Upon reading the Vatican letter produced by Imedia following Françoise Nyssen's visit with Pope Francis1 .
It's always surprising to discover, as this morning, an interview with someone, whether well-known or not, representative of our time, admitting that their meeting with Pope Francis was one of the most significant moments of their life, yet drawing no action from it. As if this encounter were destined to be just another moment in the ocean of memories.
The loss of faith rooted in modern man by comfort
We see people touched by grace in their daily lives, savoring an encounter, a moment, feeling that this encounter or moment doesn't belong to them but that they can enjoy it, intuiting that it stems from a surrender brought about by life's vicissitudes, experiencing the strength emanating from this encounter or moment, yet taking no action from it. They declare, "This is the most beautiful moment of my life!" and will never do anything to recreate it or try to understand what brought it about! It remains an impenetrable mystery; this inaction embodies the passivity of modern man in the face of his life and the little faith he places in his capacity to transform it. This loss of faith is now deeply rooted in modern Western man; this is how he will fight over trifles and completely miss what is essential. François Nyssen admits at the end of the interview: "I myself am not baptized, but as I left, I promised the Pope that I would pray for him." What does this mean? The confusion is total.
How many sofas sag under the weight of words or silences that accumulate in the sole hope of stifling the soul?
Two things are missing for the alchemy to happen. First, education in the inner life. Françoise Nyssen is not baptized. She is interested in religion, since she requests an audience with the Pope and publishes the beloved Sébastien Lapaque… Moreover, she has always lived among books, so she knows about the inner life and the power of this other life. Yet, nothing within her confirms this feeling. She sees it as external to her, as something foreign, as an exoticism, one might be tempted to say. An attractive exoticism, with a strong power of “seduction” (or nostalgia?), but not enough to change everything and to embrace it. She doesn't feel the lack within herself, even though she clearly sees the appeal. She is satiated. Let's recall Ernst Jünger's line in “Treatise on the Rebel ” : “All comfort comes at a price. The condition of a domestic animal leads to that of beasts of burden.” “We no longer thirst for self-discovery, for we are full of ourselves. The arrival of psychoanalysis in the modern world and the place it has taken, replacing sacrament, penance, and inner life, marks a sterilization of our deepest being and of the messages our soul utters, which are increasingly sporadic. How many couches sag under the weight of words or silences that accumulate in the sole hope of stifling the soul? The soul itself no longer sees the point, because it no longer feels love, which, when expressed today, is transformed into self-interest or curiosity … We are spectators of our own lives. We watch, powerless and cowardly. The entire message of Christ urges us, on the contrary, to turn the tables in order to be free. Oh! He knew full well that we would continue to be weak, but did He imagine that we would be so with such selflessness, with such devotion?”
Are men always thirsty for God?
So what's missing is the quest, the thirst, the simple desire. And François Nyssen's interview is devoid of it. She does suggest cooking on the Pope's plane, but there's no mention of the inner life. She doesn't want to change, even though she sees the effects in Lapaque's books, in the Pope's eyes, or elsewhere, fleetingly, when the soul unfolds and slightly rearranges the inner furniture to signify its presence. No, she won't change because she likes who she is and isn't thirsty, even though she sees people she likes drinking from it, and finally, because she doesn't believe it could change anything in her life! And that's the most serious thing! This sin against the Spirit! Secondly, let no one offer her a drink! Pope Francis wants, as he has repeatedly stated and demonstrated, to force no one and to respect everyone on the path of faith. Not even a little encouragement? I recently heard a historian and theologian explain that during the meeting between Saint Francis of Assisi and the Sultan of Egypt, Sultan Al-Malik al-Kamil, "we weren't sure if the saint asked the sultan for his conversion." You'd almost think he'd risk going to see him to talk about the landscapes of Assisi... You have to be living in the 21st century to hear such nonsense! Worse, to believe it. Faith, too, is becoming worldly, and we must realize that it has become completely absorbed by modern life, and nothing has been done to prevent it—quite the contrary; it's drowning in comfort and the status of a household tool that can occasionally be useful... You never know... It's in the old pots , they say.
The virility of discomfort as the only refuge
Two shortcomings lead to a non-encounter: the lack of education in seeking God in all things and the failure to proclaim His word. The fifth joyful mystery is revealed through the finding of Jesus in the temple, and the third luminous mystery, the proclamation of the Kingdom of God. Reciting the rosary every day of one's life is like illuminating a medieval manuscript; one cannot imagine being without it after turning a page. It would have been worthwhile to offer Françoise Nyssen a rosary, instruct her in its use, and invite her to pray it. If it does not lead back to God, all speech is worldly. "I myself am not baptized, but on leaving, I promised the Pope that I would pray for him." This is the very example of worldly and decadent speech. Pray, but to whom? Great saints have often repeated: "If you pray without naming God, without being certain that you are addressing God, you are praying to the devil." "But the devil is worldly. He is even the inventor of the concept. In this silken world, only the virility of discomfort holds freedom; it is valid for everyone, man or woman, it is the ultimate means of attaining and proving oneself worthy of God's love.".
- Former minister Françoise Nyssen recounts her dialogue with Pope Francis, "a man passionate about literature." "Françoise Nyssen, former Minister of Culture at the beginning of Emmanuel Macron's presidency (2017-2018) and former head of Actes Sud publishing house, was received by Pope Francis on August 24, 2024." https://imedia.news/lancienne-ministre-francoise-nyssen-temoigne-de-son-dialogue-avec-le-pape-francois-un-homme-passionne-par-la-litterature-erratum/ ↩
- The complete excerpt from The Rebel's Treatise : “Ultimately, tyranny and liberty cannot be examined separately, although they succeed one another over time. It can certainly be said that tyranny suspends and annihilates liberty, and yet, tyranny can only become possible where liberty has been domesticated and vanished, leaving only its empty notion. Man tends to rely on the system or to yield to it, precisely where he should be drawing from his own resources. This is a lack of imagination. He must know the points where he cannot compromise his sovereign liberty. As long as order reigns, the water will flow through the pipes and the current will reach the outlets. If life and property are threatened, a call will magically summon the fire brigade and the police. The great danger is that man will place too much trust in these auxiliaries and that their absence will paralyze him.” Every comfort comes at a price. The condition of a domesticated animal leads to that of a slaughtered beast. Catastrophes test the depth to which men and nations remain rooted in their origins. Let a root, at least, draw directly from the nourishing soil—health and chances of survival depend on it, even when civilization and its security have vanished. This is clearly seen in periods of extreme danger, when systems, not content with refusing to assist humankind, drive it into a seemingly hopeless situation. This is the moment when it must decide whether to admit defeat or to continue the struggle, armed with its most secret and personal strength. In the latter case, it resolves to turn to the forests .
Leave a comment