Humor, It’s a Concept

A reader writes:

I read this article “Chesterton – A Spirit of Vatican II Bibliography” that you wrote in 2001 and am wondering – was this a practical joke? This morning while not quite still awake I read it and couldn’t believe my eyes.

Please explain.

One of the answers below is the truth:

1. I am completely serious. Chesterton is still alive, now a radically different man since he became imbued with the Spirit of Vatican II in 1973 and embarked on a path of Gaia Worship, radical feminism, vegetarianism, gay rights enthusiasm, support for abortion on demand and profound regret for his former triumphalist Catholicism. His support for Jerry Brown (and now, of course, Obama) remains undiminished despite his extreme old age. He still regularly donates to Planned Parenthood.

2. I was writing a satire designed to show the immense gulf between Chesterton’s understanding of the Catholic faith and the pop schlock spirituality commonly palmed off as the “spirit of Vatican II”.