S
stumbler
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The archbishop emeritus of Bologna delves back into the famous story by Vladimir Soloviev and applies it to the Christianity of today. A collateral target: Cardinal Martini
by Sandro Magister
ROMA, June 3, 2005 – Cardinal Giacomo Biffi, now 77, was archbishop of Bologna from 1984 to 2003. A theologian and a great scholar of Saint Ambrose, he has assembled some of his writings which are not strictly theological in a volume recently published by Cantagalli.
The title of the book: "Pinocchio, Peppone, l’Anticristo e altre divagazioni [Pinocchio, Peppone, the Antichrist, and other Meanderings].”
The Antichrist referred to in the title is the one described by Russian philosopher and theologian Vladimir Sergeyevich Soloviev in the last book he wrote before his death in 1900: “The Three Dialogues and the Story of the Antichrist.”
Why does Cardinal Biffi want to bring this back to everyone’s attention today? Because – he writes ´– “Soloviev announces with prophetic clarity the great crisis that afflicted Christianity during the last decade of the 20th century.”
In the figure of the Antichrist as described by Soloviev, Biffi sees “the emblem of the confused and ambiguous religious identity of the times we are living in now.” He sees the singling out and criticism of “principled Christianity,” an emphasis on “openness,” obsession with “dialogue” at all costs, “in which there seems to remain little of the unique and incomparable person of the Son of God who was crucified for us, rose from the dead, and is now alive. It is the situation that Fr. Divo Barsotti denounced in an extraordinary, and extraordinarily true, statement, when he said that in the Catholic world of our time, Jesus Christ is too often simply an excuse to talk about something else.”
In Soloviev’s tale, the Antichrist is elected president of the United States of Europe, acclaimed as emperor in Rome, takes possession of the entire world, and finally imposes his command even over the life and organization of the Churches. But what Cardinal Biffi calls to attention is not this series of events, but rather the personal characteristics of the Antichrist. Here follow a few passages from his essay, which deserves to be read in its entirety, in which the cardinal summarizes these personal traits and explains what lesson they hold for the Church of today:
The days are coming, and are already here…
by Giacomo Biffi
The Antichrist, says Soloviev, was “a convinced spiritualist.” He believed in goodness, and even in God. He was an ascetic, a scholar, a philanthropist. He gave “the greatest possible demonstrations of moderation, disinterest, and active beneficence.”
In his early youth, he had distinguished himself as a talented and insightful exegete: one of his extensive works on biblical criticism had brought him an honorary degree from the University of Tübingen.
But the book that had gained for him universal fame and consensus bore the title: “The Open Road to Universal Peace and Prosperity,” in which “a noble respect for ancient traditions and symbols was joined with a sweeping, audacious radicalism toward social and political needs and directives. Limitless freedom of thought was united with a profound comprehension of everything mystical; absolute individualism with an ardent dedication to the common good; the most elevated idealism toward guiding principles with the complete precision and viability of practical solutions.”
It is true that some men of faith wondered why the name of Christ did not appear even once, but others replied: “If the contents of the book are permeated with the true Christian spirit, with active love and universal benevolence, what more do you want?” Besides, he “was not in principle hostile to Christ.” On the contrary, he appreciated his right intentions and lofty teaching.
But three things about Jesus were unacceptable to him.
First of all. . . .
Full article
by Sandro Magister
ROMA, June 3, 2005 – Cardinal Giacomo Biffi, now 77, was archbishop of Bologna from 1984 to 2003. A theologian and a great scholar of Saint Ambrose, he has assembled some of his writings which are not strictly theological in a volume recently published by Cantagalli.
The title of the book: "Pinocchio, Peppone, l’Anticristo e altre divagazioni [Pinocchio, Peppone, the Antichrist, and other Meanderings].”
The Antichrist referred to in the title is the one described by Russian philosopher and theologian Vladimir Sergeyevich Soloviev in the last book he wrote before his death in 1900: “The Three Dialogues and the Story of the Antichrist.”
Why does Cardinal Biffi want to bring this back to everyone’s attention today? Because – he writes ´– “Soloviev announces with prophetic clarity the great crisis that afflicted Christianity during the last decade of the 20th century.”
In the figure of the Antichrist as described by Soloviev, Biffi sees “the emblem of the confused and ambiguous religious identity of the times we are living in now.” He sees the singling out and criticism of “principled Christianity,” an emphasis on “openness,” obsession with “dialogue” at all costs, “in which there seems to remain little of the unique and incomparable person of the Son of God who was crucified for us, rose from the dead, and is now alive. It is the situation that Fr. Divo Barsotti denounced in an extraordinary, and extraordinarily true, statement, when he said that in the Catholic world of our time, Jesus Christ is too often simply an excuse to talk about something else.”
In Soloviev’s tale, the Antichrist is elected president of the United States of Europe, acclaimed as emperor in Rome, takes possession of the entire world, and finally imposes his command even over the life and organization of the Churches. But what Cardinal Biffi calls to attention is not this series of events, but rather the personal characteristics of the Antichrist. Here follow a few passages from his essay, which deserves to be read in its entirety, in which the cardinal summarizes these personal traits and explains what lesson they hold for the Church of today:
The days are coming, and are already here…
by Giacomo Biffi
The Antichrist, says Soloviev, was “a convinced spiritualist.” He believed in goodness, and even in God. He was an ascetic, a scholar, a philanthropist. He gave “the greatest possible demonstrations of moderation, disinterest, and active beneficence.”
In his early youth, he had distinguished himself as a talented and insightful exegete: one of his extensive works on biblical criticism had brought him an honorary degree from the University of Tübingen.
But the book that had gained for him universal fame and consensus bore the title: “The Open Road to Universal Peace and Prosperity,” in which “a noble respect for ancient traditions and symbols was joined with a sweeping, audacious radicalism toward social and political needs and directives. Limitless freedom of thought was united with a profound comprehension of everything mystical; absolute individualism with an ardent dedication to the common good; the most elevated idealism toward guiding principles with the complete precision and viability of practical solutions.”
It is true that some men of faith wondered why the name of Christ did not appear even once, but others replied: “If the contents of the book are permeated with the true Christian spirit, with active love and universal benevolence, what more do you want?” Besides, he “was not in principle hostile to Christ.” On the contrary, he appreciated his right intentions and lofty teaching.
But three things about Jesus were unacceptable to him.
First of all. . . .
Full article
