tradition
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What is the purpose of tradition?
Tradition demands constant conversion. It's no easy task! Tradition requires a perpetual effort. And even the most important effort of all: that of not forgetting. Tradition is of little use for remembering; its primary purpose is to prevent forgetting. It loses its... Continue reading
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Why this hatred of authority?
Authority resembles those secret agents so dear to Graham Greene, who conceal their identity to avoid losing it further in a disastrous encounter. It still has a few devotees who cherish it and deploy considerable ingenuity to define it, redefine it, so that it is understood by its time. To this end, they draw it closer to the Continue reading
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What is the problem with Paul VI's mass?
More than fifty years ago, the Catholic Church adopted a new Mass that broke with Church tradition in an unprecedented way. The reformers, however, had not anticipated that the traditional Mass would outlive them. They were even convinced of the opposite. And they used every means at their disposal to... Continue reading
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Letter to Pope Francis regarding the Mass
Preamble This letter to Pope Francis was first written for La Voie Romaine 1 to bear witness to the beauty and efficacy of the traditional Roman rite and to express the shock caused by the motu proprio, Traditionis custodes, published on July 16, 2021, by Pope Francis. Holy Father, I was extricating myself from a terrible Continue reading
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Benedict XVI in Paradise!
— Is it morning or evening? My breath caught, then came back. As if it were showing signs of malfunction. It was failing me. My lungs were leaving me. I breathed that I was ready. My God, how I love it! But then, my breath returned, as if nothing had happened, as if it had just stepped out to run an errand. The memory came out. Continue reading
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Paradise Lost by Sébastien de Courtois
There is a nostalgia for a lost paradise. We all feel it, more or less; it connects us to Original Sin and the Fall. This affliction torments pure souls. It lurks and agitates. A quintessential youthful affliction, a romantic folly, this nostalgia lies at the heart of Sébastien de Courtois's novel, Continue reading
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Prayer of the craftsman
12th-Century Monastic Prayer: Teach me, Lord, to make good use of the time You give me for work… Teach me to unite haste and slowness, serenity and fervor, zeal and peace. Help me at the beginning of my work. Help me in the heart of my labor… And above all, fill in the gaps in my work Yourself. Continue reading
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Antigone, defiant and intimate (7/7. Love)
Part 7 and final part: Love. Antigone's desire is familial; she does not want to leave her brother unburied. Creon, on the other hand, desires to assert himself as king and demonstrate his power. Antigone prioritizes family ties, which embody love and reveal a person. Creon consolidates his power by signing a law that must... Continue reading
Antigone , stupidity , counter-revolution , ethics , history , intimacy , forgiveness , political correctness , religion , totalitarianism , tradition -
The permanent conversion
Contrary to what is often said or believed, tradition requires constant conversion. Tradition is not a sinecure, a life spent at the spa! Tradition demands a perpetual effort. And even the most important effort of all: not to forget. Tradition only exists when it is alive, and to live it... Continue reading
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From tradition…
“We are dwarfs standing on the shoulders of giants; we see more than they do, and farther; not that our gaze is sharp, nor our stature great, but we are lifted up, exalted, by their gigantic size.” This quote from Bernard of Chartres (12th century) is found in Rémi Brague’s latest book, Moderately Modern (Flammarion). Continue reading