No, no, not Room 101, please......

                                   What could be more terrifying in Room 101?

"Richard is confined in Room 101, strapped to a chair in a way which rendered him completely immobile. In front of him were two tables on which stood two covered wire cages. O’Brien was holding a lever which would operate the cages. 

Impassively, O’Brien explains that what Room 101 contains is quite simply, “the worst thing in the world.” 

This varies from individual to individual. 

For some it may be torture, fire for some one else, drowning for yet others. 

For each individual, Room 101 held his greatest fear. 

When confronted with that, courage and cowardice lose their meaning, one will do whatever one has to do to avoid the horror in Room 101 as naturally and automatically as one will grab at a rope to keep from falling.

In Richard’s case, his greatest fear, his worst nightmare was Bishop Kieran Conry and it was it was the Bishop  there in the cage in front of him.

 O’Brien informs him that he is going to open the cage and set the Bishop onto him.

The Bishop is rabid for the blood of a traditionalist, he will sense Richard’s helplessness and devour him inch by inch. 

Richard cries out in terror asking O’Brien to only tell him what he has to do to avoid this. 

O’Brien vouchsafes no answer and lays his hand on the lever which would open the cages.

 In a total frenzy Richard sees the Bishop behind the bar and with a sudden flash of intuition realizes what he has to do to save himself.

He has to take the final step of degradation, he has to betray Tina.
It is no longer a matter of choice, before this threat, he is helpless.
He cries out “Do it to Tina! Not me!” 

Repeating that cry he is aware that the lever has clicked back into place, the cage is closed. 

His degradation is finally completed in Room 101"

With apologies to George Orwell

Bishop Conry is due to speak at a seminar in Carmarthen Tuesday 19th February - abandon hope all ye who enter here.

But Bishop.......the bridges are closed to traffic....



 

 

.....both Severn bridges are closed due to high winds.......

 

 

....and the M4 motorway has been shut due to massive subsidence.....

 

 

......the side roads are all clogged with cattle and sheep....the natives are restless and putting on their woad.....wild Welsh tribes have come down from the hills.......the Demetians are armed and dangerous........there's an outbreak of smallpox....

 

.......rough gangs roam the countryside.....

 

 

A warm welcome on  the hillside awaits you 

 

.....a meteor is due to hit Carmarthen town on Tuesday morning.....

 

 ....there has been an outbreak of the plague at Pont Abraham.......and a sighting of  herds of African buffalo on the rampage.

 

  So, really Bishop Conry, there's no need to come to give a talk in Carmarthen next Tuesday....we only have your personal safety at heart.

 

We would hate it if you came to any harm (yes, really)...it would be most inadvisable to travel under these conditions.......

 

 .....and, anyway,  people are pulling out after your latest remarks about the Holy Father.

 

So, you see, you would only be talking to yourself.

 

 But then, you're used to that.

But Bishop - Arundel and Brighton needs you!

How selfish are we?

We take a Bishop from his own diocese and plonk him down in the wilds of west Wales (Carmarthen) and ask him to be guest speaker at a seminar on 'The Year of Faith and the New Evangelisation'.

Yes, there seem to be no bounds to our greed to have Bishop Kieran Conry of Arundel & Brighton Diocese, come and speak to us here in Menevia Diocese (Carmarthen).

We care not that Laurence England and others will be deprived of Bishop Conry's steadying hand for a few days or that his charitable and kind comments on the Holy Father will not resound along the eastern boundaries of England in his absence.

There will be crying in Crawley, weeping in Worthing and unseemly bawling in Brighton.

How can this much loved shepherd leave his flock with such apparent gay abandon?

And can Menevia Diocese cope with the anticipated influx of pilgrims from all points of the compass, anxious to hear words of wisdom from +KC?

The event of the year is due to take place at St Mary's Church Hall, Carmarthen next Tuesday and all are welcome, light refreshments are provided and the day is free. Heady stuff for us west Walians who are starved of any intellectual, theological discourse (let alone egg and cress sandwiches).

Shall I be going?

Sadly, no.

I have already committed myself to washing the car that day.