Book of the day: Ignorance and Bliss by Mark Lilla
There's an old Latin tag of uncertain provenance: mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur – 'the world wishes to be deceived, so let it be deceived'. More succinctly, 'ignorance is bliss'.
Mark Lilla, political scientist, historian, journalist and professor of humanities at Columbia University, purports to explore why in his
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NZ Herald
18-05-2025
- NZ Herald
Book of the day: Ignorance and Bliss by Mark Lilla
There's an old Latin tag of uncertain provenance: mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur – 'the world wishes to be deceived, so let it be deceived'. More succinctly, 'ignorance is bliss'. Mark Lilla, political scientist, historian, journalist and professor of humanities at Columbia University, purports to explore why in his
Newsroom
13-05-2025
- Newsroom
New Pope wants to give peace a chance
Comment: Habemus papam ('we have a Pope'). Along with the white smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney, these Latin words informed the world that the Roman Catholic Church had elected a new pontiff: Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost. The first words of the Pope's inaugural address to the church and the world, Urbi et Orbi ('for the city and for the world'), are significant: 'Peace be with you.' In beginning with these words, said to have been spoken by Jesus Christ to his disciples at his resurrection, Pope Leo XIV made clear he intends the Catholic Church to be an advocate of peace and unity among its members. Pope Leo XIV is the first pontiff from the Order of St Augustine, a religious community within the Catholic Church founded in 1244 and named after Saint Augustine of Hippo (AD354-430). Pope Leo XIV joined this order – which commits its members to sharing all possessions in common – when he was 22. In an Interview with the Augustinian Order shortly after becoming a Cardinal in 2023, Pope Leo XIV explained St Augustine's personal significance for him: 'St Augustine's teachings … help us to live in communion. Unity and communion are essential charisms [gifts of grace] of the life of the Order and a fundamental part of understanding what the Church is and what it means to be in it.' An Augustinian emphasis on the unity of all Christians is also reflected in Pope Leo XIV's episcopal motto, 'In Illo uno unum' ('In the One, we are one'). These are from a sermon given by St Augustine in the Biblical text of Psalm 127, wherein he affirms that 'although we Christians are many, in the one Christ we are one'. In a world of increasing division and conflict, the election of Pope Leo XIV may be said to signal a turn towards Christians' shared identity as followers of Jesus Christ, who, Pope Leo XIV says in his first address, remains necessary for 'uniting us all to be one people always at peace'. Like his predecessor Pope Francis, Pope Leo XIV's paternal grandparents were immigrants to the Americas from Europe. For many, Pope Leo XIV is notable for being the first Pope to have been born in North America; equally significant, however, is that he is the second Latin American Pope (the first being Francis). Sent to Peru in 1985, Pope Leo XIV became Peruvian in 2015. In his opening address, Pope Leo XIV acknowledged his connection with, and gratitude for, his former Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru by speaking directly to this community in Spanish. In doing so, Pope Leo XIV became the first Pope to speak Spanish as part of his inaugural address. Notably, he did not utter any words in English. A concern for immigrants, identity and belonging may also be seen to underlie the new Pope's choice of papal name. The last Pope Leo – Leo XIII – is often remembered for his 1891 encyclical Rerum novarum on 'the rights and duties of capital and labour'. In this document, often considered foundational for Catholic social teaching, Pope Leo XIII warns against the social-economic exploitation of workers and the vulnerable. In relation to immigrants, Rerum novarum pointedly notes that 'no one would exchange his country for a foreign land if his own afforded him the means of living a decent and happy life'. Implicit here is a concern for the vulnerability and basic needs of those who are forced to make this 'exchange' and seek a new domicile. Rerum novarum was cited by Pope Pius XII in his 1952 Apostolic Constitution 'On the Spiritual Care of Immigrants', which points towards the forced displacement of Jesus and his family, Mary and Joseph, and highlights the need to care for those who face a similar situation today. As a Cardinal, Pope Leo XIV shared