God or Nothing (Book Review)

God or Nothing, Robert Cardinal Sarah with Nicholas Diat, Trans. Michael J Miller, San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2015, ISBN 978-1621640509, pp. 284, Cost not mentioned.

An absolutely fantastic book. One can infer the same without actually reading it. The high praises heaped upon it from towering individuals connected to the Church is sufficient proof of the value of the book.

Robert Cardinal Sarah grew up in Guinea, West Africa. Inspired by the missionary Holy Ghost fathers who left everything to preach the Gospel in the remote parts of Africa, a number of natives embraced Christianity. Robert attributes his conversion and subsequent call to priesthood to the example of those missionaries. He entered the seminary at a young age.  Due to the oppression of the Church by the Marxist Government of Guinea, he had to leave his homeland to pursue his studies. He went on to obtain a licentiate in theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, followed by a licentiate in Sacred Scripture at the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum of Jerusalem.

At 34, he became the youngest bishop in the Church when John Paul II appointed him Archbishop of Conakry, 1979. His predecessor faced terrible persecution and imprisonment at the hands of the Communist government for several years. When Archbishop Sarah was targeted for assassination, Pope John Paul called him to Rome to be Secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. In 2010, Pope Benedict  XVI named him Cardinal and Prefect of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum. Pope Francis made him Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in 2014.

Flipping through the pages, one is struck by the lucidity of thought and the eloquence with which Cardinal Sarah puts forth his beliefs. He is a prominent and outspoken cardinal and one can easily identify these traits in the pages of the book. The book is broadly divided into ten generic chapters with interesting titles. The first two chapters deal with the life and vocation of Cardinal Sarah. They help the reader understand the man, Robert Sarah as well as the priest, Fr Robert Sarah. They reveal the roots of his spirituality and the grounds of his convictions. The reader lives with him his moments of joy, doubt, trouble and adventure. Nicholas Diat must be complemented for his compilation of the Cardinal’s responses and for the way he has made the presentation.

The remaining chapters contain the Cardinal’s opinions on issues and events that the interviewer brings up. The Cardinal’s responses are straightforward and enlightening. On some issues he does come across rather blunt but one can easily notice his love for Jesus, the Church and the Pope. In all things he strives to abide by the Magisterium of the Church and is ever-ready to offer references for his arguments. It becomes evident that he is a fan of Pope Benedict and endorses his views as he repeatedly quotes him.

With Pope emeritus Benedict XVI, I have to agree that reading God or Nothing is spiritually profitable. The book has lots to offer in terms of knowledge and material for reflection. The Cardinal lucidly explains the  Church’s stand on certain controversial issues like homosexuality, divorce, paedophilia etc. The book is a must-read for priests and seminarians and I laud the efforts of bishops to distribute this book to the priests and religious of the diocese. Even a layperson can draw inspiration and knowledge from the book, however priests and seminarians are more likely to benefit to a greater extent. The Cardinal is a shining witness to a world that is rejecting God and diluting the Church’s teaching. His example encourages one to cultivate convictions based on gospel principles.