecostal church which teaches him about a "one to one" relationship with God which has led him to have powerful religious "experiences". I told him that experiences can be deceiving and, given his long period of absence from Holy Mother Church, spent a concerted amount of time impressing upon him the Grace of the Sacrament of Penance and the truths of the One True Church, as well as the role of St Peter and his Successors.

I don't have any Holy Rosaries at the moment, so if someone wants they could purchase or send one to me so that I can give it to him. He says he would like one. Say a prayer for him because he is still, due to his current family situation and his past, overwhelmed by despair and thoughts of suicide. The Lord Jesus did not come into the World to condemn the World but by His Death and Resurrection, to save it and reconcile us to His Eternal Father. Again and again, Our Blessed Lord talked of His coming to find the lost sheep, of His ardent desire to bring sinners to find refuge in His Sacred Heart, overflowing with mercy and tender love. Sadly, The Samaritans, on this occasion at least, were found wanting in both their professional conduct and their ability to offer compassion to the suicidal and despairing. Shame on that volunteer, whoever he or she was!