The End of the present World

THE END OF THE PRESENT WORLD 

AND 

THE MYSTERIES OF THE FUTURE LIFE 

by 
FATHER C.-M.-A. ARMINJON 



This book: 

- was written over a century ago, yet was surely designed by 
Divine Providence especially for our day. 

- was immediately and explosively influential when first 
published in France in 1881. 

- was acknowledged by St. Theresa of Lisieux in her writings as 
possibly the single most important inspiration for the 
dedication of her life to the path which led to her 
becoming, in the words of Pope St. Pius X, "the greatest 
saint of modern times." 

- was then allowed to fall - or was pushed - into oblivion, 
and scarcely heard of again, until, in the 1960s, right 
in the "Vatican II" era, the Office Central de Lisieux 
noticed the references to it in St. Theresa's writings and 
felt impelled to bring this most un-"Vatican II"-like 
book back into print (in French), and to keep it there for 
some twenty years, until abandoning it for good on the 
grounds that its contents "do not reflect the ideas of our 
time. " 

- And is now translated by arrangement with us and presented 
to the English-speaking world as one of the truly epoch- 
making Catholic works, one of the greatest and most 
inspiring masterpieces of Catholic literature to have been 
written since the Reformation. 

General Description. 

The End of the Present World and the Mysteries of the Future 
Life is a compendium of Catholic doctrine and tradition on the 
subject of eschatology, also known as the science of the Last 
Things. Eschatology falls into two" halves: the Last Things as 
they concern the world (the great apostasy from the Church; the 
Antichrist persecutions; the return of "the two witnesses , Henoch 
and Elias; the conversion of the. Jews ; the Second Coming of -_Our_- 
Lord- the resurrection of the dead; and -the -General Judgement) - 
and the Last Things as they concern individuals (death,- judgement, 
Heaven and Hell, to quote the -Penny" Catechism):; and.Fr. Arminjon 
deals comprehensively with, both- halves . -■ "~" _ _ 

We do not hesitate to assert that no subject is more important 
or more enthralling than that of the Last Things, and we are 
scarcely less confident in asserting that never has there been 
written a treatment of the subject that is more thorough, more 
penetrating, more inspiring, or more securely founded on the 
authority of the popes, Fathers, saints and acclaimed theologians 
of the Catholic Church than" this work by Fr. Arminjon. 

It is difficult to know how best to give an indication of the 
book's extraordinary qualities; for although we must clearly 
highlight its salient features, this could be off-putting to 
some, readers, frightening them into thinking that the authors 
erudition and exhaustive attention to detail must make the book 
heavy going and perhaps difficult to understand. 

We emphasize at the outset, therefore, that one could almost 
call it a weakness of the book that it can be enjoyed for its 
literary qualities alone. So compulsively does the author carry 
the reader from one page to the next, that it is tempting to read 
the book too fast and too superficially, instead of digesting 
and meditating on each passage so as to ensure that the important 
and often terrible truths that Fr. Arminjon sets out become a 
permanent part of the reader's intellectual equipment. 

No, the book is not difficult to read.""' Let us glance at its 
other qualities. 

As already mentioned, it is comprehensive. Fr . Arminjon 
seems to overlook nothing in examining his subject. As each 
relevant point is presented for analysis, -he begins by considering 
it in the light of Holy Scripture, then quotes appositely from 
Catholic authorities, then carefully explains the correct inter- 
pretation of the Scriptural passages, and finally sheds what 
further light on the subject he can provide from his own mastery 
of the subject. Almost every page bristles with excerpts from the 
great writings of the Fathers and saints but never in such a way 
as to overwhelm the reader. And it need hardly be said that, both 
in what Fr . Arminjon quotes and in what he himself says, 
refreshingly absent in this book is the modern scepticism which 
has tainted so many works of eschatology written by authors, who 
while professing docility to the Church and the inspired word of 
God, nevertheless seem to place greater trust in the findings and 
theorizings of modern "scientists" and "enlightened thinkers. 

Father Arminjon follows in the footsteps of the Doctors and 
other great writers of the Church in his truly Catholic handling 
of authorities. If Scripture is unambiguous, he allows it to 
speak for itself. Where its meaning is doubtful, he gives the 
understanding of the Fathers. If a matter is uncertain, he tells 
us that we are free to choose whichever interpretation we prefer, 
but if the answer is definite he tells us so and confirms what he 
says with the words of a pope or the unanimous teaching of the 
Fathers. The saints and great theologians he cites with reverence 
and with due respect to their relative weight (pride of place 
among them going, of course, to St. Thomas Aquinas); and even 
private revelations to privileged souls are also introduced when 
appropriate, but sparingly and judiciously, accompanied by 
reminders to treat as certain what is certain and as doubtful what 
is doubtful, thus avoiding the pitfall of heeding the alleged 
voice of an unapproved apparition rather than the teaching of 
Christ's appointed Vicars. And every quotation is cited with 
its reference - the proof both of the immense breadth of Fr . 
Arminjon's scholarship and of his painstaking attention to detail. 

But again, please do not be put off by phrases like "immense 
breadth of scholarship" and "painstaking attention to detail. ' 
It is these qualities which enable great authors to write with 
accuracy and clarity; and readability does not have to be - and m 
this case is not - sacrificed as a result. 

Summary of Contents. 

The book is divided into nine "conferences" which were 
originally delivered orally in the presence of the Archbishop of 
Chambery and a thrilled congregation. 

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