THE youngest son of the Revd Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback
Church in California, the author of the 32-million-selling The
Purpose Driven Life, took his own life last Saturday.
Mr Warren, who attended the Archbishop of Canterbury's
enthronement last month (News,
28 March), wrote in an email to staff at his church last
Saturday that Matthew Warren, who was 27, "took his own life" in a
"momentary wave of despair at his home". Mr Warren said that his
son had "struggled from birth with mental illness, dark holes of
depression, even suicidal thoughts".
On Monday, the Orange County coroner said that Matthew Warren
had died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Mr Warren wrote in his email: "Kay [his wife] and I often
marvelled at his courage to keep moving in spite of his relentless
pain. I'll never forget how, many years ago, after another approach
had failed to give relief, Matthew said, 'Dad, I know I'm going to
heaven. Why can't I just die and end this pain?' But he kept going
for another decade."