Fr Calvin Robinson: The Church and the West are in decline, are we in need of another Reformation?

Fr Calvin Robinson writes: In previous articles, I have argued that the Reformation was a failure. I have heard others argue that it never really ended, in that the Church of England never truly settled on a doctrine and has been wayward ever since for that very reason.

On the one hand, Roman Catholics would generally argue that the Reformation was a mistake, whilst on the other hand, Protestants would argue that it had a net positive result.

Wherever you fall on the outcome of the 16th century Reformation - failure/success, detrimental/positive - it is probably safe to say the Church is always in need of reform. The Church Militant is made up of broken parts - you and I - and, therefore, is always in need of adjustment to ensure we remain on track. That is not to say the truth should be changed, but the Church should be reformed in order to guard and preserve the Truths of Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture.

Professor Robert Tombs published an interesting article yesterday that suggested Western Society itself is in need of reform. Tombs is a fantastic historian - Professor Emeritus of French History at the University of Cambridge - and I tend to agree with his assessment. However, he has not outlined the reason why the West is on the brink of collapse and in need of reformation, and that is because the West - formerly called Christendom - abandoned its core values. A house without a foundation cannot stand, and Christ is/was the cornerstone of civilisation. Without him, we are lost, and society itself ceases to function in an orderly fashion. We grasp at abstract values and ideas to replace what has always been known to be true. The objective becomes subjective, and everything begins to fall apart as the structure of our way of life crumbles around fallen individuals instead of being held up by a divine person. This is not a political problem but a spiritual one.

When Christendom became ‘the West,’ it became secularised. The West has lost faith in Christ. If we, as Christians, believe Christianity to be true and Jesus Christ to be the only way to Salvation, surely, we have a duty to return Christ to Christendom. Read more...

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