Language is fascinating - all of us tend to take this remarkable skill—speaking a language—for granted. We go about our day without ever really thinking twice about it, yet it fundamentally enables us to achieve what would otherwise be impossible. Whether saying thank you to the bus driver, using sign language to ask a deaf colleague a question, or reading the latest news story, language allows us to convey information and share ideas.

Language is also inherently intertwined with identity. This is true with cultures across space and time, and many researchers argue that language and identity are actually inseparable. As Professor John Joseph at the University of Edinburgh succinctly states,

“Identity… is grounded in beliefs about the past: about heritage and ancestry, and about belonging to a people, a place, a set of beliefs, and a way of life. Of the many ways in which such belonging is signified, what language a person speaks and how he or she speaks it, rank among the most powerful, because it is through language that people and places are named, heritage and ancestry recorded and passed on, and beliefs developed and ritualized” (Joseph, 2016, p.19).

Language is, of course, absolutely key to our beliefs as Christians, and the Bible holds the roots of our collective spiritual wisdom. So, what can we learn about the language of the Bible itself?

This year in St. Moluag’s Coracle, we’re going on a deep dive into the language of the Bible. On this linguistic tour, we’ll cover the significance of certain words like ‘trees’ (most mentioned living thing in the Bible other than God and people) as well as seek out how ancient languages (like Greek and Latin) shape the way we think about God today.

The first part in this series is about translations. Specifically, we’re going to investigate whether the modern Bible is an accurate translation, or if it has been changed and corrupted along the way.

The Questions Around Translation Accuracy

It shouldn’t be surprising that this question is as common as it is. After all, the Bible in full has been translated into nearly 800 languages, with the New Testament being translated into 1,815 languages. Including partial translations (books or chapters), the Bible has been translated into over 4,000 languages. Mind you, this is also across nearly 2,000 years of human history.

There’s no point in being subtle—whether the Bible is an accurate translation is a BIG question with massive repercussions. Scripture and tradition are the foundation of our faith, and we rely on its accuracy to justify our beliefs. You certainly cannot blame someone, whether they are simply curious or a skeptic, for wondering how the Bible could possibly have stayed accurate over that time. You might even wonder this yourself! The journey from Greek manuscript, to Latin Vulgate, to Old English manuscripts, and its modernization through Middle and Present Day English is a long one. For English alone, our Bible has passed from one scribe to another and resulted, over nearly two thousand years, into the New Revised Standard Version, the King James Version, the New International Version, and the English Standard version.

 The argument has been made that the development of the Bible may resemble a game of telephone, where the initial message gets slowly changed as it progresses through a chain of people. What might start with one word being accidentally misinterpreted could lead to whole sentences being altered—on and on until the original meaning has been lost or critically changed. So, with two thousand years going by, passing from one writer to the other, we might wonder if the Bible’s original message has been lost in translation. Can we really trust what it says?

 Fortunately, by understanding the source material of the Bible and recognizing how academics evaluate the authenticity of ancient documents, we can actually be confident that modern translations are highly faithful and reliable. Here’s how.

The Source Material

The first step is to know what the original source material of the Bible is, and to do this we need to separate the Old and New Testament.

The Old Testament

Scholars rely on five Hebrew manuscripts (portions of the Masoretic texts) to translate and transcribe the Old Testament, each of these dating around AD800-1000. While these five are not representative of the entirety of the Masoretic texts, they are often the focus of textual criticism considering their nearly complete states. They include the Aleppo Codex (AD930), Leningrad Codex (AD1008/9), Codex Sassoon (10^th cent. AD), Cairo Codex of the Prophets (AD895), and British Library MS Or 4445 (10^th cent. AD). At first glance, one might reasonably be skeptical that these manuscripts are over 1000 years after the originals were written. However, the reason why there seems to be a dearth of older manuscripts is because the Hebrews would destroy older, worn-out copies once a new copy was transcribed and available due to their confidence in the transcribing process. Indeed, the accuracy of these later manuscripts was confirmed with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls—a total of approximately 200 manuscripts of the Old Testament dating from BC250-AD100—which were by and large identical to the later manuscripts from the 9-11^th centuries. Furthermore, the Septuagint—the oldest Koine Greek translation of the Old Testament completed by the first century BC—also corresponds with the later Masoretic texts, though the Dead Sea Scrolls are considered more important for validation purposes considering they are older and in Hebrew.

The New Testament

The earliest surviving sources of the New Testament are Greek manuscripts, with the oldest dating to approximately AD117-135. These were hand-copied writings on a paper-like material called papyrus. Because papyrus is organic, it decays easily, meaning that the vast majority of the early material survived only in the arid regions of Egypt. Now, the oldest fragment of the New Testament (the P52 John Rylands Fragment, a portion of the Gospel of John) was itself found in Egypt, far from where the Gospel of John was written. This shows how at the turn of the first century, the gospel was already being written at scale, circulated, and copied within a few decades of its original composition.

In all, there are over 5,800 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. The sheer number of these manuscripts is critical, as it allows scholars to compare and reconstruct the original text with high confidence.

The “Triple-Test” Framework

Now comes the test—how can we use those early manuscripts to verify that the copies we use today are accurate? And can we use those manuscripts to confirm that they are accurate transcriptions of the original compositions? The answer is yes, and it is done through the Triple Test Framework.

The triple-test framework is a standard method used by historians and literary critics to determine the historical reliability and transmissional accuracy of ancient documents. It evaluates a text through three distinct lenses: Bibliographical, Internal, and External.

Bibliographical Test: Examines the transmissional accuracy of the text. Since original “autographs” are almost never found, this test evaluates the quantity of available manuscript copies and the time gap between the original writing and the earliest surviving copy.

Internal Evidence Test: Investigates the credibility of the content within the document. It asks if the authors were eyewitnesses, whether the text is self-consistent or contains blatant contradictions, and if the writers’ character suggests they were honest and competent.

External Evidence Test: Looks for corroboration outside the document itself. This includes comparing the text with archaeological findings and other historical writings from contemporary non-Christian or pagan sources.

Is the Bible an Accurate Translation?

Using the Triple-Test Framework, specifically the bibliographical test, we can indeed confirm the accuracy of the Bible translations we use today. First and foremost, the survival of 5,800 Greek manuscripts (and more than 24,000 total early manuscripts in Latin, Syriac, Coptic, and more) gives very high levels of confidence. This is paired with the time gap of only 25-50 years from the earliest surviving manuscript to the original composition.

Importantly, by using those thousands of early manuscripts, scholars and linguists are able to reconstruct the original composition with 99.5%-99.9% confidence. This means that out of the thousands of copies, we can know the original wording of the source material with near-perfect certainty. The variations in those early texts (preventing a 100% confidence interval) are overwhelmingly due to spelling and grammatical variations—none of those variations compromise any core Christian doctrine.

As a result, scholars often cite the New Testament as the best-attested document in all of antiquity; it is the “Gold Standard” of accurate translations of ancient documents. In contrast, the Iliad by Homer has only 1,750 surviving copies with a time gap of at least 500 years from the earliest surviving manuscript to the original composition, writings by Sophocles have only 193 manuscripts with a time gap of around 1,400 years, and Tacitus’ Annals have only 33 manuscripts with a time gap of 1,000 years. For those texts, scholars are relying on smaller numbers of manuscripts with hundreds of years (if not a thousand) separating them from the original—if one copy has an error, there may be no others to correct it. But for the New Testament, the sheer volume of copies acts as an automatic “spell-check”, and the comparative time gap of a couple of decades is absolutely minimal compared to other ancient documents.

