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As many of you know, Giacomo Cardinal Biffi, the emeritus, if I may, Archbishop of Bologna was chosen by Benedict XVI to preach the Lenten retreat to the Roman Curia. He made waves on Tuesday when, according to Vatican Radio, he told the Holy Father and the assembled prelates that “the Antichrist presents himself as pacifist, ecologist and ecumenist.” As I said yesterday to Ambrosius and Iacobus after reading that quotation, “I think we have our marching orders, boys!”
Cardinal Biffi, to be fair, was only quoting from the Russian Orthodox theologian, mystic, and eventual Catholic convert (see here) Alexander Soloviev (1853-1900), a thinker who has been praised by both van Balthasar and Cardinal Ratzinger. But what sass! After how many years of Fr. Raniero Cantelamessa, we’re accustomed to less than stellar - and sometimes plain stupid - things being said by those specially chosen to preach to the Roman Pontiff.
If you’re interested in reading more about Cardinal Biffi’s thoughts in connection with Soloviev, there is this article by the cardinal, “Soloviev and Our Time.” It’s not long and it’s definitely worth every minute! As a traditionalist crazy, I’m struck by the ways in which Soloviev’s predictions align with evil plans of the bad guys in Malachi Martin’s Windswept House. In particular, I mean the dissolution of individual nation-states, a Church divested of Christ, and the triumph of silly ideologies (enviromentalism, pacificism) over the concerns of salvation.
These lines should be sufficient motivation to read the whole of Cardinal Biffi’s article:
One sees here described — and condemned — a Christianity of “values,” of “openings,” of “dialogue,” a Christianity where it seems there is little room left for the person of the Son of God crucified for us and risen, little room for the actual event of salvation.
A scenario, I think, that should cause us to reflect…
A scenario in which the faith militant is reduced to humanitarian and generically cultural action, the Gospel message is located in an irenic encounter with all philosophies and all religions and the Church of God is transformed into an organization for social work.
Are we sure Soloviev did not foresee what has actually come to pass? Are we sure it is not precisely this that is the most perilous threat today facing the “holy nation” redeemed by the blood of Christ — the Church?
It is a disturbing question and one we must not avoid.
There are some fun/funny comments about Biffi in this article about papabile from 2001 (from which I took the picture). Scroll down towards the bottom.
St. Louis-Marie de Montfort,
Pope St. Pius X,
St. Joseph,
St. Ambrose of Milan,
St. Thomas Aquinas,
St. Francis (and St. Clare),
St. Catherine of Siena,
St. Alphonsus Ligouri,
St. John Chrysostom,
Excellent post, and excellent blog.
I thought I would note that Soloviev was a Catholic, and made a powerful case for the truth of the Catholic faith which influenced many of the members of the Russian eastern rite Catholic hierarchy, and rought many conversions, including the first Russian Catholic Exarch, Leonid Feodorov who began reading the Church fathers after studying Soloviev. God bless.
Al Gore is the Anti-Christ?
It’s great that he quoted one of those pernicious folks who decided to take the plunge and turn Catholic without asking for anyone’s authorization to do so. I’m sure the bearded bigots in Moscow will whine about how Rome has just justified “proselytization” by citing Soloviev.
He was a Catholic?? That’s great!
Actually, I think that Soloviev’s argument was that he never in his life openly, purposely rejected the authority of Rome. He was baptized and confirmed as a Russian Orthodox, but never formally ascribed to the schism and heresies of the leaders of that sect. So basically he was a Catholic all his life, even before he officially and formally “signed on.” He also maintained that since the excommunication of Michael Caerualarius from 1054 referred only that one guy (NB: Pope Paul VI lifted this excommunication decades after Soloviev’s death) and since most average Russians had never appropriated as their own the schism of their leaders, hence they were Catholics for all practical purposes. I guess he would say that those Orthodox who *had* learned schismatic and heretical doctrines and assented to them (i.e. the bulk of the Orthodox clergy and those laity who’d been fully catechized) had ceased being Catholic.
Or maybe it wasn’t even the bulk of the clergy. (I mean, how would I know?)
We need more prelates with a little beef in them.
Go Cardinal Biffi!