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When I look back at all that we reported on and did this past year, it takes my breath away and leaves me almost shaken.  So many large developments have occurred. We have covered more than I ever thought it was possible for LifeSiteNews to do so consistently on a daily basis over a whole year. We have gone up to an entirely new level of reporting and news distribution that has been a major and exhausting, but also exciting adjustment.

It was like a lifetime lived in one year. We have never had to do so much travelling. Much was gained from those trips, although I would much prefer to stay home. You would not believe the pace we sustain when we fly here and there to cover events or to meet with significant persons.

There were more uplifting stories than ever. Many stories were emotionally moving, many disgusting and shocking, many very revealing of things the public and even ourselves were not aware of, and most showing a world undergoing a rapid, historical transformation in both good and evil directions.

The great culture war, no matter how many now deride that concept, has continued to prove to be a very real war and one that has grown in intensity.  I think one would have to be somewhat brain-damaged, deaf and blind, or just isolated into a jungle with no communications to not see that. But then, it is often shocking to see how many otherwise good people much prefer to hear no evil and see no evil, as though by doing so it will all somehow just go away.

But the one thing of  2013 that especially sticks in my mind and elicits the fondest memory, was the visit that John-Henry Westen and I had with the Papal Theologian, Rev. Wojciech Giertych during our last trip to Rome. We shared that with you in two reports and a video of our encounter with this wonderful man.

Just getting to his apartment was an unexpected adventure. It required us to enter the main door of the Vatican palace and then go up one vast, empty of people staircase after another and past a series of Swiss guards and finally an elevator ride up to another Swiss guard who directed us down a long, grand hallway lined with greek and roman statues and busts that was a closed part of the Vatican museum. Then we finally made a sudden right into Fr. Giertych's small, warm and simple apartment right next to the empty papal apartments abandoned by Pope Francis.

The interview took place on Fr. Giertych's small balcony overlooking the buildings of the apostolic palace and grounds in the distance. He was very accomodating to whatever we wanted to do or to ask him. It was an especially pleasant, surreal day, with birds chirping and fluttering in and out of the background of our video recording (unfortunately, I did not bring along enough lighting to balance the exposure so that the impressive background could be properly seen). The entire experience was saturated with peace.

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As you know, we use the word “Truth” incessantly.  It is our reason for being. That is because there is so little truth being given to the world in these times and the hunger and need for it has grown to a desperate level. We are all thirsting for truth in a media and information age of mush, deception and abusive manipulation of our minds and souls.

That was why meeting with Fr. Giertych was such a refreshing, delightful encounter. The man exuded joy, sincerity and cordiality of the highest level. But, above all, he proved to us to be one of the more masterful communicators of truths on the issues that we cover that we have met in all our years of reporting.

We would ask him a hard question and off he went each time, deceptively easily conveying deep and complex matters in a way that any open, reasonable listener could comprehend and afterwards be very clear about what they were just told. There was zero confusion after his instruction. That's the mark of any top theologian. Pope Benedict also has that gift, to an especially high degree.

Fr. Giertych connected dots and gave hard truths with such compassion that they could only be seen as love truths and perfectly logical to any honest, thinking mind.

Most of what he said could be appreciated by believers and non-believers alike. We have high appreciation for persons who can convey moral truths in that manner. Hammering people with dogma and bibical quotes (although both are crucial) is the least effective way of reaching the minds and hearts of those who know little of them or have no appreciation for them. In fact that method is usually totally counter-productive. Listeners do not have to be Catholic or otherwise Christian to benefit from the wisdon of persons such as Fr. Giertych.

So, if you have not yet seen the two video excerpts from the Fr. Giertych interview and haven’t read our two reports on it, or just want to refresh the experience, take a little time to do so. I am sure you will be glad you did.

I felt especially privileged to have had that encounter and more, thankful that we were able to share Fr. Giertych's wisdom with many thousands of LifeSitenews readers who in turn shared it with many of their friends and family members. I have been told that teachers and clergy have been using the interview in their own talks and discussions on the issues mentioned and excerpts from the interview have been re-published on other websites, in Church bulletins and elsewhere. This two-part series is well worth passing around.
 

Here are the two timeless reports and embedded videos:

Papal theologian: Treating homosexuals with dignity means telling them the truth

On contraception and the coming violence: Interview with Pope’s personal theologian