While the bibliographical test affirms translation accuracy, the internal and external evidence tests of the Triple-Test Framework provide a layer of historical accuracy analysis to the Bible. The results are fascinating, giving high credence to the Bible being historically reliable documents, but that is perhaps a topic for another article.

To conclude: yes, the modern Bible as we know it is indeed accurate to how it was originally composed. As the paleographer and textual critic, Frederic Kenyon, stated, “The Christian can take the whole Bible in his hand and say without fear or hesitation that he holds in it the true Word of God, handed down without essential loss from generation to generation throughout the centuries.”—quoted by Philip W. Comfort, The Complete Guide to Bible Versions, (Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1991.

By Jack Heitman

For when I am weak, then I am strong.

St Paul preaching n the Areopagus, 1729-31 by Sir James Thornhill (1675/76 - 1734)

Developed societies around the world are showing a clear trend of secularism. It’s not a comforting thing to know, but then again, it’s not worth ignoring or being naïve about. Here’s the truth: according to Scotland’s 2022 Census and as reported by the National Records of Scotland, a total of 51.1% of people responded as having ‘no religion’—a significant and somewhat alarming hike from the 36.7% who reported as such in 2011. Christianity, more specifically, shared in this decline across all denominations. From 2011 to 2022, the Church of Scotland saw a decrease from 32.4% to 20.4%, and Roman Catholics dropped from 36.7% to 13.3%.

The trend continues outside of Scotland as well. Only 49% of people in the UK believe in God, down from 75% in 1981. In the U.S., Christian adults now only represent 63% of the population, down from 78% only a decade ago. And globally, the number of religiously unaffiliated individuals grew by 17%, outpacing the growth of 11% religiously affiliated, despite undeveloped countries with high birth rates and high percentages of religious.

There’s no way of skirting around the issue, and it is largely driven by the quickly growing non-religious younger people who are replacing the older, religious demographics. But let’s also be clear that this does not in any way mean that people who are religious are themselves lesser in faith, nor does it mean that the Church and its leaders are frail. It is simply an indication that society’s cumulative soul—be it a family member, a neighbour, or someone you pass on the street—is becoming more distanced in their relationship with God. I know that this is not a particularly encouraging topic, but I’m here to tell you that in this moment, we are presented a grand opportunity. As St. Paul wrote, “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10); the growing secularism in society is perhaps the perfect opportunity for God’s triumph.

Truth from the Past

In case you don’t have a copy near at hand, I present the full context of St. Paul’s quote below:

[9] But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

[10] Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

1 Corinthians 12:9-10

In this letter, Paul was addressing the small church community of the Corinthians. He explained to them of a recurring weakness that he felt, awoken again and again with persistent trial and suffering to which he described as a “thorn in his flesh”. We might feel the same way when confronted with the realization that society is growing rapidly, but the community of faithful is not—that skyscrapers of glass and steel reach towards the clouds and trillions upon trillions of dollars are thrown towards new AI initiatives, yet we struggle to scrape together enough money, for example, to repair the roof of Edinburgh’s own Catholic cathedral. It might feel as if we are failing, and that we need more money and more people to weather whatever it is that is coming next. But that is simply not the case.

Indeed, Paul prayed to God, asking that he might be relieved of this weakness. But what he found was something else entirely. Instead of a quick remedy for his pain, God presented a far better plan: one where struggles, trials, perils, and tribulations did not lead to despair, but opportunity; one where despite the limits of human will, ultimate spiritual and personal strength could be found.

You see, Paul learned that God, and God alone, is more than sufficient. In fact, his grace is actually made perfect in weakness. If it sounds paradoxical, it’s because it is. But that doesn’t make it any less true. True strength does not lie in one’s own abilities, knowledge, or resources, nor does it lie in political or numeric might. Our strength is our faith in God. And when we trust ourselves to Him, yielding to His will and His sufficiency, we will find the battle standard to which we can rally. Regardless of the long defeat that lies ahead of us, we know that the ultimate victory will be ours. So, when we see the signs of a growing secular society, I do wonder whether we should in fact be glad. The weakening of society’s collective soul is perhaps merely a budding flower in which God’s plan for the whole world’s salvation can be assured.

A Part of God’s Playbook

It’s exciting to think about how the seeds of God’s plan may very well already be planted, despite the growing ‘weakness’ in society’s faith. What does that entail for us? More specifically, how should we, the Catholic community here in Scotland, be prepared to take part in the beautiful redemption story at hand? Of course, the simple answer is to have faith! But the key here is that we must live our faith, and by living our faith we can show our faith. When within and beyond our community there is a steady rise of turmoil and change, the peaceful, calming persistence of the faithful will be a beacon of hope to all who look for it. War, injustice, poverty, radical technological change, political instability—you name it. Instability gives rise to a desire for stability, and that’s precisely what we should aim to be. Young people, specifically, are growing up in a world where it is hard to know what’s true and what is good. They are filled with anxiety and are promised pleasure and satisfaction in the shallowest of things. Social media, AI deep fakes, influencers? The fragility in these earthly things will slowly, but surely, reveal themselves for what they truly are. And when those young people are looking for something more, something that they can trust and rely upon, they will undoubtedly recall institutions like the Catholic church, which have weathered times of great change for two thousand years. When they go looking, there they will find us—filled with God’s light and love and hope.

Our strength is our faith in God. Keep attending regular mass. Listen to and carry out the words of our priests after their Sunday homily. Always seek to live out your faith for the common good. Love your neighbour. Rest your worries and anxieties at God’s feet, for the battle belongs to Him. And yes, on the outside, growing worldwide secularism may feel like a weakness. But rest assured that we will most assuredly overcome what the future has in store, for when we are weak, then we are strong.

By Jack Heitman

Stories are fundamentally connected to the human condition. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do; narratives lie at the bedrock of our psychology. But is it possible that the very existence of stories is also evidence for God?

Stories are Integral to Humanity

We often take for granted that storytelling is introduced at a very early age; indeed, most children start listening to their first stories before they can walk or talk. But whether it’s due to this early introduction or because there is something deeper written in our DNA, it’s clear that narratives in themselves are undeniably integral to human psychology.

Research into the Theory of Mind shows that stories are crucial for cognitive development, activating regions of the brain associated with auditory, visual, and emotional proficiency and thereby leading to stronger neural connections. We also know that stories are foundational to understanding others’ thoughts, intentions, and emotions, creating more powerful social connections and bonds and improving a sense of community. And, perhaps most importantly, stories are a key tool for helping individuals find meaning in their experiences and develop a stronger sense of self and their place in the world.

Stories are beloved by children, it’s true, but they are inherently bound to the way adults live as well. It’s easy to overlook, but there’s something about the power of a narrative that draws our attention, despite our years. Business startups pitch their story to investors, professional athletes and sports teams win admirers through unlikely success, politicians connect their past to their community’s future, and newspapers and websites never hesitate to pen a story about an unexpected underdog. Stories are, after all, the fabric of the human experience: the cloth of the past in which we weave our identity and the thread that sews our future. Some things never change. From 17,000-year-old cave paintings to modern-day audio books, stories have always been used to share experiences, remember the past, build connections, and make sense of the world around us. The bond even runs so deep that you’ll start to notice that you view your own life as a narrative, given some reflection. Every day is to turn the page. Every experience is a new chapter. And you are the character through which the world is viewed.

