Page 9 - HQ May June July 2020

“This epidemic has dispelled the smoke of illusion”

Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect of the Congre- procreation, surrogate motherhood, transhuman-
gation for Divine Worship, has given a lengthy ism, enhanced humanity. We boasted of being a
interview on the coronavirus pandemic with Char- man of synthesis and a humanity that biotechnolo-
lotte d’Ornella of the French journal Valeurs, April gies would make invincible and immortal. But here
9, 2020 issue. The translation is provided by Ed- we are in a panic, confined by a virus about which
ward Pentin as reported in the Na- we know almost nothing. Epidemic
tional Catholic Register: was an outdated, medieval word. It
D’ORNELLA: How do you feel suddenly became our everyday life.
about the coronavirus crisis? I believe this epidemic has dis-
CARDINAL SARAH: This virus pelled the smoke of illusion. The
acted as a warning. In a matter of so-called all-powerful man appears
weeks, the great illusion of a ma- in his raw reality. There he is naked.
terial world that thought itself all- His weakness and vulnerability
powerful seems to have collapsed. are glaring. Being confined to our
A few days ago, politicians were homes will hopefully allow us to
talking about growth, pensions, turn our attention back to the es-
reducing unemployment. They sentials, to rediscover the import-
were sure of themselves. And now ance of our relationship with God,
a virus, a microscopic virus, has Cardinal Robert Sarah and thus the centrality of prayer
brought this world to its knees, a in human existence. And, in the
world that looks at itself, that pleases itself, drunk awareness of our fragility, to entrust ourselves to
with self-satisfaction because it thought it was in- God and to his paternal mercy.
vulnerable. The experience of confinement has allowed
The current crisis is a parable. It has revealed many to rediscover that we are really and con-
how all we do and are invited to believe was in- cretely dependent on each other. When every-
consistent, fragile and empty. We were told: you thing collapses, only the bonds of marriage, family
can consume without limits! But the economy and friendship remain. We have rediscovered that
has collapsed and the stock markets are crashing. as members of a nation, we are bound by bonds
Bankruptcies are everywhere. We were promised that are unbreakable but real. Above all, we have
to push the limits of human nature ever further by rediscovered that we are dependent on God.”
a triumphant science. We were told about artificial † Cardinal Robert Sarah

A Barber’s Story: Does God Exist? shop. Just after he left the barber shop he saw a man
in the street with a long hair and beard (it seems that
A man went to a barber shop to have his hair and it had been a long time since he had his cut and he
his beard cut as always. He started to have a good looked so untidy).
conversation with the barber who attended him. They Then the client again entered the barber shop and
talked about so many things and various subjects. he said to the barber, “You know what? Barbers do
Suddenly, they touched the subject of God. The bar- not exist.”
ber said: “Look man, I don’t believe that God exists as “How can you say they don’t exist?” asked the bar-
you say.” ber. “Well I am here and I am a barber.”
“Why do you say that?” asked the client. “No!” the client exclaimed. “They don’t exist be-
“Well, it’s so easy, you just have to go out in the cause if they did there would be no people with long
street to realize that God does not exist. Oh, tell me, hair and a beard like that man who walks in the street.”
if God existed, would there be so many sick people? “Ah, barbers do exist, what happens is that people
Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, do not come to me.”
there would be no suffering nor pain. I can’t think of
loving a God who permits all of these things.” “Exactly!”- affirmed the client. “That’s the point.
The client stopped for a moment thinking, but he God does exist, what happens is people don’t go to
didn’t want to respond as to cause an argument. The Him and do not look for Him. That’s why there’s so
much pain and suffering in the world.” v
barber finished his job and the client went out of the

www.michaeljournal.org MICHAEL May/June/July 2020 9