A number of years ago I was at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem when I saw a guy with a video camera–a professional-level one, not a handheld. I looked to see what he was filming and, lo and behold, it was Jerry Falwell!
I pointed him out to other members of the group I was with, which was being led by Fr. Mitch Pacwa, and after Falwell, we greeted him as a group. (As an individual, I did not, unfortunately.) Falwell was extremely gracious and shook Fr. Mitch’s hand, referring to him by his title "Father."
It showed me another side to the man who, in other contexts, preaches sermons that come across quite Fundamentalist. Despite his Baptist heritage, he recognized Catholics and Catholic priests as on the side of the angels.
Spend enough years fighting for unborn babies and I guess you’ll get that message.
Right now Jerry Falwell is in critical condition with viral pneumonia, experiencing his second bout of it in just the last few weeks.
I happened to see him the other night on Fox, where he mentioned the first bout and said if he was ever incapacitated the way Terri Schiavo is that he had better be given a food tube since he might wake up in six months and be just fine.
I had no idea his life would be in jeopardy so quickly after that.
Let’s pray for him.
Jerry Falwell seems to be the butt of a lot of jokes from secular liberal types. I don’t know much about him, only seen him on Crossfire a few times, but he doesn’t seem to deserve the scorn he gets.
I hope he gets better.