Stories as a Cornerstone of the Faith

God has a plan for his creation. Only He, the writer, knows fully the ultimate means, ends, and purpose to this plan, but we can gain a little insight through the grand narrative of salvation detailed throughout the Bible. While the Bible is composed of many stories, it contains a single arc. One that details the fall of humanity and our subsequent rise due to grace. Bound up with this tale of salvation is innumerable philosophical truths about the nature of good and evil, the spirit of mankind, and of God himself. The result is a cumulative well of wisdom, and at the crux of the story is God’s relationship with man.

Perhaps we story-loving humans are simply living out the divinity gifted to us. Or, in other words, maybe the reason why stories are so integral to humanity is because it is part and parcel to God’s nature as the First Writer (i.e. St. Thomas Aquinas’s argument for the Necessary Being). The fact that mankind longs for God has been argued to be evidence for His existence; therefore, our constant and unwavering existential pursuit of purpose indicates that “meaning” really is out there. It is indirect proof that a far greater narrative is at play. Furthermore, we are created in the image and likeness of God. So, if God writes meaning and purpose into every living thing, why should we not read it so?

The search for meaning underscores every human life—we hope for it, read into it, and even sometimes fear it. But whether we are consciously aware of this drive for purpose, it matters not. The fact is that we are all characters partaking in the one true fairy tale—the ultimate myth that gives meaning to all other stories. And, believe it or not, the meta eumythos of this tale, the fulfillment that brings sorrow crowned in pure and perfect joy, is physically present at every mass.

The Narrative of Mass

The dividing line between real experiences and fictional story structures is much greyer than you might expect. Holy mass is a perfect example of this, embodying the three-act structure. First, is the build up to the gospel. This act sets the stage for humanity’s present plights with the help of prophetic insight and apostolic advice. We read through smaller, specific stories to understand where our path is headed, and we meditate and sing for a hopeful future. The second act is the gospel and the homily. We learn that, despite our challenges, failures, and uncertainties, there is a light of hope. Where once was the Word, the story of God, now shines the perfect opportunity for transformation, and God himself shares tangible paths to his promised salvation. And finally, the third act is the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the climax of the story and the resolution of all things: dwelling in God’s peace.

Interestingly, the three-act narrative of mass also perfectly coincides with one of the most universally impactful and effective storytelling methods: the Hero’s Journey. The Hero’s Journey is all about personal transformation. The journey begins with an individual who is lacking in some respect; it is followed by great perils in order to fulfill a greater good; then it concludes with the transformation of the character, crucially through some moral evolution. Is this not the exact experience for every soul who attends mass?

The key here is that this is not simply another story; nor is it fictional. The Eucharist, the one true fairy tale, is the perfect and ultimate connection to God. Through it, we unite ourselves to Him in body and in spirit. Indeed, it is the exact moment where God himself reaches forth, transcending time and space, to enter into perfect communion with those that seek Him. Therefore, it is by and through this “story” that God’s ultimate narrative is completed with divine perfection: author becomes character, virtue is imbued into metaphysical reality, and the purpose of the heavenly bond is flawlessly executed.

You see, the narratives of all of our lives, the narratives of our church community in Scotland and around the world, and the narrative of mass are all the branching stories of a greater tree—God’s one and ultimate narrative for all of creation, of which we are a small, but incalculably important part. If, like so many others, you find yourself pondering the purpose of your life, rest assured that you are central to the greatest and truest story ever told. Peace be with you!

By Jack Heitman

As Catholics, most of us have experienced longing for a loved one to become more connected with the Faith. It could be a son or a daughter, a friend, parents, or even your partner. It isn’t a unique experience, because the truth is: we live in an evermore secular world. Yet being members of the Church, we are called to go out into the world and evangelize—spread the good news. And as we’ve all surely felt, it would be great if we could start with those closest to us. However, the reality is that this is far more difficult than we initially believe. Some people have hardened hearts from a bad experience with the Church or a member of the Church; some, on the other hand, are just simply uninterested in the deeper mysteries and are content with their lives as they are. There are as many different reasons for secular life as there are secular people, and, of course, their lack of connection to the Faith is not something that makes them bad or evil in any way. But is it possible to find a reliable route to get them more interested in God’s love? Hint: it’s not the same as trying to get them to be excited about your own hobby or favourite football team.

To look for a clue, let’s approach the problem from the other side of things. We might ask, for secular people that have in fact turned to the Faith, what was the main driver of that change? Is there a common thread to be found? I was talking about this very question with my parish priest a couple of months ago. Being in an occupation that would naturally give the most insight into this answer, his response was unsurprisingly quick and straightforward (perhaps his time in the navy sharpened this insight as well). What he said was that for most secular adults, it often takes a close encounter with mortality to be awakened to the spiritual call. It could be a near pass with danger themselves, but it could also be the experience of a friend or loved one. However that “encounter” takes shape, it makes them realize that this life is not at all about the trials of the ordinary and everyday kind. They realize that this life does, eventually, reach its end one way or the other, but indeed because of this, it’s critical to learn why we are here. They are soon quite unsatisfied at the prospect of their purpose being tied and ultimately limited to whether they got to work on time, if their social media post got enough attention, or if their football team won. No. Suddenly they realize that, if these mundane routines of waking up, going through the motions, going to sleep, and repeating—week after week, month after month, and year after year—is all there is to life, then there really is no point in it, after all. We call this an existential crisis: a period of uncertainty about the meaning of life, including deep reflection on personal identity and the human condition. But that’s the thing. Inside of us, religious and secular alike, we know that that this “lack of meaning” is far from the truth. Very far indeed. It’s written on our hearts that there is a greater purpose, and it is wired inside of us in a way that is quite intangible. After having experienced that close encounter with mortality, we suddenly wonder about ourselves: our lives, who we claim to be, and what is to come when we too reach our end. The only problem is that this crisis is a crisis for a reason, as any answer here on earth seems far out of reach. In many ways, things can appear hopeless.

So, there we have it—one of the most common drivers of a secular individual to heed the call of faith is a close encounter with mortality, but beyond that, a hope for an answer or for a reason we are even here at all. Hope is what they seek, and, in God, their hope is found. Hope is meaning. Hope is a future. Hope is the impossible that can be achieved. As one of the key virtues of the Faith, hope is what endures.

To return to the start of this article, perhaps we can lever this insight to breathe light into the lives of the ones we love. It is important to note, however, that hope is very much a two-sided coin. Hope is collective and individual: a shared experience but also a singular and personal relationship with Jesus. As such, we should tease these two apart. As for the shared experience, most of you have probably heard the saying, “live out your faith”. Well, this is undoubtedly the best way to show to the ones you love how hope lives in conjunction with faith. I hate to break it to you, but telling others how to live is not always the most convincing. Just like teenagers, there’s something about us that almost wants to rebel (or at the very least shut off our ears) when someone is telling us what to do. That being said, by simply living out our faith and therein rejoicing, thriving, and looking bright-eyed toward the future from our hope inside of us, we can be models of the goodness that the Faith bestows. The light of the Holy Spirit will glow from within you, and people will see these things: in the way you walk, in the way you talk, in the way you live. Akin to this is to relate your personal experience. Someone might be curious about your life of faith, and they may ask you questions about it. Rather than answer by telling them what they should do, tell them about how faith has benefited you and about how and why it gives you hope. By relating that, they may find they want this hope too.

