Only one comment on this item: I cannot believe the media fuss over the Pope standing up for Catholic teaching. I hope the people wasting the ink and paper over this are just going through the motions. I really do not get what is so shocking over this.
To keep on the catholic theme.....The universality of Chesterton never ceases to amaze me. If people were handed some of the Pope's writings without a byline, and actually read them I think that there would be a positive reaction to the depth of thought, wonderful use of language, and sincere compassion for the human condition. Nobody is going to read the Pope, even incognito. This is what we get from Chesterton. He restates the old truths in such a way that we do not realize that we are reading The Baltimore Catechism in veiled form. The deep universal truths of Chesterton appeal across the board to folks at totally different ends of the spectrum. He is quoted by Tai Chi hippies, Catholic homeschoolers, mystery fiction fans, peace activists, saber rattlers, Anglophiles, and even once in a while by academics. In the years Ive been following Chesterton this appeal across "party lines" never ceases to amaze me.
Thrilling Romance of Orthodoxy
5 months ago
2 comments:
On the kerfuffle over the Pope's recent statement: it may be true that Vatican II technically affirmed that the Catholic church was still "the" church, but in spirit it opened up recognition to a wider sphere. And certainly in recent years the Catholic church in general has looked much more favorably towards Protestant denominations, even seeking points of common ground and alliances with them (witness the ECT movement of a decade ago.) I found the Pope's words more amusing than threatening, but I do agree that taken at face value, they do represent a decisive step backwards from the ecumenicalism that has been more common among Catholic authorities in recent decades.
On Chesterton's universality: I myself am a dedicated Protestant, and yet I have always been a huge fan of Chesterton's writing and thinking. This is because the vast, vast majority of his religious themes affirm all that Catholics and Protestants have in common. I have found it exceedingly common to find in Chesterton's writings a witty and poignant defense of the essence of Christianity, and exceedingly rare to find even bare mention of specifically Catholic doctrines.
What, today the 54th anniversary of the passing of Old Thunder, and no mention?
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, ora pro nobis!
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