Andrew Kaveler
June 2023
A Canticle for Leibowitz Spoilers Ahead
“Set in a Catholic monastery in the desert of the southwestern United States after a devastating nuclear war, the book spans thousands of years as civilization rebuilds itself. The monks of the Albertian Order of Leibowitz preserve the surviving remnants of man's scientific knowledge until the world is again ready for it.”1 When Matt Lanetti introduced me to this novel a few months ago, the word “fragile” kept coming to my mind. Throughout the centuries, the monastery and its mission seem constantly on the verge of annihilation. In Fiat Lux (Part 2 of the book), the regime of Hannegan of Texarkana threatens to conquer North America and persecute the church into subservience. However, shortly into Fiat Voluntas Tua (Part 3), the reader quickly realizes the worry was for naught. Though empires rise and fall and many perish, humanity and the church ultimately persist. And though the earth experiences another atomic holocaust in Part 3, a small contingent of refugees (including some monks of the order of Leibowitz) escape into space. The story is an uncomfortable but poignant reminder of what Christian hope truly looks like. Hope is not a naive comfort that everything and everyone will be alright. We are promised nothing more, or less, than that salvation is possible and that the Church and her mission will persist. While I appreciate the comforts of 21st century America, our relative ease of life makes slipping into self-complacency almost effortless. Humility, having realistic knowledge of our abilities and circumstances, is consequently vital since it reveals how little control we have and how dearly we need God. Which makes me wonder whether continual adversity is almost critical for humility to thrive. Living in the company of danger, as the monks do, leaves little doubt as to how easily things could fall apart and how much of a supporting hand God must have in our affairs. Such genuine humility is beautifully shown in Fiat Homo (Part 1) through the life of Brother Francis2. The lives of the saints are rarely glamorous, and Francis is no exception. During his novitiate fast and vigil in the wilderness, he discovers a relic of his order’s founder, Blessed Leibowitz3. Due to the questions of its authenticity, Francis ultimately spends seven years as a novice4 and even upon acceptance is under constant scrutiny by the abbot. He spends the following decade working on an illumination of the relic, all while being ridiculed by his fellow monks. Decades later, when Leibowitz is canonized a saint, Francis delivers the relic to the pope but is killed by cannibals on the journey home. While his life seems miserable, it also one spent fostering virtue. His tale is also a reminder that although we value traits such as intelligence, eloquence, and leadership, these qualities are not requirements for sainthood. Humility is. Even the cherished knowledge saved by the monks is ultimately useless without the wisdom to harness it wisely. Miller clearly emphasizes that while knowledge is a source of inspiration and enlightenment, it easily becomes recourse for arrogance and self-destruction. A humble man instead recognizes that his gifts (including knowledge) are but aides for his role in a mission far greater than any personal scheme. Our struggle between humility and pride is a microcosm of our greater struggle for virtue and sin, good and evil, Heaven and Hell. It is a continual choice, reinforced or degraded by our daily actions. All our schemes and efforts, physical and spiritual, could either succeed beyond our imagining or fail horribly depending on how God wills it. Not our intelligence, skills, wealth, or societal safety nets. Humility enables us to embrace this reality and points us to hope for deliverance. We can only focus on doing our best at taking the next step God offers us and trusting He will use it to fulfill His promises. 1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Canticle_for_Leibowitz 2 I assume that Miller considers Brother Francis to be the model of a saint, i.e. an example to be followed. 3 Compared to the typical one year to be accepted as a monk by the abbot. 4 The relic is an electrical blueprint of a transistor, as Leibowitz was an electrical engineer. |