“However that may be, the present situation is characterized by a strong polarization in the Church, so much so that a dialogue between 'progressives' and 'traditionalists' succeeds only rarely. The camp of the progressives seeks to conquer the center; that of the traditionalists holds the fortress tenaciously as if it defended the center. Both sides distance themselves from the men in office and the small number of theologians who seek to maintain the true center. Where should one look to see a dawn? One should look to where in the tradition of the Church something truly spiritual appears, where Christianity does not seem a laboriously repeated doctrine but a breathtaking adventure.”
― Hans Urs von Balthasar, A Short Primer for Unsettled Laymen, 1956
― Hans Urs von Balthasar, A Short Primer for Unsettled Laymen, 1956
To those pursuing the adventure, this is a reminder to resist getting distracted or discouraged by the media, scandals, or politics, whether secular or ecclesial.
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