Pope Caesar's Wake [3rd Edition] * signed

Michael Burch, the editor of the 1st edition of these letters, was moved most of all by the following passage from Pope Caesar's Wake: "If You are sincere, Your Holiness, take a leave of absence quietly from the Vatican for a few days, where You are surrounded by all the beautiful nudes of Michael Angelo, come and visit a great Artist Yourself in his poor and lonely hermitage, bring half a million United States dollars in an attaché case with You, bring a beautiful blonde from Heaven with You, and make sure I see no one else beside You trying to defend You with an axe or a shotgun, not even our great mutual friend the Lordee Lordee Godot, because I never carried weapons. All I can offer You, unfortunately, is a cup of Earl Grey tea, or a little coffee." In this fascinating collection of letters exchanged by Joe Ruggier and John Paul II between the Pope's assassination attempt in 1981 and his passing in 2005, Ruggier quips that he often "prefers to say 'I hate you!' ... like a little child!" We invite you to explore this Author's unique love-hate relationship with a great Man of such profound honour as John Paul. Enjoy the wit of Ruggier's humourous revenge on the Church which always concludes with a joyous, dignified twinkle however bitter the Author's reasons were for sparring. Enjoy also the brief offerings of real, original poetry with which the Author punctuates these letters-poems which, as it were, 'emerge out of the writing.' Discover how the Author gracefully winds up all contentious topics with the mutual save of face between himself and his distinguished correspondent which brings these letters to their gracious conclusion ... Knowledgeable readers of these letters from the Author's own private circle have observed that many expressions in this collection are 'so beautiful, they fly'. Rooted in a lifelong neurosis, the author's inspired satire of Church-related issues finds glorious precedent in both Dante's poetry and the mystical theology of John of the Cross. It needs to be emphasized that the Author does not hate Popes, least of all the great John Paul-but loves all genuine artists: this, perhaps, is the only reason he felt justified in releasing this controversial collection, which defends the honour of artists great and small.