The Shroud Codex - Jerome R. Corsi [23]
“Truthfully, the Vatican does not know what is happening with Father Bartholomew,” Morelli said honestly. “The pope asked me the same questions you just posed. I have no answers and neither does the pope. That’s why I am here.”
“Okay, then, let me try to explain to you how I proceed as a psychiatrist,” Castle said slowly, wanting to make sure there were no misunderstandings. “You have to understand that the human subconscious is very strong, strong enough to cause many people to modify their physical appearance based on this or that neurosis. My suspicion from looking at these photos and listening to your story is that Bartholomew has a mental condition that looks maybe like a neurosis, or maybe even a more serious psychosis.”
“I understand,” Morelli said.
“What interests me is that Father Bartholomew’s mental illness involves his religious beliefs. Father Bartholomew’s case is precisely what I write about in my books. What I suspect is that Bartholomew is undergoing what is commonly known as a multiple personality disorder. His mental illness may cause Bartholomew to imitate Christ—even physically—but I cannot believe this man is somehow mystically becoming Jesus Christ, in real life, today, in New York City. If that’s what the Catholic Church wants me to conclude, I’m not your guy.”
“The Catholic Church has centuries of experience of dealing with clergy, and in those hundreds of years some of the clergy have had psychological problems, just like any other group of people over hundreds of years of experience,” Morelli said. “The Catholic Church also has centuries of dealing with mystics and through those centuries many mystics have demonstrated the stigmata.”
“What’s your point?” Castle asked directly.
“My point is that sometimes psychology does not explain all of religious experience,” Morelli answered equally directly.
“That leads me to conclude that you believe the Shroud is indeed the actual burial cloth of the historical Jesus,” Castle said, wanting to make sure he understood Morelli.
“Yes, I do,” Morelli admitted. “I struggled with the evidence for years, but finally I concluded I could not explain by any scientific methods how the Shroud of Turin had been created, regardless of how brilliant the forger might have been.”
“And you also believe Father Bartholomew died and returned to life, much as Jesus Christ himself did,” Castle said, pressing on.
“I’m not as sure of that,” Morelli admitted. “I didn’t get to be an advisor to the pope, especially not this pope, by giving him easy answers. My training is to question everything. The Vatican and I believe we need your expertise to get to the bottom of what is really going on with Father Bartholomew.”
Castle was beginning to feel more comfortable about the assignment, but there was still something he had to be clear about.
“One more thing,” he stressed. “I can’t promise you I can cure Father Bartholomew of whatever is going on. Father Bartholomew could spend years with me in therapy and I still can’t promise you I could cure him. Years from now, he might be much worse than he is today.”
“I understand.”
“Okay, then,” Dr. Castle said, having made up his mind. “I will take the case, but it will cost the Catholic Church a lot of money for me to do so.”
“The Vatican is prepared to pay your fees.”
“And I reserve the right to publish a book on my findings, with or without the approval of the Catholic Church.”
“The pope is prepared to agree to that as well.”
“One more thing.”
“What’s that?”
“I want to speak with the pope myself. I spoke to him when he was Cardinal