By Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira
The blessing of the throats on the feast of St. Blaise at Saint Etheldreda, Ely Place, London.
At that time [before the Second Vatican Council], a great preacher could make a sermon and in the best of cases stir up some fervor in some people while it lasted. When the religious ceremony was over—let’s say it was a benediction in the month of Mary of something like that—if he spoke about this issue [of fighting] the inevitable end result was that in an hour or two after the ceremony was over, no one thought about it anymore.
This indicates a certain inhibition in the Constantinian Church to give free rein to some virtues that in the Middle Ages were extraordinary virtues and which were effectively upheld. And it also indicates that in order to avoid the exaggerations of these virtues [combativeness, courage, valor] an excessive counterweight was employed. And the counterweight was such that this whole gamut of virtues disappeared.
For example, just as there was an Imitation of Christ the good, meek, humble, adorable Shepherd, etc., I would love for A Warrior’s Imitation of Christ also to exist.
I am very far from being an adversary of the Imitation of Christ; I am even a fervent admirer of it; but since in my soul this counterweight was entirely balanced, when reading the Imitation of Christ the admiration for chivalry was full in my soul.
(Excerpt from an MNF, Thursday, Sept. 14, 1989 – Nobility.org translation)
