The Director of the Australian Catholic Film and Broadcasting Office
who is also the author of ‘Where the Hell is God?’ is in Ireland this
week to promote his new book.
Forty-nine-year-old Dr Richard Leonard’s latest publication is titled ‘Why Bother Praying?’
In it the Jesuit explores the question of why we pray and what does praying do for us, for God and for the world.
Once again, Fr Leonard adopts a style which is forthright and
challenging, as he illustrates his position with true stories that
according to some reviewers sometimes read like fiction.
He is, according to James Martin of America magazine, “clear, pastoral, provocative, consoling blunt and faithful – all at once.”
One aspect of his new book which is likely to generate debate is his
depiction of the founder of his own Jesuit order, St Ignatius.
He tells the story of how the Saint was almost a murderer except he let his donkey make a crucial life and death decision.
Of St Ignatius’ time in a cave after his conversion experience he
writes, “We know Ignatius the penitent whipped himself three times a day
for months, wore an iron girdle, fasted on bread and water which he
begged, slept very little and then on the ground, spent up to seven
hours on his knees at prayer, covered his face with dirt, grew his hair
and beard rough, and allowed his dirty nails to grow a grotesque
length.”
“We also know that he suffered from scruples so badly that he
considered committing suicide by throwing himself in the River
Cardonner. We would diagnose the 1522 Ignatius as being an at-risk
self-harmer, suffering from an acute depressive disorder and exhibiting
suicidal behaviour.”
Yet Ignatius, with the help of a Dominican, went on to become a
mystic and saint whose experiences helped him to leave a legacy of
prayer and a spirituality that has helped millions of people.
Richard Leonard is, in addition to being the Director of the
Australian Catholic Film and Broadcasting Office, also a lecturer in
film and media at the University of Melbourne.
In 2003, he was a visiting scholar at the School of Theatre, Film and
Television at UCLA. He is chief film critic for a number of Australian
Catholic newspapers.
He has served on juries at the Berlin, Hong Kong, Brisbane and
Melbourne International Film Festivals and has lectured on film and
culture across Australia and the Pacific, the UK, Ireland and the USA.
He is the author of ‘Movies that Matter: reading film in the light of
Christian faith’ (Loyola University Press, Chicago) and a book on how
to preach well entitled ‘Preaching to the Converted on Sundays and Feast
days Throughout the Year’ (Paulist Press, New York).
When he returned from a year as visiting professor lecturing in
communications in the Gregorian University in Rome he completed his
award-winning book, ‘Where the Hell is God?’
It is a reflection on how to reconcile suffering with the notion of a
loving God and he wrote it on foot of a tragic accident which saw his
28-year-old sister Tracey, a former nurse with Mother Teresa in
Calcutta, rendered quadriplegic.
Controversy followed with some people accusing him of not believing
in the power of prayer. That spurred him to write his latest book, ‘Why
Bother Praying?’ and reviews suggest it is a fresh and challenging
outlook on prayer.
While he is in Ireland he will be offering some answers to the
question he poses in its title of his new book in Dublin, and Knock,
Donegal and Derry.