The goal should be for the individual to share an experience with Jesus themselves (hence the other side of the coin, i.e. the individual and personal aspect of hope). Relate to them about the peace and hope that resides in a quiet church, and recommend giving it a try, if they’re curious. In that quiet church, our Lord Jesus Christ awaits them, patiently, and whether they realize they’re praying or not, their hearts and minds will find Him there. Thus, the goal is met: an experience with Jesus himself, and the rest is simply a domino effect.

We’re all on this journey of hope. No matter where you are, consider how the hope that dwells within you can be a beacon of light to others, so that they might start their journey as well. And the next time you find yourself wishing a friend or loved one was a little more connected to the Faith, just remember: hope is the key to secular hearts, and there are plenty of copies to spare.

This article is dedicated to my grandfather: a man of remarkable resilience, impeccable courage, and profound commitment to faith that inspired the hope that lives on in me. I love you, Papa. Eternal rest grant upon him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

By Jack Heitman

Hope is a journey. While this entire Jubilee Year is a comprehensive call to be “Pilgrims of Hope”, there are certain times and seasons where this embodiment of a journey is quite a distinct parallel to real, physical journeys indeed—an adventure, even, if you will.

If we think about great stories of adventure, those that are worth their salt will most certainly be filled with acts of courage. Usually, these acts involve taking steps into the unknown to fulfil a mission or quest that, whether succeed or fail, carries certain stakes that will determine the fate of one or of many. Courage is bound by taking those steps in the first place. Without them, there would perhaps be no journey to speak of.

In adventures, there are also perils to be reckoned with. Without trials and tribulations along the way and obstacles that must be overcome, I do not think that we could consider journeys to be journeys at all—a walk in the park or a pony ride in May sunshine would be the better terms. From physical labours and pain to tests of mental fortitude and faith, the perils that stand in the way, like a dragon guarding its horde, are the challenges that absolutely must be overcome to achieve the fulfilment of those crucial stakes.

And finally, there is of course the inevitable change that is part and parcel of any adventure. A journey is taken for a reason, but whether the adventurer knows that reason or not, they will nonetheless be left with a change within themselves and without. Furthermore, it has the strong likelihood of affecting other people and other things in the world around them—the great forces at work in our world will in one way or another be touched by that journey’s undertaking and certainly only God knows where all threads lead, but we can be assured that change, nonetheless, will incur.

There are perhaps few times and seasons throughout the year that so perfectly embody a journey as does the season of Lent. At the publishing of this article, we are now well underway with our own Lenten journeys, so it is worth reflecting on the weeks that have passed, the weeks that are to come, and the state of our own hearts as we look forward to an adventure ending in the crowing of Easter. This year, let us entrust ourselves to the words of our Holy Father in his traditional Message for the 2025 Lent:

Dear brothers and sisters,

[…]

This Lent, as we share in the grace of the Jubilee Year, I would like to propose a few reflections on what it means to journey together in hope, and on the summons to conversion that God in his mercy addresses to all of us, as individuals and as a community.

First of all, to journey. The Jubilee motto, “Pilgrims of Hope”, evokes the lengthy journey of the people of Israel to the Promised Land, as recounted in the Book of Exodus. This arduous path from slavery to freedom was willed and guided by the Lord, who loves his people and remains ever faithful to them. […] A first call to conversion thus comes from the realization that all of us are pilgrims in this life; each of us is invited to stop and ask how our lives reflect this fact. Am I really on a journey, or am I standing still, not moving, either immobilized by fear and hopelessness or reluctant to move out of my comfort zone? Am I seeking ways to leave behind the occasions of sin and situations that degrade my dignity? […]

Second, to journey together. The Church is called to walk together, to be synodal. [1] Christians are called to walk at the side of others, and never as lone travellers. The Holy Spirit impels us not to remain self-absorbed, but to leave ourselves behind and keep walking towards God and our brothers and sisters. [2] Journeying together means consolidating the unity grounded in our common dignity as children of God (cf. Gal 3:26-28). It means walking side-by-side, without shoving or stepping on others, without envy or hypocrisy, without letting anyone be left behind or excluded. Let us all walk in the same direction, tending towards the same goal, attentive to one another in love and patience.

[…]

Third, let us journey together in hope, for we have been given a promise. May the hope that does not disappoint (cf. Rom 5:5), the central message of the Jubilee, [3] be the focus of our Lenten journey towards the victory of Easter. […] Christ, my hope, has risen! [4] He lives and reigns in glory. Death has been transformed into triumph, and the faith and great hope of Christians rests in this: the resurrection of Christ!

This, then, is the third call to conversion: a call to hope, to trust in God and his great promise of eternal life. Let us ask ourselves: Am I convinced that the Lord forgives my sins? Or do I act as if I can save myself? Do I long for salvation and call upon God’s help to attain it? Do I concretely experience the hope that enables me to interpret the events of history and inspires in me a commitment to justice and fraternity, to care for our common home and in such a way that no one feels excluded?

Sisters and brothers, thanks to God’s love in Jesus Christ, we are sustained in the hope that does not disappoint (cf. Rom 5:5). […]

Pope Francis

To read Pope Francis’ message in entirety, click here.

The words of Pope Francis are a key guide that anchors the hope of the Jubilee Year into the journey of Lent. In conclusion, let us all be aware that we are, in fact, on an adventure of great proportions. Step forward courageously. Have faith through the perils before you. And, look forward to the grace of God that will undoubtedly reign at journey’s end.

[1] Cf. Homily for the Mass and Canonization of Giovanni Battista Scalabrini and Artemide Zatti, 9 October 2022.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Cf. Bull Spes Non Confundit , 1.

[4] Cf. Easter Sequence.

At St. Moluag’s Coracle, we hope you had a Merry Christmas and will have a hopeful New Year. His Holiness Pope Francis has proclaimed 2025 as a Jubilee year, running from December 24^th, 2024 to January 6^th, 2026. This Jubilee year is themed: “pilgrims of hope”, and it calls Catholics of all ages to renew our hope in Christ and to be signs of hope to those in need.

For first timers and those needing a quick reminder, Jubilee’s in Catholic tradition refer to a “Holy Year”, normally celebrated every 25 or 50 years. Originating from the ancient Jewish custom (Leviticus 25), Catholic Jubilees are a time for spiritual renewal through reconciliation and forgiveness. It all begins when the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican is opened, and the year aims to impact catholic communities on local and global levels, inspire pilgrimage, and cultivate prayers of intention for a particularly important cause as determined by the current pope.

Pope Francis has done exactly that. “Everyone knows what it is to hope,” he wrote in this year’s Bull of Indiction of the Ordinary Jubilee. “In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future will bring.” This is why, through God, “spes non confundit” (Romans 5:5), hope does not disappoint.

