The Road To Rome

[poliphilo]

A whole bunch of 20th century writers converted to catholicism. One of the first to jump was G.K. Chesterton; one of the last was Muriel Spark (who has just died).

The attractions of Rome (I've felt them myself) are antiquity, infallibility and art.

It's lonely being an intellectual in an age of collapsing certainties. You feel the need for something to snuggle up to.

Some Daddy or other.

Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, Mao, Franco...

At least the Pope's a gentleman; he has Michelangelos on the wall.

Comments

[idahoswede.livejournal.com]

The Pope has the best music as well!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Mozart was a catholic-

But he was also a Mason- which was a subversive thing to be in the 18th century.

[chochiyo-sama.livejournal.com]

There is a solemn beauty in the mass. And every catholic church I've ever been in has a level of reverence and a "holy" feeling in the air that isn't present in a lot of the other churches I've visited.

I'm not Catholic, by the way, but I've had a lot of catholic friends.

My mother hates the Catholic church. She thinks they are idolators and what not. But she goes to a crazy church where people (literally) do cartwheels across the front of the church while wearing dresses. No shit.

It's a scary place and I don't even like to go in there.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I have a love-hate relationship with the Church. I used to be an Episcopalian priest and, well, part of me still is.

I'm no longer a Christian of any sort, but I love to visit churches and mooch around.

Your mother's church would scare me too!