First in self defence, I must say that I am a rationalist, an agnostic and a sceptical human being who is not drawn in any sense to the irrational or the downright cranky and am no fan of stories about the supernatural and I abhor conspiracy theories. Nonetheless I am always interested when people, for whom I have some intellectual and moral respect, tell me something, in all sincerity, about something that is so wildly improbable that is should be put immediately into the hokum file but isn't because one hesitates on account of the credentials of the teller who seems to genuinely believe in what he/she is describing and who, to all intents and purposes, is a rational, sane human being!
So it was this morning when talking to a colleague who pointed me to this chap's supposed aviation related "miracles" during the latter years of the Second World in Italy. A story that my colleague clearly believes. Mass delusion, self delusion, hoax... etc. etc?
"Saints", gunfire and bombs...In Norman Lewis’ brilliant, astounding Naples ’44, the British writer has many curious and memorable passages from his diary of that year. However, this is one of Beach’s favourites.
At Pomigliano [north-east of Naples] we have a flying monk who also demonstrates the stigmata. The monk claims that on an occasion last year when an aerial dog-fight was in progress, he soared up to the sky to catch in his arms the pilot of a stricken Italian plane, and bring him safely to earth. Most of the Neapolitans I know – some of them educated men – are convinced of the truth of this story.
I must say that flying monks appear, not so much as foo fighters to me, but as fooey although I thoroughly recommend Norman Lewis’ Naples ’44!
Naples 44