uncomfortable in the modern world

On Saturday morning there was an interview on the radio with a Roman Catholic archbishop, and the interviewer put it to the archbishop that the Pope's Easter message had revealed a man who was "uncomfortable in the modern world," and didn't think it was a very happy place to be.

Well, the Pope's comfort or discomfort in the modern world is really his own problem, but one thing that his spokesman didn't challenge, was the assumption that the modern world is indeed a happy place to be. I might have been slightly depressed when I wrote the post before last, but even in the cheerfulness induced by the first real days of spring and sunshine, you've got to admit that people could well be forgiven for not finding the modern world such a happy place after all.

Having said that, I thought the archbishop did quite a good job of presenting the case against rampant abortion, genetic engineering and similar issues; which is not to be sniffed at, in the contemporary situation.