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Warren tells of son’s ‘pain’

12 April 2013

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."

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