Hopkins' Catholicism

Why become a Catholic?

Why exactly did Hopkins become a Roman Catholic? He was already quite religious. Nor was it exactly a popular move on his part. To answer that question, we need to look at three elements which appealed to him.

1. Intellectual appeal

John Newman had already become a Catholic, and presented to thinking Anglicans a set of closely reasoned arguments why it was wrong to remain in the Church of England. Newman claimed that:

It was a compromise Church
It did not match up to the teachings of the Bible
It lacked real historical authority for its existence
It had bishops, like the Catholic Church, but historically these bishops did not have any authority. They belonged to a breakaway denomination from the Catholic Church, and the Catholic Pope had certainly not given them any authority to continue being bishops after the denomination had broken away.

2. Emotional appeal

Hopkins was attracted to some of the Catholic practices that were missing in most Anglican churches. Although many High Anglican Exeter cathedral churches were re-instating the rituals of burning incense and striking bells during the service, for Hopkins:

There was more possibility of devotion in the Catholic Church, without being too taken up with the liturgy, that is, the order of service in worship
He especially liked the sacrament of confession, which was obligatory for Catholics, not just voluntary, as with the Anglicans. It was rather like having a father figure who would always listen to you and always forgive you
He was attracted to the veneration of Mary, the mother of Jesus, who Catholics believed had been born and lived without sin just as Jesus had. There was something more feminine, more maternal here, more mystical even, that attracted many Victorian artists and poets, such as the Pre-Raphaelites.

3. Spiritual appeal

Hopkins found in the Catholic Church

a) A way of knowing Christ, God's Son, the second person of the Trinity:

more personally, not as a teaching or belief, but as a real person of whom he could be spiritually aware
through the Catholic Mass, or communion. More about the mass?

More about the mass: The Mass or Eucharist is derived from the events of the Last Supper when Jesus is recorded as giving bread and wine to his disciples, saying, ‘This is my body … this is my blood' (e.g. Matthew 26:26-28). Catholics take these words literally whereas Protestants do not, believing that Jesus' words should be understood symbolically or metaphorically. However, to Catholics, when the priest says these words, the material bread and wine are actually turned into Christ's presence, hence the term the Real Presence. This particular teaching is called Transubstantiation. Hopkins came to believe this very devoutly.

b) Emphasis on God coming to dwell in his Creation, in what is generally called the incarnation:

through Jesus taking human form
in a wider sense, (Hopkins believed) that nature was an incarnation of God - that it retained something of his presence.

This isn't quite the same as the pantheism that Wordsworth felt for a while. Nature isn't God; but God's presence is there and God can be ‘read' in nature; it is his ‘book'. This gave Hopkins the belief he needed to experience the beauty of nature in the right way.

Faith embodied through poetry

The Catholic Hopkins' poetry is full of the presence of God. Other Victorians struggled with belief and often experienced a sense of God's absence. More on Matthew Arnold?

More on Matthew Arnold: A fellow poet, Matthew Arnold, who was Professor of Poetry at Oxford at the time Hopkins was there, wrote a famous poem, ‘Dover Beach', which expresses this absence. He uses the image of the tide, now far out, to suggest that, for him, the 'sea' of belief in a divine being and purpose was at its lowest ebb. For him, all that was left was human love. Elsewhere, he suggests poets should become the new priests of a secular religion. So we have the two extremes: full presence of the divine God, and full absence.

