Teilhard de Chardin’s Ideas Find Resonance Inside the Vatican 70 Years After His Death

[Michie]

The works of the controversial French Jesuit were formally censured by the Vatican in 1962.

VATICAN CITY — The 70th anniversary of the death on April 10 of Father Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, the controversial French Jesuit whose works the Vatican formally censured in 1962, has given further reason for those sympathetic to his thought — including Pope Francis and senior Vatican officials — to celebrate his life and legacy.

The latest efforts, which have amounted to an effective rehabilitation of Teilhard as he was familiarly called, came in a two-page spread in the March 27 edition of the Vatican’s semi-official newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano.

Among the six articles in the newspaper’s tribute, which extolled the late philosopher and paleontologist for being, among other attributes, a “brilliant and stimulating thinker” and a “Moses of the 20th century,” were several articles on a new favorable biography published March 31 by the Vatican’s own publishing house, Libreria Editrice Vaticana.

Continued below.

Teilhard de Chardin’s Ideas Find Resonance Inside the Vatican 70 Years After His Death

The works of the controversial French Jesuit were formally censured by the Vatican in 1962.

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[RileyG]

I actually have a breviary that is based on his teachings. It's very fascinating!

 

[Radagast]

I'm an outsider here, so I won't say anything about theology, but let me just point out that his writings form the basis for an interesting series of 8 science fiction novels by the Catholic author Julian May: The Many Colored Land, The Golden Torc, The Nonborn King, The Adversary, Intervention, Jack the Bodiless, Diamond Mask, and Magnificat.

 

[fide]

I actually have a breviary that is based on his teachings. It's very fascinating!

Why is it fascinating, Riley?

 

[RileyG]

Why is it fascinating, Riley?

Although I didn’t agree with much of his theology, I just found it interesting how he was heavily influenced by evolution and archeology.

 

[fide]

At least to me, "fascinating" is attractive in a positive sense, while "interesting" can, to me, adapt to either a positive attraction or a negative or even neutral, entirely detached non-emotional engagement. My first experience with his writings was before I returned to the Church, and was a searcher looking anywhere not traditionally Catholic. I took him to be a pantheist - God is the universe - yet a universe having some sort of "cosmic consciousness" that in a non-personal way, was necessarily evolving. Because he was a Jesuit, I was very interested in hearing a talk by a Jesuit visiting the local university where I was at the time. This Jesuit was the only Jesuit I had, at that time, ever even seen before. I went to hear him expecting to learn more about "cosmic consciousness". This visiting Jesuit had no interest in talking about Teilhard, but rather proved to be the most Christ-like man I have ever known on this earth, and a friend and spiritual director for me for decades, until he finally passed on.

Teilhard is to me now, a tragedy. Like many others I have met having great intelligence, I think probably he was too smart for his own good.

 

[RileyG]

At least to me, "fascinating" is attractive in a positive sense, while "interesting" can, to me, adapt to either a positive attraction or a negative or even neutral, entirely detached non-emotional engagement. My first experience with his writings was before I returned to the Church, and was a searcher looking anywhere not traditionally Catholic. I took him to be a pantheist - God is the universe - yet a universe having some sort of "cosmic consciousness" that in a non-personal way, was necessarily evolving. Because he was a Jesuit, I was very interested in hearing a talk by a Jesuit visiting the local university where I was at the time. This Jesuit was the only Jesuit I had, at that time, ever even seen before. I went to hear him expecting to learn more about "cosmic consciousness". This visiting Jesuit had no interest in talking about Teilhard, but rather proved to be the most Christ-like man I have ever known on this earth, and a friend and spiritual director for me for decades, until he finally passed on.

Teilhard is to me now, a tragedy. Like many others I have met having great intelligence, I think probably he was too smart for his own good.

Ah, thanks for sharing your experience! May your Jesuit friend rest in peace and rise to glory!

I DO need to do more research on Teilhard. I admit I know very little.

God bless

ps. I almost thought about applying to Creighton in Omaha, a Jesuit based school, for grad school. After much prayer and reflection, I realize I don't have the finances to attend grad school, and I am grateful I didn't. I would probably be in debt for decades if I did. Oops!