Adrian Fortescue (1874–1923)

Adrian Fortescue, a British apologist for the Catholic faith in the early part of the 20th century, wrote this classic of clear exposition on the faith of the early Church in the papacy based upon the writings of the Church fathers until 451. No ultramontanist, Fortescue can be a keen critic of personal failings of various Popes, but he shows through his brilliant assessment of the writings of the Church fathers that the early Church had a clear understanding of the primacy of Peter and a show more belief in the divinely given authority of the Pope in matters of faith and morals.

Referring to the famous passage in Matthew 16:18 where Jesus confers his authority upon Peter as the head of the Apostles, and the first Pope, Fortescue says that, while Christians can continue to argue about the exact meaning of that passage from Scripture, and the various standards that are used for judgments about correct Christian teaching and belief, "the only possible real standard is a living authority, an authority alive in the world at this moment, that can answer your difficulties, reject a false theory as it arises and say who is right in disputed interpretations of ancient documents." show less

The legendary guide to Roman Catholic ceremonial, here in its fifth edition, an extremely handsome production and fascinating as an historical document. Interesting as a companion piece to Ritual Notes, which covers (unsurprisingly) much of the same ground but lacks Fortescue's pithy style.

Chalcedon, the author admits, is an arbitrary point of reference in response to a challenge. Nonetheless, this short book is useful in understanding what the papacy looked like in the early centuries. Too often people are looking for the wrong damned thing when they say they don't see it.

There is something delightful about holding and perusing this volume. It was for most of the 20th Century the authoritative guide in English to the ceremonies of the Mass. Fortescue writes with clarityy, economy and style. I love that my volume has St Michael's Shoreditch" in pencil on the flyleaf, and that it is a first edition. It is of course today an obscure work, but one that delights me.