Monday, August 20, 2018

Sensus Fidelium

You have probably read that Saint Chrysostom said "Hell is paved with the skulls of bishops." Or, "The road to hell is paved with the skulls of bishops." Or, "The road to Hell is paved with the bones of priests and monks, and the skulls of bishops are the lamp posts that light the path."

Or you might have heard a version of this attributed to St. Athanasius (presumably refering to the Arians). Or John Eudes.

Googling around suggests that none of them actually said that. Although there have been plenty of holy bishops, there've been enough counterexamples in all eras to keep the saying alive.

Dorothy Day is supposed to have said something along the lines of "I don't expect much of bishops; it is the saints that keep the church afloat."

No comments: