Benedict XVI, The Reactionary Prophet

Although John Hooper's article is good in many, though not all, ways, it nevertheless sets up a false dichotomy. Chesterton presciently predicted that an age of unbelief would be an age of conservatism (in the worst sense), whereas for the orthodox “in the hearts of men, God has been put under the feet of Satan, so that there can always be a revolution; for a revolution is a restoration.” Furthermore, “A strict rule is not only necessary for ruling; it is also necessary for rebelling”, since “a fixed and familiar ideal is necessary to any sort of revolution.” The Holy Father understands this perfectly.