Even set against the backdrop of growing wars and technological turbulence, there has been plenty to bring hope. This year saw the catholic revival movement in the United States and historic reinvestment into youth communities during 2024’s World Youth Day. Closer to home, St. Mary’s Cathedral in Edinburgh raised over one hundred thousand pounds to repair its roof, and Scotland hosted Cardinal Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, to encourage prayer for the holy land.

Looking forward to 2025, the coming year is an opportunity to take hope to an entirely new form of practicality—we can define our communities by faith and transform our own lives to pursue an optimistic future. However, key to ensuring long-term success of these endeavors is to review how hope is, in fact, the very heart of the Church itself, and how it can and should always be a source of hope in our lives, no matter the calendar year.

Hope at the Heart of the Church

In preparation for the coming Jubilee, Pope Francis has encouraged us to review the four products of the Second Vatican Council: Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (“Sacrosanctum Concilium”); Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (“Lumen Gentium”); Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation (“Dei Verbum”); and Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (“Gaudium et Spes”). It’s easy to see why he’s asking this of us. By reading these, you can begin to grasp just how central hope is to the Church and the message of Christ. Indeed, hope is mentioned over 50 times across these four constitutions, presenting a bold message:

‘…the Church of Christ, present in the midst of the anxiety of this age, does not cease to hope most firmly. She intends to propose to our age over and over again, in season and out of season, this apostolic message: "Behold, now is the acceptable time for a change of heart; behold! now is the day of salvation."’

- Gaudium et Spes 1-82

It’s clear that each and every moment is an opportunity to change your heart towards hope, but how do you do it? Is it easier said than done?

Well for one, hope is what lies at the very core of our life. It’s the thing that, when all else fails, is always there to lighten our hearts and help us look forward to a new day. Many of us might place our hope in a football team or political party, but let’s face it: these things are temporal and are bound to let us down from time to time. Not that it’s wrong to hope in these things, but they should be spokes of hope radiating out from your core, not the core of your hope itself. The only way to truly plant a seed of hope in your life, one that roots in the sunshine of good times and weathers the bad, is to place the Church at the center of our lives instead. And what’s at the center of the Church? The Eucharist: the always-present hope for all mankind.

As discussed in Article 1085 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Paschal mystery of Christ “is a real event that occurred in our history, but it is unique: all other historical events happen once, and then they pass away, swallowed up in the past. The Paschal mystery of Christ, by contrast, cannot remain only in the past, because by his death he destroyed death, and all that Christ is — all that he did and suffered for all men — participates in the divine eternity, and so transcends all times while being made present in them all.” That means that the hope living in the heart of the Church is eternally present. It is everlasting and can lay as the foundation stone of hope in your own life as well, never to be shaken or destroyed. Keep this at the center, renew your trust in Christ, and you will always find and emanate hope.

Signs of Hope

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, the Pope has also called on Catholics to be signs of hope for those in need. It may not be immediately obvious how to do this, but the surest and easiest way to do so is to simply live out our faith—we must love others.

Once again looking back to Vatican II, we read:

‘… the Father wills that in all men we recognize Christ our brother and love Him effectively, in word and in deed. By thus giving witness to the truth, we will share with others the mystery of the heavenly Father's love. As a consequence, men throughout the world will be aroused to a lively hope—the gift of the Holy Spirit—that some day at last they will be caught up in peace and utter happiness in that fatherland radiant with the glory of the Lord.’

- Gaudium et Spes 2-93

By expressing love to our neighbors and recognizing Christ in others, all that we do will be for the glory of God and the growing hope of our communities. This is not just for the Jubilee year; it is a seed that can last a lifetime.

The Greeks have an extremely common saying that speaks to the never-surrendering virtue of hope: “η ελπίδα πεθαίνει πάντα τελευταία”, meaning “hope always dies last”. But what we find when we place Christ at the core of our life is that hope is always present and always available to us. If we can be signs of hope to others in need by living out our faith, then the flame of hope that was kindled within us can spread throughout the community as well. Perhaps, when this Jubilee brings hope to Catholics and non-Catholics alike around the world and when it lives on inside of us beyond 2025, we might say instead, “η ελπίδα δεν πεθαίνει ποτέ” — hope never dies.

Jack Heitman

I just have some house-keeping regarding where you can access the information we have compiled on Scotland’s saints. We have brought the Calendar of Scotland’s saints and also some more indepth articles on individuals to this site now, rather than link you with our charity site (Mary’s Well). So have a look on the main page task bar and you will see those two items listed.

God Bless, have a good Hogmanny and see you on the otherside.

The Editor - Eric Hanna, and the rest of the team at the Coracle.

Think about your favourite story - a favourite book, TV show, movie, theatre performance, or even an opera. Now, think about how you felt when you reached the story’s end.

A good story leaves us with joy, satisfaction, and a sense of accomplishment, but it is also often bundled with sorrow and loss—sadness that we must leave the world and characters we had come to be connected to. This distinct culmination of emotions is something that we all experience at some point or another, but how would you describe it to someone else? As you well know, not all emotions have names.

As a linguist, I am inclined to anchor the ubiquity of this emotion to the Greek language. Meta Eumythos [me-tə-yoo-mee-thoes] (μετευμυθοσ) – translates to “the end of a good story”,  a story that leaves an individual with sadness and loss but also an overriding sense of love, joy, and satisfaction upon its completion. It is the story’s culmination and its impact - both a state of being and an emotion.

Stories, just like the Greek language and the gospels, are universal, and thus, so is the emotion of meta eumythos. But what is the importance of meta eumythos? And is there a meta eumythos to our Christian story? Stories are, after all, the fabric of human experience: the cloth of the past in which we weave our identity and the thread that sews our future.

Greek, the Gospel, and Stories: Their Universality

I shall not dare to delve too deep into the depths of early gospel hinterland. There are many great works that you can find that help us understand the universality of the gospels and Jesus’ story. Still, I want to emphasize this: Jesus sent his disciples on what many would remark as an impossible undertaking. Jesus tells his disciples in Mark 16:15, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” In ancient Palestine (1^st century AD), four main languages were present: Hebrew, Aramaic, Latin, and Greek; in the wider world, the diverse sociolinguistic forces of peoples and cultures would be even more dramatic. How remarkable is it, therefore, that a story centred on a minority of people could expand to become an inspiration for civilizations across the world, regardless of language? Greek certainly played its role as a lingua franca, so capable of spreading the euangélion, the good news, but the power of the story of Jesus’s life, its ability to topple empires, to grow from one man into a fire burning in the hearts of billions, cannot be so easily ascribed to, or defined within, a set of certain linguistic variables.

At the end of Jesus’s time here on Earth, we can imagine the meta eumythos experienced by his disciples. He was beloved, and as quickly as his light was spreading through the people of early Palestine, his “end” would seemingly come as sudden. The hope, like a seed, he placed into his followers was nourished upon his return from the grave; his rise confirmed what was promised. And so, Jesus said, according to Luke 24:44, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms”. The disciples, while at first frightened, knew him to be their Lord and, understanding the complete revelation of events, felt joy and amazement. This joy remained even after his ascension into heaven. Did they feel loss or sadness at his departure that they could no longer physically walk at his side, man to man? Yes, surely anyone seeing a beloved friend and companion leaving would feel so, but the key is that their joy remained, and so would he remain within them through the Holy Spirit and the True Presence. It was thus the disciples experienced the greatest meta eumythos of mankind’s history - past, present, or future.

