The Springtime that Never Came: In conversation with Paweł Lisicki

by Athanasius Schneider, Paweł Lisicki (Interviewer)

Bishop Athanasius Schneider experienced these sufferings growing up in the 1960s in the former Soviet Union, and they are now a reality in the West. A witness to the truth passed down from the apostles, Bishop Schneider explains that, especially since the time of the French Revolution, natural law, order, and a sense of the supernatural have been eroded and replaced, through Freemasonry and other false ideologies, with widespread apostasy, to the point where society is now almost entirely devoid of God.

This riveting and climactic interview with Bishop Schneider tackles each and every controversial issue of our time. With charity, wisdom, and occasional humor, Bishop Schneider provides a rich historical and theological perspective with straightforward answers to a profusion of startling questions on topics such as ecumenism, ecology, Mass reforms, the German Church, Hell, Purgatory, sin, heresy, the roles of women in the Church, the traditional liturgy, and much more!

Amid the encircling darkness, this compendium of straight, authoritative answers elucidates the truths of our Faith with a piercing light. It will make you cheer as it reorients you on your journey with Christ. Be encouraged, as Bishop Schneider provides inspiring insights for the battle. Be enthused to uphold Church teachings and worship God no matter the challenges that may lie ahead. Be strengthened to trust God and follow the examples of the saints. Be energized to live your vocation and stand up courageously in our chaotic times.

In The Springtime That Never Came, Bishop Schneider calls for a “new apologetics” and “re-Catholicization” of countries that have lost the Catholic Faith. He teaches us to avoid the “mental gymnastics” caused by theological confusion and assures us that souls return to the Church through repentance and reverence for the Blessed Sacrament, Eucharistic Adoration and processions, Confession, and the Holy Rosary. Bishop Schneider believes our current situation, marked in many places by a deprivation of Holy Mass and Communion, is God’s “merciful appeal for a true eucharistic conversion of the whole Church.”

Genres: Catholic, Religion, History, Theology

395 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 5, 2020

About the author

Athanasius Schneider, O.R.C. is a Catholic prelate, serving as the Auxiliary Bishop of Astana in Kazakhstan. He is a member of the Canons Regular of the Holy Cross of Coimbra. (Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Ei · Rating 5 out of 5]

Explanations abound

The book was well written and absorbing. It is an account of where the church went wrong after Vatican II, and supplies explanations tracing the roots of theological and liturgical errors now plaguing the Church. Whether you agree or not, it is a relief to read a book about the Church that does not engage in deliberate obscuritanism.

[Karol Darmas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bp Athanasius pisze rzeczy niełatwe, które zapewne wielu się podobać nie mogą. Jednak wydaje mi się, że jest ważnym głosem, który przebija się do niektórych.
Na pewno warto się w ten głos wsłuchać i uczciwie przemyśleć to, co mówi, nawet, jeśli w ostatecznym rozrachunku uzna się jego słowa za zbyt trudne…
Dla mnie osobiście to Biskup, który w bardzo uczciwy sposób traktuje swoje powołanie do bycia następcą Apostołów.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

5+ . Much, much needed clarity. I am so grateful for this man.

[Taylor Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bishop Schneider is perhaps one of, if not the most holy shepherds in the church today. What he has to say in this book is crucial for all the world to hear - that said I’m not certain this book is the most effective way of getting his message out to the world. The book is formatted like a long form interview with a question/answer format- and while both the questions asked and the answers given are extraordinary, it reads like the transcript of a multi-day interview, similar to the Frost/Nixon recordings.
Had Bp Schneider and his interviewer decided instead to release an eleven part documentary or mini-series with each of these questions and answers spoken and recorded on camera, it would have been far more impactful. Each chapter of this book could have easily been its own 30-60 minute exchange with powerful imagery and intonation. As it stands in print, this extraordinary content feels at times hindered by its medium. But the content truly is remarkable, and in saner times Bp. Schneider would be the leading papbile in the next conclave.
Any reader world benefit greatly from reading Bp. Schneider, for his voice is truly that of a faithful shepherd.

[Joseph Yue · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not a book in the conventional sense but rather an edited transcript of a series of interviews regarding some of the burning questions Catholics are facing today. Bishop Schneider gives clear and concise answers in each of them, firmly rooted in tradition and common sense, although nothing new is being said. One may, of course, suggest that the lack of new content is a good thing, or perhaps even a necessity regarding exposition of church teachings, but I would still argue that even though the what must stay the same, the how can use some creativity. And this book, unfortunately, has little. As it stands, it is not exactly worth reading in the sense that one is missing out without reading it, but time can certainly be used to do much worse things.

[Elfrieda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bardzo podstępny wywiad. Czytając człowiek czuje się jak na rollercoasterze. Trafne spostrzeżenia i przemyślenia przeplatają się z opacznym zrozumieniem wielu kwestii i, wynikającymi z tego, błędnymi wnioskami czy propozycjami rozwiązań. Z lektury można wyciągnąć kilka cennych myśli dotyczących choćby relatywizmu moralnego, jednak należy uważać podczas czytania, ponieważ wiele z opinii leży niebezpiecznie blisko herezji.

[Austin Haase · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book for someone who is already familiar with the issues surrounding the Second Vatican Council as well as modern heresies. I think it is always refreshing to hear that the Church still has shepherds, such as Bp. Schneider, who unapologetically proclaim Catholic teaching. I agree with one of the other reviews that a mini docu-series format would absolutely have been more impactful to a wider audience but I still thoroughly enjoyed this book.

[Coleman Benson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an awesome book. The good bishop does a great job addressing the current crisis in the Church. He is gentle, but not wavering on the truth. It is very consoling to hear.