A few weeks ago, a non-Catholic music student and friend of a friend attended our Extraordinary Form morning Mass to hear the chant. Her review: “Looks like not much has changed since the 9th century.” It was the best musical compliment I’ve ever received.
Well, requiescat in pace, and here’s my belated tribute to the good man. I don’t know him enough to say anything the First Things crew hasn’t already said, so I’ll just point out this picture from earlier this year. It about sums him up, I think. I’m sure I’m not the only one wondering how we’ll carry on without him.
“I also asked him for coffee, and as he refused it I took him
to be a heretic and went down the road making up verses against all
such, and singing them loudly through the forest that now arched over
me and grew deeper as I descended.”
Hilaire Belloc, The Path to Rome
The Catholic Church has stepped back of late from the concept of confessional countries. Secular atheists are vigorously dedicated to national confession of areligious humanism. Muslims, and not just radical ones, believe in national confession of the supremacy of Allah as revealed through Mohammed. So here’s the problem: secular atheism as a political force is reaching the end of its limited shelf-life. What should be the Church’s response to the rising influence of an Islam that is waiting for the chance to replace it with an official policy of Islam? The idea of a religiously neutral state dedicated only to temporal matters but recognizing freedom of religion doesn’t seem like the answer. Islam rejects it, and Christians aren’t entirely sold on it themselves. When we’re the only ones left, I don’t see it lasting. (I am, however, willing to be proven wrong by the continued success of the American experiment.) It is, of course, entirely unacceptable to roll over and let our countries become Muslim. So what’s left? I wonder whether, in the years to come, the Church might not revisit the question of confessional countries. If, that is, there remain any countries able or willing to step up to the plate.
So far as I can remember, this was the first weekend I’ve ever spent at an event mentioned on page one of a Major National Periodical. Do give the article a gander: it’s called “Faith put into Practice.”
If anyone is entertaining ideas that I’m involved in a conspiracy to take over the medical world in the name of the Vatican, I’d like to confirm your worries by telling you that I stayed for the weekend in a residence operated by Opus Dei.
After a rejuvenating weekend of the laughter and good red wine to be expected at such an unapologetically Catholic gathering, I said goodbye to a couple of good friends and went back to the residence to sit down for a talk with the superior of the house. (Chosen for the priesthood by St. Josemaria himself. Conspiracy theorists take note.) We said vespers in Latin, and he heard my confession. I was on my way out when I realized I’d forgotten my penance.
“Could you remind me what my penance was Father?”
[Deadpan] “It was the Memorare.”