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"Today the concept of truth is viewed with suspicion, because truth is identified with violence. Over history there have, unfortunately, been episodes when people sought to defend the truth with violence. But they are two contrasting realities. Truth cannot be imposed with means other than itself! Truth can only come with its own light. Yet, we need truth. ... Without truth we are blind in the world, we have no path to follow. The great gift of Christ was that He enabled us to see the face of God".Pope Benedict xvi, February 24th, 2012

The Church is ecumenical, catholic, God-human, ageless, and it is therefore a blasphemy—an unpardonable blasphemy against Christ and against the Holy Ghost—to turn the Church into a national institution, to narrow her down to petty, transient, time-bound aspirations and ways of doing things. Her purpose is beyond nationality, ecumenical, all-embracing: to unite all men in Christ, all without exception to nation or race or social strata. - St Justin Popovitch

Saturday 9 February 2013

ON THE PRIESTHOOD: FATHER AIDAN NICHOLS



Three Books – a Common Thread 
by Colin Mason


There is a thread that runs from Aidan Nichols’ book Christendom Awake, to his work The Realm, and now through to his new title Criticising the Critics. The line of argument that Nichols explores across all three works is this: if the Church is to have any chance of evangelising society, then it first must rediscover its own identity. The mission to re-christianise the world has to be built upon a rediscovery and renewal of its own tradition. 

If we are to renew our culture, we must first renew our Church. If we are to recreate Christendom, then we must first reclaim, renew, and re-enchant the internal life of the Church – and thus re-energise the Church. This internal renewal and rediscovery of the Church’s self-identity will enable it better to witness externally to the world. 

Nichols calls for us to be brave enough to talk once again of the “conversion of England”. It should be clear of course that this argument is not limited to England or even to Britain. It is a call that carries across the whole of Western Europe and North America. The need to reclaim Western culture from the forces of secularism is one that will ring true to readers of these three books. 

The Realm builds explicitly upon the earlier core message of Christendom Awake. In his new book, Criticising the Critics, Aidan Nichols meets head-on those internal and external challenges to the Church and its doctrines. He notes the disastrous challenge that secularism presents to our culture and the corresponding need to reinvigorate the Catholic body in order to meet and fight this challenge. It is Nichols’ intention, with his new book, to restore the confidence of Catholics and to allow them to become once again a public force.


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