SOLOVIEV AND OUR TIME

Vladimir Soloviev (1853-1900)

Cardinal Giacomo Biffi, the 72-year-old archbishop of Bologna (central Italy) delivered the following lecture on Vladimir Soloviev (1850-1900), a brilliant Russian Orthodox theologian and mystic, who has also been cited approvingly by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, on March 4 2000.

Soloviev’s predictions regarding events in the 20th century are “astonishing” in their accuracy, Biffi asserted. Vatican watchers think Biffi’s remarks significant because they offer a glimpse into the mind of a man who could be John Paul II’s successor.

The text of the address and editorial notes reproduced below (slightly shortened and altered), is taken from “Inside the Vatican”, June/July 2000, pp.24-5.

Vladimir Sergeyevic Soloviev passed away 100 years ago, on July 31 (August 13 according to our Gregorian calendar) of the year 1900. He passed away on the threshold of the 20th century – a century whose vicissitudes and troubles he had foreseen with striking clarity, but also a century which, tragically, in its historical course and dominant ideologies, would reject his most profound and important teachings. His, therefore, was a teaching at once prophetic and largely unheeded,

A Prophetic Teaching

At the time of the great Russian philosopher, the general view – in keeping with the limitless optimism of the belle époque – foresaw a bright future for humanity in the new century: under the direction and inspiration of the new religion of progress and solidarity stripped of transcendent elements, humanity would enjoy an era of prosperity, peace, justice, security. In the “Excelsior” – a form of dance which enjoyed an extraordinary success in the last years of the 19th century (and which later lent its name to countless theaters and hotels) – this new religion found its own liturgy, as it were. Victor Hugo proclaimed: “This century was great; the one coming will be happy.”

But Soloviev refused to allow himself to be swept up in this de-sacralized vision. On the contrary, he predicted with prophetic clarity all of the disasters which in fact occurred.

As early as 1882, in his Second Discourse on Dostoevsky, Soloviev foresaw – and condemned – the sterility and cruelty of the collectivist tyranny which a few years later would oppress Russia and mankind. “The world must not be saved by recourse to force,” Soloviev said. “One could imagine men toiling together toward some great end to which they would submit all of their own individual activity; but if this end is imposed on them, if it represents for them something fated and oppressive… then, even if this unity were to embrace all of mankind, universal brotherhood would not be the result, but only a giant anthill.”

This “anthill” was later constructed through the obtuse and cruel ideology of Lenin and Stalin.

Read more.

H/T to “Bosco”, a commenter on Protect the Pope

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