Andrew Klavan, the mystery writer and humorist I have often quoted on this blog, is a big fan of the Pope:
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Go here to read the insightful rest. The raw hatred that Pope Benedict aroused in many quarters, aside from the raw anti-Catholic bigotry that is always with us, was caused I think by the threat he posed to some of the most cherished illusions of our time:
1. That intelligence and a belief in revelation are incompatible.
2. That religion in general, and Catholicism in particular, is dying.
3. That right and wrong are completely subjective terms.
4. That modern man does not need Christ as Savior.
Pope Benedict realizes that Modern Man is at an intellectual and moral dead end. He understands that the only way out of this impasse is Christ.
“The proclamation of the Gospel remains the primary service that the Church owes to humanity, to offer the salvation of Christ to the man of our time, who is in many ways humiliated and oppressed, and to orientate in a Christian way cultural, social, and ethical transformations that are unfolding in the world.”
Interesting. A while back, a European author wrote a book entitled “The Cathedral and the Cube” where he spoke about European decline. I find the many types of European expression wanting, myself.
That was actually an American writer, George Weigel.
It is common nowadays to refer to the “Catholic turn” in French philosophy, i.e., the way in which the most original and prominent thinkers of contemporary France seem to function within Catholic horizons: the philosophers Rémy Brague, Chantal Delsol, René Girard, Pierre Manent and Jean-Luc Marion, together with writers like Max Gallo, Jean D’Ormesson, Jean Raspail, Denis Tillinac and, Michel Tournier.
They are continuing the tradition of Maurice Blondel, Etienne Gilson and Jacques Maritain and of Claudel, Mauriac and Péguy in the last century.
Perhaps, we shall see theologians like Bouyer, Danielou, Chenu, Congar, de Lubac and Maréchal.
The trouble is, if European culture doesn’t survive, and I agree that there are worrying developments, what are we left with? The New World reflects back that culture, its beams somewhat dimmed by having to cross the Atlantic, and I would argue that in the 20th century the contribution of the United States was a negative one, flooding the market with a commercially driven counter-culture based on film and ‘popular’ music which is not only antithetical to the ideals of ‘high’ culture but undermines it by denying its existence.
Michael PS:
Many of the names you mention are familiar to me, but I thought Ives Congar was sanctioned by the Holy See.
Mary D Voe
He was rehabilitated and went on to be a peritus at Vatican II and a member of several important committees.
To remove any lingering damage to his reputation, in 1994, in Congar’s 90th year, Pope John Paul created him a Cardinal.