The Liturgical Drama

Extract

Awareness of the enemy’s method usually tempts one to imitate him, to meet tanks with larger tanks and poison gas with a gas even more poisonous. It is not a process which I commend. It would seem wiser to develop one’s own genius than to copy another’s, especially when that other is an enemy. The Church can hardly be interested in a Five Year Plan, nor enthusiastic about shock troops, while she has eternity to play in. Unless the Communist gets quick results he knows he will have none; he knows, in his heart, that all mankind is but waiting to relapse into its old bad ways.

The Catholic stage has powers hardly dreamt of by the Soviet, and were it elevated to an arm of Catholic Action, it would quickly achieve the same position in propaganda as it held when the people of Chester, York and other cities of England turned out

‘At Pentecost

‘When all our pageants of delight were played,’

to celebrate the descent of the Holy Ghost in a summer holy day. Historians sometimes lift a corner of the veil which hides these scenes from us, but only as a reminder that they are no more. Playwright, actor and audience of to-day are silent when our forefathers rejoiced, they seem to be unaware that the power to make and the sense to enjoy such pageants is within themselves, rusty only for want of use. The example of Soviet and Cinema may send us into our own dramatic storehouse—not to imitate these methods, but to practise those peculiar to our Faith and Religion.