Channeling Oriana Fallaci

Sandro Magister points to an essay:

But the really interesting thing about the article is its authors, Roberto A.M. Bertacchini and Piersandro Vanzan, and in particular the latter of these. Vanzan is a Jesuit, a professor of pastoral theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University, and above all he is part of the college of writers for “La Civiltà Cattolica,” the magazine of the Rome Jesuits that is printed with the inspection and authorization of the Vatican authorities.

Because of its explosive contents, it was unthinkable that the essay by Bertacchini and Vanzan would be published in a magazine strictly connected to the Holy See by statute, and representative of its official stance.

But the fact that the essay’s principal author is a Jesuit from “La Civiltà Cattolica,” and that it was published by an authoritative Catholic journal like “Studium,” are still important indications.

An excerpt:

In order to enter the banquet, one must wear the wedding garment, which we must demand of those who knock on our door. It is a garment that makes acceptance dependant upon the observance of our laws. Otherwise we cannot prevent some mosques, centers of Islamic culture, and circuits of electronic preaching from cultivating hatred against us. And that’s just it, hatred – a sentiment toward which we have for too long shown a suicidal tolerance. It is a sentiment that renders social life impossible.

Comments

[AmericanPapist]

"And that’s just it, hatred – a sentiment toward which we have for too long shown a suicidal tolerance."

finally someone is saying this out loud! Deo gratias!

[AmericanPapist]

and just so folks know - there's alot more fire in the full text... it's really an excellent read that includes most of the key insights I've seen other sources make over the last few years.

[Charles]

I'd kiss that text. (How's that for snarky?)

[Caroline]

It made me think of George Kennan's famous article signed Mr.X in the Foreign Afairs Quarterly of the late 1940's. We need an architect of a new containment policy and church/ state ideological cooperation to uphold it.

[mrp]

A stunning, lucid column. Sandro Magister posted only excerpts from the 30 page essay. I would really like to read an English translation of the entire work.

[Julia]

I've tried various ways to google the journal "Studium" with no luck. Anybody else find it?

[Kevin]

The Studium site is in Italian with no obvious translation. Please let us know if one is available somewhere.

[xavier]

Amy:
Obviously, Sandro is picking up a theme that will recur for the foreseeable future:
reciprocity of Christian worship in Moslem countries, the capacity to preach and for Moslem to convert if they wish without death threats.
Also another theme will be gratitude. Far too many Moslem behave with unmerited superiority. That the world owes them everything because they're Moslem and absolutely no one can criticize them. Whether it's implementaion of charia in certaon European cities, or rioting over the cartoons or threatening death to ex Moslem converts
I'll repeat myself, Islam is a brittle religion, its apologetics is shallow and inconsistent. Just recently a cardinal stated that the strength of teh Msoelms comes from Christians' weaknesses. True enough but expect them to become energize as they defend the faith in face of Moslem provocations

xavier