One might say the end of the Gospels was the end of Jesus’ story; however, it was not the end of the Christian story, nor our individual Christian stories. Even after this end, the disciples decided to continue Jesus’ mission and spread his good news for the saving grace of all mankind. Where once was loss, what followed was love, joy, and hope—a story that transcends time.

Critical to this, we must also understand the universality of stories and of meta eumythos. Stories define the way we as humans view the world. It is how we remember our past and formulate our heritage and identity – from oral tales of long ago to the news, sports, and business stories of today. We all view our lives narratively – always ending or starting a new chapter, ever ‘turning the page’ towards a new day. Stories have long been how humans convey morality and points of learning, and they will always be so. Stories are indeed universal, just as the Gospels are universal. So, this story that began in the Old Testament, manifested in Jesus’ life, and continued with the disciples, goes on. Our Christian story continues. It is only fitting, therefore, that we strive to achieve the perfect ending, for all things do indeed come to an end. Sadness is intrinsic in any ending, but we must also ensure that this ending is crowned by eucatastrophe[1], and therein achieving meta eumythos. But how and what is the perfect ending? Where can that perfect ending be found?

The Meta Eumythos of Our Christian Story

Naturally, we may wonder about the state and vitality of our Christian story and how we can ensure it fulfils its meta eumythos. Fortunately, achieving meta eumythos is perhaps as simple as achieving our Telos—according to Aristotle, the end, goal, and purpose of any entity. Our Christian story must, therefore, first be divided into the Christian story of the living Church and our individual lives. Keep in mind that just because we are discussing the emotion that comes at “the end of a good story”, does not in any way make it fictitious – in fact, this emotion and state of being appears to be a fundamental truth of reality.

As the Universal Church is the living body of Christ, so must the mission of the Church continue to grow and thrive, even in today’s secular society. It must inspire growth, prayer, community, and, most of all, love. Through sharing the Gospel in both word and deed, acting as a lighthouse to all mankind, the Church achieves its meta eumythos day in and day out, one chapter at a time. The Good News is actively spread throughout the world, preparing us for the perfect end in Jesus Christ in the New Jerusalem.

The meta eumythos of our own individual Christian Story is something else entirely. Just as God has placed in each man and woman a unique grace (which is inherently good due to its nature as a gift from God), so does our own story vary from person to person. These differences are part and parcel of what makes this world so beautiful, but it also means it is up to us alone to discern our vocation: what God is calling us to do. Through the challenges, hardships, and distractions that are our journey through this life, still being able to achieve our telos while following the commandments is an almighty victory. The success of God’s will, the ultimate betterment of our society and our world, transcends beyond our time here on earth. Fulfilling your telos, your vocation from God, while remaining in unity and fellowship with Him, is thus the one true way to ensure that your life achieves meta eumythos.

Achieving meta eumythos, the undeniable truth that is given with any good story, enables our lives to benefit and inspire the world to come. We strive thus through Christ our Lord.

Jack Heitman

Jack T. P. Heitman is an American writer who lives in Scotland and attends the University of Edinburgh as a PhD candidate in Linguistics. He enjoys the pursuit of wisdom in storytelling, philosophy, linguistics, and history, and his goal is to inspire others through the written word. See him on X @jack_heitman

[1] A sudden and favorable turn of events in a story bringing tears of joy (Tolkien).

The month of October draw nears us with important Saints such as St Rule of the town of St Andrews to celebrate along with some interesting female Saints, such as St Tridunna with a wide area of veneration that includes Orkney, Caithness, Edinburgh and Forfarshire. This week contains the feasts of St Kenneth and St Comgan as well as the mysterious St Fyndoca. Most importantly, October is the month of our beautiful Lady’s rosary, which is an excellent time to reacquaint or start afresh with Mary and her prayer.

October Saints

J.R.R Tolkien was a Catholic man of many feats – he served his country in the first world war, he was a brother and a father and a husband, he impacted academia as a linguist in the study of English, and he created a fictional world in which millions of people have had the pleasure of exploring through his stories. His creation of stories, and his core beliefs around the essence of creation by humans in general, emanate his Christian spirit. Indeed, he has expressed that he believes the Gospel to be the one true myth and the most important Fairy Story of all mankind.

Tolkien was remarkably opposed to allegory. His Christian views are, instead, shown through the themes and values and emotions that his stories stir in the human heart. It’s easy to miss this with much of Middle Earth being inspired by Nordic mythology and other pagan tales. However, Tolkien himself stated in a letter to his friend Father Robert Murray that, 

“The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision. That is why I have not put in, or have cut out, practically all references to anything like ‘religion’, to cults or practices, in the imaginary world. For the religious element is absorbed into the story and the symbolism.” 

Several themes of Christian theology exist in Tolkien’s most popular works of the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings including death and resurrection, the battle of good versus evil, the reign of freewill, the power of mercy and pity, the importance of redemption and repentance, and the victory of humility over pride. You can also gain hints of divine providence in the will of the Valar, which are immortal spirit-like entities of the Undying Lands, who urge goodness and action through individuals without interfering with their freewill. There certainly is a vast list of Catholics who have studied and written about Tolkien’s religion in his writing, but central to all of this, and what I entirely intend to focus upon within this article, is Tolkien’s belief that humans are naturally inclined to be creators. 

In his lecture titled ‘On Fairy Stories’, he expresses that mankind likes to create, that it is a primary attribute to our state of being, simply because we are created in the image and likeness of our creator God. The very first words of our bible state “In the beginning God created”. Our God is a God that created the heavens and Earth. He separated light from the dark, the seas from the land. He beheld the plants and the birds and the beasts, and humans who would watch over it all. Genesis 1:27 states “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Reasoning holds that if our God, who himself loves to create, made us perfectly in his image, it is completely justified to believe that it is only natural that we too love to create. Tolkien expressed this concept as ‘sub-creation’. We as humans are not able to create something from nothingness as our God is able to – but we can take things that already exist and shape them into something new. Through this view, we can see the great goodness there is in creation itself. Creation is a goodness that all people can share in and find great benefit in for the health of their souls, minds, and bodies. 

So, creation is central to all human beings. But why is it important? It is also critical to intertwine and integrate the faith and God into our creations. But why would this be critical? 

It is certainly true that we all have a different understanding of what creation is in our own lives. From writing songs, to weaving a sweater, to baking a cake. From a psychological standpoint, creating may be a way of expressing who we are, expressing emotions and feelings that may not so easily be conveyed, or even a way of transferring your inner world to the tangible, physical world. It need not take an artistic form and it may even be as straightforward as creating opportunity for friends and loved ones, making a good meal, or starting a business. Indeed, creation is something different for us all, but there are undoubtfully common themes that run through us as well. 

In answering the question of why creation is important and the question of why it is critical to integrate God and the faith, I would like to return to a more essential perspective on the necessary nature of God. The only thing that is necessarily true and real is God. Think, for a moment, on St. Thomas Aquinas’s five proofs of God’s existence. Specifically, in his third proof on the Argument to Necessary being, he relates that since all existent things depend upon other things for their existence, one can infinitely regress this concept and logically conclude that there must be at least one thing at the beginning of the chain that is not dependent and is thus a Necessary Being. 