criticism of the current US administration's policies towards deporting immigrants, including its decision to in effect disappear individuals without trial into a notoriously violent El Salvadorian prison. This treatment of fellow human beings and neighbours stands in clear contrast with Pope Leo XIV's understanding of Christian love and a church that 'always seeks peace, that always seeks charity, that always seeks to be close especially to those who suffer'. Although Pope Leo XIV's identity as a second pontiff from the Americas should not be overlooked, it is worth stressing his moral and pastoral concern has consistently been on the unity of the Christian church, and the obligation to concern ourselves with any human being in need, regardless of his or her secular nationality. In a 2023 interview with Vatican News, Pope Leo XIV stated that 'my vocation, like that of every Christian, is to be a missionary, to proclaim the Gospel wherever one is'. Similarly, when asked what it is to be a bishop today, the future Bishop of Rome affirmed that 'our first task is to teach what it means to know Jesus Christ and to bear witness to our closeness to the Lord'. The identity of Christians as missionaries is also evident in the new Pope's first address, in which he thanked his 'brother cardinals who have chosen me to be Successor of Peter and walk together with you … to proclaim the Gospel, to be missionaries'. While the church affirms to the world 'we have a Pope', Pope Leo XIV affirms to the church that – in relation to the marginalised, the displaced, and the vulnerable – 'we have a mission'.
Otago Daily Times
08-05-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Pope who? Election of first US pontiff stuns St Peter's crowd
When Cardinal Dominique Mambertì appeared on the central balcony of St Peter's Basilica and uttered the fateful Latin phrase "Habemus Papam" (We have a pope), more than a hundred thousand people cheered. When he read out the new pope's name in Latin - Robertum Franciscum Prevost (Robert Francis Prevost) - the crowd fell silent. Many had no clue that the first US pope in the history of the 2,000-year Church had just been elected. Robert Prevost becomes first American pope In some cases, it was reporters who told people in the crowd who the new pope was. "I had absolutely no idea who he was. I was hoping for an African pope so more parts of the world would be represented," said Veronica Genovese, a Roman. "I came here from work. I was expecting an Italian. I don't know who he is," said Federica Bonomi, another Rome resident. The initial reaction was similar to when Cardinal Karol Wojtyla of Poland was elected the first non-Italian pope in 455 years in 1978. Because of the difficulty even the cardinal who announced the name had in pronouncing Polish many in the crowd 47 years ago thought an African had been elected. The crowd on Thursday quickly warmed to the new pope when he appeared on the balcony. He delivered his first address as pontiff in fluent Italian and Spanish, mentioning his former diocese of Chiclayo, Peru. He did not say anything in English or mention the country of his birth. Still, Americans in the crowd of more than 100,000 were ecstatic. "I'm just thrilled. I hope this can bring to America a more loving community. I think there's a lot of hate in America, there's a lot of racism. I have experienced it. It's very sad,' said Lailah Brown, 28, an African American from Seattle, who was on a religious pilgrimage with her sister. Brown said she hoped the new pope could encourage more Americans to follow Jesus' example. "I hope America does not embarrass the pope. America does very embarrassing things that go against the Bible and I'm just hoping that we can start living more biblically and love others not based on who they love or their skin colour but because they are our neighbours,' she said. An American woman from Long Island in New York, who gave only her first name, Geena, said she hoped the new pope would help bring unity to the United States and the world. Among the most pleasantly shocked Americans in the square were two foreign exchange students in Italy - Mackenzie Coy, 20, and Ella Buchanan, 19. They and the pope share the same hometown. "Some very lovely young lady came up to us to shake our hands and told us he was from America. 'Il papa è Americano!' (the pope is American) she told us,' Coy said. "Some said he was from Canada, and some said he was from Peru," she said, mentioning the South American country where Prevost spent nearly two decades. "We were just trying to put the pieces together and we started hearing people say 'Chicago, Chicago' and we were so thrilled."
