#weapon-of-truth — Public Fediverse posts on home.social

Quote of the day, 5 May: St. Titus Brandsma

A newspaper is like a friend whose opinion we value, whom we enjoy listening to, and whose conclusion we find difficult to escape….

If a Catholic periodical does not provide what the public has a right to expect, then there is a danger that the public will consider it as a pitiable thing in need of help but, simultaneously, consider it a waste of money….

The press is our most powerful arm in our battle for truth….

Should the Catholic press abandon this ideal of being a weapon of truth, its very existence would make no sense either for us journalists or for the Church. It would become worthless. Its steadfast witness to the truth alone constitutes its power and its glory.

Saint Titus Brandsma

Lecture on the Catholic press broadcast by KRO (1936)

Note: Biographer Miguel Arribas, O.Carm., observes that Saint Titus’s description of the Catholic press as “our most powerful arm in our battle for truth” echoes the phrase arma veritatis—“weapon of truth”—which was prominently featured as the theme of the 1936 Esposizione mondiale della stampa cattolica (World Exhibition of the Catholic Press) in Vatican City. The exhibition, held to mark the 75th anniversary of L’Osservatore Romano, celebrated the role of the Catholic press in promoting truth and resisting propaganda, a cause Pope Pius XI championed throughout his pontificate. While there is no record that Titus Brandsma attended the exhibition, his vision for Catholic journalism clearly harmonized with its central theme. For Titus, as for the pope, fidelity to the truth was the press’s greatest strength and highest glory.

Original entrance ticket from Arma Veritatis—the 1936 World Exhibition of the Catholic Press held at the Vatican, designed by Gio Ponti. This image is hosted externally. If it fails to load, please visit eggscasino.com to view the original.

Arribas O.Carm., M 2021, The Price of Truth: Titus Brandsma, Carmelite, Carmelite Media, Darien, Illinois.

Featured image: St. Titus Brandsma is seen at work in his office in the Carmelite monastery in Nijmegen. He was a prolific writer. Behind him are bookcases containing albums with photos of the texts of medieval manuscripts and spiritual writers. Image credit: Carmelites (used with permission of the Nederlands Carmelitaans Instituut)

⬦ Reflection Question ⬦
How can I use my voice—online or offline—as an “arm in the battle for truth”?
⬦ Join the conversation in the comments.

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