Pope Benedict Deus Cannus Est

Can a Grand Inquisitor, the Dog of God, really change his spots? No it's all just appearances.

From Rottweiler to Great Lover

As Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, he was unpopularly known as God's Rottweiler or il Grande Inquisatore (the Great Inquisitor). Today, barely a year later, the same man has been transformed by the new title and name of Pope Benedict XVI, and he is winning a fresh nickname of il Grande Innamorato, meaning the Great Lover.

What gave Benedict the new name of "Great Lover" was nothing salacious, but his choice of words and subject for his first encyclical letter, which took an age and only appeared late last month. Popes use their encyclicals to lay down their agenda, and the letters take their titles from their first few words. Benedict's started, "Deus Caritas Est (God is Love)."Its theme was that all love, including erotic love, is a gift from God. It is a remarkable document that delved deep into the philosophy of the Bible and also looked at the hurly-burly issues of modern life.

Equally significant, was that the pope was issuing a challenge in showing that the Christian image of a God of Love is different from the God espoused by some other religions. He noted in the letter: "The name of God is sometimes associated with vengeance or even a duty of hatred and violence."

Oh just like the Inquisition.

AL II,19: "Is a God to live in a dog? No! but the highest are of us. They shall rejoice, our chosen: who sorroweth is not of us."

The New Comment

A god living in a dog would be one who was prevented from fulfilling his function properly. The highest are those who have mastered and transcended accidental environment. They rejoice, because they do their Will; and if any man sorrow, it is clear evidence of something wrong with him. When machinery creaks and growls, the engineer knows that it is not fulfilling its function, doing its Will, with ease and joy.

Aleister Crowley

LIVE DOG / EVIL GOD
by Fritz Scholder

A haunting artists' book conceived, written and illustrated by Fritz Scholder, Live Dog / Evil God is a verbal and visual exploration of man's relationship with his self, his god(s) and his fellow creatures. Scholder created 10 cliches-verres for this book, reproduced here in duotone to match the original Van Dyke prints. This deluxed edition features a coptic bound book, a suite of the original Van Dyke prints (numbered and signed by the artist) presented in a custom-made clamshell box of imported Italian paper over boards. Limited to 50 copies.

Hardcover book and numbered & signed Van Dyke prints in a custom-made clamshell box.
ISBN 3-923922-11-6(Item #11-6) $1,200.00.

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