Posted on 04/23/2005 7:46:55 AM PDT by Unam Sanctam
A FAILING CIVILIZATION CAN'T BE argued out of its failing. It can be led, perhaps, or inspired, or converted and reformed. But argument requires the application of universal truths to the particular facts of the moment, and when a culture is tumbling downward, all its truths and facts--indeed, the whole idea of truth and fact and argument--are exactly what its people increasingly disbelieve.
Does anyone doubt that Western Europe is tumbling downward? It cannot summon the will to reproduce itself. It has aborted and contracepted its birthrate down toward demographic disaster: perhaps 1.4 children per couple across the western end of the continent, when simple replacement requires a rate around 2.1. It can discover neither how to absorb nor how to halt the waves of Islamic immigrants swamping its cities, and it has proved supine in the face of those immigrants' anti-Semitism, anti-Christianism, and even anti-Europeanism.
Meanwhile, Western Europe's economies are soft, its unemployment rates are shocking, and its emerging continent-wide government is elitist and antidemocratic. Its people are hedonists and materialists, its soccer clubs are nativist militias in waiting, its churches are empty, and--well, that's the problem Joseph Ratzinger faces, isn't it? The newly elected Pope Benedict XVI has just inherited the world's greatest pulpit, but, on his home continent at least, there's hardly anyone in the pews to listen.
He can preach to the choir, of course: After nearly three centuries of enlightened disdain for religion, Europe is about as dechristianized as it's likely to get; everyone who's going to leave the Church already has, and still there are millions of believers scattered across the continent--to say nothing of the billion or so who don't happen to live a train ride away from Rome. In all likelihood, the European Union and the national governments will soon cave in and grant their Muslim immigrants the religious exemptions those governments have consistently refused to grant Catholics. And that will prove what the Vatican claimed all the way back in its struggles with the French Revolution: The European form of Enlightenment secularism and laïcité was never some purely philosophical stand on the necessary political separation of church and state; it always began and ended with anti-Catholicism.
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Check out George Weigel's: "The Cube and the Cathedral: Europe, America, and Politics Without God" for a more in-depth analysis and commentary on this problem....
Panzer pope. I like that name.
.... we will never surrender
Winston C
Interesting concept to consider, that this could be the last European Pope. I thought by the title that the author would argue for a Pope from Latin America, Africa or Asia.
If "Grand Inquisitor" was indeed Cardinal Ratzinger's role (!), then it will be a tough slot to fill. Wonder who will get the honors?
Schoenborn's name is being bruited about for CDF.
Good to see the reference to the French Revolution, mother of all 'em though not as successful as the Russian--except in its continued ability to oppress the church.
I read his op-ed in the WSJ last week -- brilliant. Gots to read dat book.
Is Schoenborn the Austrian cardinal who politicked for Rantzinger to get the job?
Cardinal Ratzinger was also called in German "der Hammer Gottes," God's hammer. I wish him long life and a firm hand on the hammer. One can only hope that European youth, seeing the disaster that their elders have wrought, will heed the Christian faith that brought their continent both its culture and its once great presence in the world.
Does anyone think that America, Australia, and Canada are any better off? Birth rates are not very important, they are a proxy issue. The real cause of Western decline is the post WW2 "anti-racism" campaign which started out with the idea that it is wicked to victimize people because of race which has segued into the idea that it is racism to deny foreigners access to your country which has segued into the idea that it is wicked even to desire that your people continue to exist. People that believe outsiders have just as much right to their territory as themselves, and that their very existence is a crime, are not long for this world, and that suicidal belief is just as strong, or stronger, in the outposts of Western civilization as it is in Europe. Indeed it is largely an American product. These suicidal beliefs didn't bubble up from the people they were imposed, at great effort and expense, from above by force and propaganda, and even conservatives believe them, or pretend to in the face of force.
Excellent insight. That is why Socialist Spain is building mosques for the Muslims - while at the same time trying to drive the Church out of any aspect of its life. I think this is going to be one of the Pope's first challenges, because they are moving very fast on this.
Could not agree more! If you haven't already, read the FR post (later) "The Prudent Irishman . . ."
"I thought by the title the author would argue for a Pope from Latin America,Africa or Asia." My impression as well.IMO sooner or later(probably sooner)Non Euro Catholics will insist on either a Latin American or African Pope.I'm not Catholic,but i like Ratzingers no nonsense approach.Just waaay tooo late.
Yes. Also, he played a big part in putting together the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
How different from the French Revolution was the American. The latter established true religious freedom and free exercise, the former basically persecuted the Catholics and disallowed the free exercise of her religion. Voltaire was an utter hypocrite -- you can't believe in human freedom on the one hand and say "ecrasez l'infame" on the other.
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