This can be conceived of metaphorically in the existence of darkness ONLY as an absence of light. Light, in the form of photons, is the thing with substance, darkness, on the other hand, is just a lack thereof. So too is cold merely an absence of heat. Once again heat energy is the substance, and cold is just its absence. This holds true for Nothingness – Nothingness is only an absence of a creator, an absence of God. Without God, there is only nothingness. Reality and the universe only exist due to God’s necessary being, and his position as the First Mover in the first proof of Aquinas. 

As I wrote previously, God alone can create something from nothing. This is reflected in the Hebrew words Bara and Asah used in the Old Testament of the Bible, both words meaning ‘to create’ or ‘to make’ but the former used specifically for when God is the subject and is first used when his act of creation is from nothing. But through his great work of creating, God shows us that the act of creation is of Goodness and, and in the spirit of humans being created in his likeness, there is not many things that connect us to God as creating does. It is a good act, in its most fundamental of meanings, and it is naturally a part of who we are as humans. In this symmetry, and in God’s purpose for us in freewill, it holds that God wants us to integrate him. He waits on us and invites us to bring him into our lives, and so too does he wish us to allow him to be a part of our creations. 

God is infinite. He creates supernovas and galaxies, rainbows and waterfalls, moonlight that shimmers in the rain and the glimmer of frosted snow. He’s there in the soft touch of a summer breeze and the intricately rough bark of trees. He has provided the smell of fresh cut grass and the crash of thunder as clouds join battle when they meet upon the mountain peaks. He created the bite of a mellow wine and the sweetness of a ripe, red strawberry. And of course, he is there in the tears that spill in our sorrows, and the laughter of our brightest joys. 

Truly, undeniably, God can create anything He desires whether visible or invisible. But He wants us to create as well, and to do it through Him, and with Him, and in Him. So, when we think about our own works, it is made far more real when God and the faith is integrated into its purpose and conception. 

Integrating Him provides an authentic platform to our work. It provides a potent reality to what we do and why we do it. It’s not just about what we want to do, it’s about what we should do and why. It creates a higher sense of importance and guidance of why it should be done in the first place. It makes you wrestle with yourself, wrestle with why you’re creating and how you’re doing it. So, I say, wrestle Jacob as to become Israel. 

The fruit of your creation will multiply. What I mean by this is that God still allows for your work’s originally intended purpose (the story to entertain, the job to provide for yourself, and the song to fill a quiet space), but it also allows God to amplify its purpose for his own intent. 

Integrating God enables us to be connected and to understand our work on a far deeper level. God, and the Faith through him, is the only necessary reality and thus when enacting your work with God as a catalyst, you and your work and God become connected as one. It bonds us to our work in a way that nothing else can. It provides your work with a sense of purpose beyond your own. It allows your creation to inspire others in ways you intend and in ways you do not directly intend. 

Most importantly, in fact paramount to all of this, is that the integration of God into our creation essentially bonds our work to Him, a bond to His greatest gifts of freewill and love. Through this, it helps you to understand God’s love for yourself and for the human family in general, and thus can you dive deeper into your relationship with God. A deeper relationship with God gives you the ability to wholly understand your relationship with others, because now you see from his perspective.  

As Tolkien related it to his own work regarding creation, “its object is Art not power, sub-creation not domination and tyrannous re-forming of Creation.” I personally see this to be outstandingly true, for only through God can we overcome the desire to be overly fond of our works where our association of ownership of them becomes pride. The integration of God helps to prevent this pride from forming in the first place. This is demonstrated as well, somewhat ironically, in the Screwtape Letters written by C.S Lewis, where a senior demon writes to his lessor demon in training that, God,

…“wants to bring the man to a state of mind in which he could design the best cathedral in the world, and know it to be the best, and rejoice in the fact, without being any more (or less) glad at having done it than he would be if it had been done by another.”

So how exactly do you integrate God and the Faith into your works? What do I mean by integrate? Does it mean to literally place a cross of frosting on the next cake you bake? 

Why yes, it certainly could mean doing something as simple as that, but I should say firstly that the answer to this is purely between you and God. Therefore, to seek this out for yourself, I encourage you to pray. 

Thank God for the call to action. Thank God for the challenge and the will to do and to act and to create. 

Ask God for his help in your endeavors, and while you do so, be completely intentional with all you do and how you do it. Whatever you create, create it with love. Make it a selfless act so that through it you may help others. Make it to glorify God. You bring praise to God by working hard and by doing a good job, giving it your best effort. 

This is key in its relation to mindfulness. God works in the present moment, so ensure that you are yourself living in the moment as well! Living in the moment makes you available to God’s voice and gives God the opportunity to work through you. Stay present- do not overly worry about the past or the future, and trust me, I know how hard this is and that this is much easier said than done. 

But indeed, you must consider, deeply, your creation, and think about it through a sacramental lens. If your creation is built with sacramental intention, the product transcends its Earth-bound purpose into a metaphysical reality. What I mean by this is that intentionally creating through, and with, and in the faith may impact even just one person, and in doing so, enables it to bear both a physically real impact and a spiritually real impact. 

Creation is a reflection of God’s mercy that you share with others. Creation reflects what God means to you, and with it, every single one of us wields the humble ability to inspire and impact another human life for the better. So, I say to you all, and encourage you thus with the fullest hope of my own heart: Be a part of God’s present plan. Create Goodness and create through Him and through the Faith. We are all just beginning this journey. May he help us in doing so.

By Jack Heitman

Jack T. P. Heitman is an American writer who lives in Scotland after having attended the University of Edinburgh. See him on X @jack_heitman

As we near the end of May we have St Dagnus’s feast on the 29th May appears to have resided in Galloway and as related by St Bede, had little truck with the Bishop of Canterbury. As we head into June we have two of Scotland’s most important Saints and missionaries - St Columba and our patron St Moluag. Have a look at our website to find out more.

Mary's Well

Humanity has always been defined by our ability to innovate, and the modern world, especially, is shaped by the advent of new technology: from smart phones and revolutionary medical technology to drones and interconnected webs of satellites, the tools that surround us enable our capability to mold the built environment. These advances in technology certainly help us meet challenges that once appeared impossible to overcome, and it is thus unsurprising that much of humanity sees technology as a gateway to a brighter future. But therein lies a potential fallacy in our thinking, that technology is a path to solve any and all problems before us. Indeed, it could be more than just misguided hope. Is society becoming reliant on technology in a way that is ultimately harmful? And what can we do as Catholics to ensure our future is guided by goodness?

The Technocratic Paradigm

In the 2015 encyclical Laudato si’, Pope Francis takes an iron-clad stance against what is termed the ‘technocratic paradigm’. The technocratic paradigm is a growing view among people, whether conscious or not, that sees all of reality as a raw material waiting for the use of humans. In other words, it is a way of seeing the world wherein all the problems we face simply require scientific and technological power in order to be solved, and that eventually we can, through technology, become powerful and wise enough to master all things. This view of reality should not be confused with science and technology themselves, for scientists and engineers throughout history have helped humanity through immense difficulties and continue to provide advancements whereby we can hope for new and exciting possibilities. In the words of John Paul II, “science and technology are wonderful products of a God-given human creativity”[1]. The technocratic paradigm, however, takes our relationship with technology to a level of abuse, raising them to a universal and unmatched regard as a path to salvation.

