Forbidden Fruit: The True Story of My Secret Love Affair With Ireland's Most Powerful Bishop

Rating:
Summary: There ARE really true love somewere
Review: Alright it's been awhile so let them all rest....but really folks did not Ireland benefit from the restrictions of the Church being loosened and perhaps the Bishop and Annie (the pawn) were used well on this chess board of politics emeshed in religion. I lean towards givin them a break-- they served Ireland well. The Bishop is doing his work, Annie, foolish in her choices, has paid a dear price. Perhaps you might remember before ever going public, Annie took Peter to Ireland for 6 months just so the Bishop could be given the chance to approach his son which he obviously choose to ignore--- so ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE!!--- So all of you who point the finger soley at one or the other STOP. ATM and that doesn't stand for automated teller machine

Rating:
Summary: Forbidden Fruit
Review: I felt this was an important story in the oncoming tital wave of scandals broken. This woman who rocked the cradle then rocked a nation. I don't think the story did justice to magnitude of the theme. In telling of the tale and her "voice" did not flow through this story. I feel her river would have flowed differently if she had been allowed to do that. I do respect her honesty in baring both the dark and light which propelled her forward and just as the Bishop did some dastardly deed so did she. I feel this story could have been shorten and thus stronger. It posssed the ingredients of abuse, love, regret, devilish humor, revenge,loss and hope. But it was told in primary colors-without shading one can be blinded but perhaps that was the main idea-just get it out there and the heck with the rest. But these are people we are talking about not just Bishops and pawns....

Rating:
Summary: Forbidden Fruit
Review: I felt this was an important story in the oncoming tital wave of scandals broken. This woman who rocked the cradle then rocked a nation. I don't think the story did justice to magnitude of the theme. In telling of the tale and her "voice" did not flow through this story. I feel her river would have flowed differently if she had been allowed to do that. I do respect her honesty in baring both the dark and light which propelled her forward and just as the Bishop did some dastardly deed so did she. I feel this story could have been shorten and thus stronger. It posssed the ingredients of abuse, love, regret, devilish humor, revenge,loss and hope. But it was told in primary colors-without shading one can be blinded but perhaps that was the main idea-just get it out there and the heck with the rest. But these are people we are talking about not just Bishops and pawns....

Rating:
Summary: Painfully Honest & Heartfelt Book
Review: I read this book during the 1990's while I was still a practicing Roman Catholic. At that time, I was having trouble with many of the church's teachings and practices. This book confirmed some of what I already knew and also opened my eyes to some bigger issues, too. This was an excellent book, but more than in just 1 way.

First, it's a wonderful autobiography. Annie Murphy bears her ver soul and lays her heart on the line for all to see. Some autobiographies do that, others don't. I must applaud Annie for being as brutally honest as she was about everything-the love affair w/Bishop Casey, the chold out of wedlock, the bishop's lengthy silence about the whole ordeal, and of the bishop's refusal to see his son.

This book also exposes the whole double life issue. Many priests around the world have struggled with lust. Any Catholic that knows or has investigated the church's history will tell you that. Due to the behind closed door struggles with lust, many priests live and lead a double life. What they do privately and publicly are often vastly different. This book would lend a lot of support to the argument of why priests should be able to get married. The Catholic Church in Ireland still have trouble acknowledging this story. When asked, the Catholic clergy in Ireland will tell you what they know of it. But they rarely ever talk about it voluntarily without being asked. It's a blackmark on their record to which I'm not sure they've ever recovered from.

In addition, this book is also good at examining the faults of the Catholic Church in general. Even though she was born and raised Catholic in the U.S., Annie also brings up many of the Catholic Church's problems. For example, why does the Catholic Church have certain teachings and doctrines but many Catholics live and believe something to the contrary and still remain Catholic? She cites many examples of this issue. I will say this for Annie. She didn't just disagree with the church and stay like so many others have and still do. She did actually leave rather than stay and complain.

If anyone out there is thinking about joining the Catholic Church, I'd suggest reading this book. It will open your eyes, set you straight, and reveal many things you probably weren't aware of.

One final note-Bishop Casey is no longer the bishop of Ireland. While he did admit publicly that he did have a child out of wedlock, he has never seen his son Peter that he fathered with Annie. My prayer is that Peter will forgive his father, Eammon Casey, if he hasn't already. In addition, my prayer is that Annie Murphy and Eammon Casey will also find a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, if they haven't done so already. He is there for any and all who earnestly seek him and will forgive them, no matter who they are and what they've done.

Sincerely,
Pastor Roger

Rating:
Summary: There ARE really true love somewere
Review: If some of you really read between the lines and get the knowledge of the pain and true love that goes through the whole book, you will feel the pain of all the 'forbidden' couples in the world have to go through and the environment's judgement on all that is 'forbidden';The true love! I'm sure that every one, man or woman can recognise the pain for both of them. Please open your hearts! Feel for them! Get the comfort for all your own unhappiness -By the environment judgements! I'm sure God DID wan't them to be happy, but the Catholic earth was so filled with historic traditions. Forgive them too! Read it! Feel it! I recognise their pain, but mine is more of unhappy ending! I wish that I could share it with you, Another time maybe..

Rating:
Summary: How Naive Does One Have To Be?
Review: This was a strange book and story. Although true, you can't help but wonder how Annie figured that she could have sexual relations with the Bishop and not think of what a child would do to his reputation. I know she thought that maybe the kid would cause him to give up being Bishop, etc.-but that excuse seems awfully naive to me. I also had a problem with the silly sexual details she provides in this book, but then again, everyone knows that sex sells. I feel most sorry for Peter, but I cannot help feeling sorrow for the Bishop and his faithfulness as well, which she did her best to destroy. Any woman that throws herself at a man (or Priest) like she did, fails to garner any sympathy from me - at times it seemed like a little girl writing instead of a mother. Peter should have written this book, but I'm sure his Mother has influenced him too much to see the Bishop's side. Last but not least, since all of this all did happen, the Bishop should accept Peter as his "love child" and provide for him - shame on him as a human being on how he handled this!