English Standard Version
King James Version

¹When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, ²You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified. ³Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, ⁴and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. ⁵But they said, Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people. ⁶Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, ⁷a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. ⁸And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, Why this waste? ⁹For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor. ¹⁰But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. ¹¹For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. ¹²In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. ¹³Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her. ¹⁴Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests ¹⁵and said, What will you give me if I deliver him over to you? And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. ¹⁶And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him. ¹⁷Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover? ¹⁸He said, Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples. ¹⁹And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover. ²⁰When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. ²¹And as they were eating, he said, Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me. ²²And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, Is it I, Lord? ²³He answered, He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. ²⁴The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born. ²⁵Judas, who would betray him, answered, Is it I, Rabbi? He said to him, You have said so. ²⁶Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. ²⁷And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, Drink of it, all of you, ²⁸for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. ²⁹I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom. ³⁰And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. ³¹Then Jesus said to them, You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. ³²But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee. ³³Peter answered him, Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away. ³⁴Jesus said to him, Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times. ³⁵Peter said to him, Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you! And all the disciples said the same. ³⁶Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, Sit here, while I go over there and pray. ³⁷And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. ³⁸Then he said to them, My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me. ³⁹And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will. ⁴⁰And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, So, could you not watch with me one hour? ⁴¹Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. ⁴²Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done. ⁴³And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. ⁴⁴So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. ⁴⁵Then he came to the disciples and said to them, Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴⁶Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand. ⁴⁷While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. ⁴⁸Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, The one I will kiss is the man; seize him. ⁴⁹And he came up to Jesus at once and said, Greetings, Rabbi! And he kissed him. ⁵⁰Jesus said to him, Friend, do what you came to do. Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. ⁵¹And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. ⁵²Then Jesus said to him, Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. ⁵³Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? ⁵⁴But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so? ⁵⁵At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. ⁵⁶But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples left him and fled. ⁵⁷Then those who had seized Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered. ⁵⁸And Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with the guards to see the end. ⁵⁹Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death, ⁶⁰but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward ⁶¹and said, This man said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days. ⁶²And the high priest stood up and said, Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you? ⁶³But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God. ⁶⁴Jesus said to him, You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven. ⁶⁵Then the high priest tore his robes and said, He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. ⁶⁶What is your judgment? They answered, He deserves death. ⁶⁷Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him, ⁶⁸saying, Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you? ⁶⁹Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, You also were with Jesus the Galilean. ⁷⁰But he denied it before them all, saying, I do not know what you mean. ⁷¹And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, This man was with Jesus of Nazareth. ⁷²And again he denied it with an oath: I do not know the man. ⁷³After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you. ⁷⁴Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, I do not know the man. And immediately the rooster crowed. ⁷⁵And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times. And he went out and wept bitterly.

¹And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, ²Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified. ³Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, ⁴And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him. ⁵But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people. ⁶Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, ⁷There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. ⁸But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? ⁹For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. ¹⁰When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. ¹¹For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. ¹²For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. ¹³Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her. ¹⁴Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, ¹⁵And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. ¹⁶And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him. ¹⁷Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover? ¹⁸And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples. ¹⁹And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover. ²⁰Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve. ²¹And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. ²²And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? ²³And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. ²⁴The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. ²⁵Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said. ²⁶And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. ²⁷And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; ²⁸For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. ²⁹But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom. ³⁰And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives. ³¹Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. ³²But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. ³³Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. ³⁴Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. ³⁵Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples. ³⁶Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. ³⁷And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. ³⁸Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. ³⁹And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. ⁴⁰And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? ⁴¹Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. ⁴²He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. ⁴³And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. ⁴⁴And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. ⁴⁵Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴⁶Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me. ⁴⁷And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people. ⁴⁸Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. ⁴⁹And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him. ⁵⁰And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus and took him. ⁵¹And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear. ⁵²Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. ⁵³Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? ⁵⁴But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? ⁵⁵In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. ⁵⁶But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled. ⁵⁷And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. ⁵⁸But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end. ⁵⁹Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; ⁶⁰But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, ⁶¹And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. ⁶²And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? ⁶³But Jesus held his peace, And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. ⁶⁴Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. ⁶⁵Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. ⁶⁶What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death. ⁶⁷Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, ⁶⁸Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee? ⁶⁹Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. ⁷⁰But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. ⁷¹And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. ⁷²And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. ⁷³And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee. ⁷⁴Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. ⁷⁵And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.

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Gerard Manley Hopkins, selected poems Contents