According to Laudato si, “this paradigm exalts the concept of a subject who, using logical and rational procedures, progressively approaches and gains control over an external object. This subject makes every effort to establish the scientific and experimental method, which in itself is already a technique of possession, mastery and transformation”. On one hand, the idea of science and technology being fundamentally grounded in logic is what makes it, in many individuals’ opinion, infallible. Economists, innovators, finance enthusiasts, and technology experts see the potential of unlimited growth: given that the scientific method and logic are continually and thoroughly applied, and innovation and technological advancement roots out and conquers any challenge awaiting us, there is no limit to what humanity can accomplish. On the other hand, this view of reality that is inextricably tied to logic exalts it as an ideology that cannot be challenged. If profit, innovation, and advancement logically lead to a better future, any other way of viewing the world is inconceivable. Living beyond the technocratic paradigm is now nearly impossible, for choosing a culture and view of reality that is independent of technology is difficult without the resources that globalization and advancements provide. Furthermore, even using technology is difficult without being absorbed by its internal structure of logic, technology that “in the most radical sense of the term power is its motive – a lordship over all”[2]. The result of this is clear according to Pope Francis: “Our capacity to make decisions, a more genuine freedom and the space for each one’s alternative creativity are diminished.”

AI – Poster Child of the Technocratic Paradigm

The culmination of the technocratic paradigm is Artificial Intelligence, and with it bears the most exciting potential at the core of the technocratic paradigm’s motivation but also, perhaps, the greatest evil yet to come of it. AI technology is not exactly brand new, but since the arrival of generative AI in the form of ChatGPT in December of 2022, the world has taken a dramatic shift. The benefits of AI development are undefinable. Its capability of advancing research, knowledge, healthcare, and productivity is unlike any technological innovation in history, except, perhaps, the likes of language and electricity. For those subscribing to the technocratic paradigm, this is enough to warrant the immediate and untamed investment into AI’s growth – in fact, global private investment into AI could reach $200 billion by 2025[3]. GDP could soar, all earthly problems could be solved, knowledge and wisdom could infinitely grow, and humanity could build its own form of heaven on Earth. For some, AI may even lead humanity to immortality.

However, despite AI’s practically uncalculatable benefits, it comes with some very dark downsides. In the short term, we see it rearing its evil head with the loss of human jobs, with an estimated 300 million jobs being lost or diminished by the fast-growing technology[4]. There has been a loss, not a gain, of truth in the rise of deepfake videos, creating deepfake pornography and deepfake political propaganda that makes it nearly impossible for the average person to know what is real or what is fake. The same is true with AI-generated pictures and art, harvesting the collective creation of humanity towards consumption-oriented products amounting to no less than mass theft. And hundreds of billions of dollars are invested into AI innovation that could otherwise be used to help heal the pain of war, famine, disease, and other high-priority social issues that humanity faces every day.

In the long term, the wealth gap could widen unlike ever before with unequal access to AI. It could pose an existential threat to humanity comparable to that of nuclear war and pandemics, according to leading figures in the development of AI systems. And perhaps more metaphysically, it could degrade many of the things that make us human, such as the imposition of AI into the arts, humanities, and religion. Already, its primary purpose of productivity and consumption has led to AI training itself on human-created works without the consent of their artists and authors, so that the fields of art and writing are being swarmed with soulless recreations. But who are the losers here? They are the poor, the Earth’s environment, and creatives, not the technocrats and innovation enthusiasts, those that desire power. There is no wonder that despite the great dangers of AI, investment is accelerating, and development has long surpassed that of legislative and legal progress.

Imago Dei vs. Imago Hominem

As a perfect manifestation of the technocratic paradigm, AI stands as a seriously dangerous threat to our earth, society, and our humanity – naturally, the Church and the faithful of the world hold a unique duty to stand up to the threat. Therefore, we shall have one duty: preserve our humanity and the natural world.

This duty has two facets. On one hand, we must ensure that the advancement of AI does not take away what it is that makes us human. This will need to be primarily done through the creation of protections such as regulations and guidelines that put human welfare first. As Pope Frances called for, algorithms must not be allowed to replace human values and we must be wary of a "technological dictatorship" threatening human existence.

As outlined in the Rome Call for AI Ethics, we must demand:

1. Transparency: in principle, AI systems must be explainable;

2. Inclusion: the needs of all human beings must be taken into consideration so that everyone can benefit and all individuals can be offered the best possible conditions to express themselves and develop;

3. Responsibility: those who design and deploy the use of AI must proceed with responsibility and transparency;

4. Impartiality: do not create or act according to bias, thus safeguarding fairness and human dignity;

5. Reliability: AI systems must be able to work reliably;

6. Security and privacy: AI systems must work securely and respect the privacy of users.

Being Human

While this is not yet being enforced, we must do what we can to speak up for these values – reach out to your local and national government leaders; promote organizations seeking ethical advancement and use of AI technology; and, perhaps most importantly, support your neighbors by investing time and money in human-based creativity and work.

There is, however, the second facet of our duty to uphold our humanity: retaining our understanding of what it means to be human. I shall have to expound upon this in another article, but a serious challenge we will face is the advancement of AI to a level wherein it equals or even surpasses certain characteristics of what we believe makes us human. Sooner than later, AI will pass the Turing Test – that is, a machine’s ability to exhibit intelligent behavior indistinguishable from that of a human. The full implications of this turning point are incomprehensible, but it is foreseeable that the question of what it means to be human, to be conscious, or to even have a soul will be questioned. Alas, this will be a truly difficult task, but perhaps only the Church and the world’s faithful will be able to realistically go to bat for humanity. When there are technocrats claiming their creation has a soul, who but the Church will be able to stand as guidance as to whether it has a soul or not?

One thing is certain: though AI may pass the Turing test, it will always be made in the image of Man, Imago Hominem, not the image of God, Imago Dei, and it will shine through.

Adam and Eve passed the “Turing Test of God” by eating the apple of good and evil. We were indeed made in the image of God, yet God still knew full well that they were no such thing. In a similar way, AI may pass our Turing Test of Man, but the Church and the world’s faithful will know that is made in Man’s image.

The near future is uncertain, and the technocratic paradigm is on the rise. But in our fellow human we must hold our commitment, and in God we must stand firm in faith.

By Jack Heitman

Jack T. P. Heitman is an American writer who lives in Scotland after having attended the University of Edinburgh. He enjoys the pursuit of wisdom in storytelling, philosophy, linguistics, and history, and his goal is to inspire others through the written word. See him on X @jack_heitman.

References

[1] JOHN PAUL II, Address to Scientists and Representatives of the United Nations University, Hiroshima (25 February 1981), 3: AAS 73 (1981), 422.

[2] ROMANO GUARDINI, Das Ende der Neuzeit, 63-64 (The End of the Modern World, 56).

[3] https://www.goldmansachs.com/intelligence/pages/ai-investment-forecast-to-approach-200-billion-globally-by-2025.html

[4] https://www.key4biz.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Global-Economics-Analyst_-The-Potentially-Large-Effects-of-Artificial-Intelligence-on-Economic-Growth-Briggs_Kodnani.pdf