Whitley Strieber comments on Monsignor Corrado Balducci
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Dear Peter:

Msgr. Balducci is entirely real, and much of what he has been saying about the visitors is accurately presented in Boylan's statement. In addition, I understand that he has been doing a good deal of television recently. I know the Monsignor through Michael Hesseman and have talked to him personally about his views. He has given me an interview that is going to be published in my new book Confirmation, and in it he makes substantially the same statements about the need to stop fooling ourselves that the contact situation is psychological, and he makes the point that it is dangerous for Christians to ignore the testimony of millions if they are to accept the testimony of just a few as the basis of doctrine. He also discusses his contention that the visitors are not demons, and mentions that the subject matter is of special interest to the Church and the Christian community.

Msgr. Balducci told me personally when I asked him about his relationship to the pope that he knows the pope and is friendly with him. When I asked him if the pope was aware of his views on UFOs, he said that they had not discussed the matter per se, but had talked together about issues of demonology.

Boylan is also accurate in describing Msgr. Balducci as an expert on demonology. He has published on the subject and has been the exorcist for the Archdiocese of Rome. It is because of his expertise in this field that there is reason for Christians to regard his views on the question of whether or not the visitors are demons as an authoritative one.

In the interview I have, he did not mention anything about Papal nuncios reporting information to the Vatican on a formal basis, or the existence of a commission to deal with the issue.

He has personally read and agreed to every detail of the translation, and it is completely accurate. It will be published as an appendix to Confirmation, which should be in the stores by April 15.

In the interest of accuracy, I would very much appreciate your reposting of this letter to the same list that has received the previous two posts.

Sincerely yours,

Whitley Strieber
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