Suaiden wrote:This is why these men are so desperate they joined the Cafe just to attack.
Why did I join the Cafe?
I wrote privately to Jonathan asking him if he knew of previous discussion about the Encyclical on the Cafe. After all, although the Encyclical is currently causing an uproar in American Milan it was issued five years ago. I expected that there would have been previous discussions and wanted to read through them. I could not image that such knowledgeable people as yourself, who has written the definitive history of Milan, would not have discussed the Encyclical at some previous point in time.
Jonathan put a public message on the Cafe (the commencement of this thread) asking if people knew anything? Whereupon you rushed onto the scene and in a long letter (no 2 in this thread) you denigrated me and others.
So contrary to your assertion that I joined the Cafe to attack, I commenced writing with the opposite intention, to defend myself against your attack.
I read that letter of yours and decided I had to make a reply, if only to protect my own integrity. I do not entertain hard feelings against you; it is quite understandable that you are in a period of turmoil with this Encyclical, both yourself personally and American Milan generally.
I remember a similar turmoil when you had competed the first edition of the History of Milan and I pointed out to you there was not any mention of Milan's 7 attempts to join the ancient Patriarchates. You said you had no knowledge of it and that is the reason it was not included in the History. I was dunmbfounded that you did not know.... these momentous negotiations occupied about six years of Milan's history, from 1997 to 2003. In the subsequent revised History I see you have included these negotiations with the Patriarchates.
May God bring it all to a conclusion to the glory of His holy name.