By Paul Sloane , Member of the Catholic Union and author of Lateral Thinking for Every Day published by Kogan-Page.
In the film Conclave (based on the book by Robert Harris), Cardinal Lawrence, portrayed brilliantly by Ralph Fiennes, leads the conclave to select a new pontiff after the Holy Father’s death. He offers this profound meditation to his brother cardinals: “My brothers and sisters, in the course of a long life in the service of our Mother the Church, let me tell you that the one sin I have come to fear more than any other is certainty. Certainty is the great enemy of unity. Certainty is the deadly enemy of tolerance. Even Christ was not certain at the end. ‘Eli Eli, lama sabachtani?’ He cried out in His agony at the ninth hour on the cross. ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ Our faith is a living thing precisely because it walks hand in hand with doubt. If there was only certainty, and if there was no doubt, there would be no mystery, and therefore no need for faith.”
This wisdom speaks directly to the Catholic understanding of faith as a journey, not a destination. As Catholics, we are called to embrace the mysteries of our faith, acknowledging that complete understanding is beyond mortal comprehension.
Have you ever wondered why secular pundits, commentators, and politicians rarely display doubt? It’s because our modern society values certainty and confidence above all else. But what if doubt and uncertainty were actually more aligned with the divine plan and our Catholic tradition?
Consider the spiritual journey of St. Thomas the Apostle. When told of Christ’s resurrection, he famously declared, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Our Lord did not condemn Thomas for this doubt but rather used it as an opportunity for deeper faith, saying, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Thomas’s doubt opened the door to a profound proclamation of faith: “My Lord and my God!”
In the secular world, we witness debates between politicians where one speaker confidently proclaims to have all answers, certain that his policies will work. His opponent expresses humility, seeking more information and wishing to consider different options before deciding. Which approach better reflects Catholic values of discernment and prudence? Yet the secular media rewards confident declarations, regardless of their wisdom. Political leaders who express doubt about themselves or their plans are dismissed as indecisive.
Our society values confidence and certainty while disdaining doubt and uncertainty. But there are times when uncertainty better aligns with God’s wisdom. Why? Because certainty breeds hubris and closed minds, the very sins that prevent us from hearing God’s voice. As Mark Twain observed, “What gets us into trouble is not what we don’t know, it is what we think we know for sure.” Consider how the advice given to Henry Ford’s lawyer by the president of Michigan Savings Bank in 1903: “The horse is here to stay, but the automobile is only a novelty – a fad.” More tragically, the expert advice given to residents during the Grenfell fire was to stay in their flats—resulting in devastating loss of life.
As Catholics, we recognize the Holy Spirit continually reveals God’s truth throughout history. We must remain open-minded and humbly doubtful about our limited understanding, for what seemed true yesterday may be revealed in a new light today. Many human predictions about the future prove hopelessly wrong. We acknowledge that the future remains in God’s hands—uncertain, unknown, and largely unknowable to us.
Society seems to prefer leaders who demonstrate absolute certainty. Yet the author John Adair notes that the most important sentence for a leader might be, “I admit that I was wrong.” On the rare occasions when political leaders change their minds, they are accused of “flip-flopping” or lacking conviction. But what spiritual value exists in holding convictions about incorrect ideas? History shows that leaders like Joseph Stalin and Robert Mugabe, who obstinately clung to wrong precepts, brought suffering to their people. We need leaders who, like many saints throughout Church history, remain open to holy doubt, receptive to new understanding, and prepared to change direction when God’s will becomes clear.
The greatest example of this transformative doubt comes from Scripture itself. Saul was a dedicated persecutor of early Christians before his Damascus Road experience changed his mind and heart. Through doubt of his previous convictions, he became St. Paul, the great Apostle to the Gentiles who spread the Gospel throughout the Roman world.
In more recent times, Mikhail Gorbachev was a dedicated Communist who rose to lead the USSR. When he confronted doubts about the Soviet system, he introduced reforms that ultimately led to religious freedom for millions of Catholics and Orthodox Christians in Eastern Europe and the fall of the Berlin Wall—an outcome few thought possible.
Similarly, F.W. De Klerk, the last President of Apartheid South Africa, had long advocated for racial separation but allowed doubt to transform his perspective. His courageous decision to release Nelson Mandela initiated the transition to a society more reflective of Catholic teachings on human dignity and equality.
Excessive certainty, reinforced by confirmation bias, leads to dangerous overconfidence despite contrary evidence. The tragic case of Rachel Nickell’s murder investigation demonstrates this. Police became so convinced of a suspect’s guilt based on a psychological profile that they rejected contrary evidence. Eventually, another man was convicted of the crime. Once certainty took hold, confirmation bias prevented them from seeing the truth.
As Catholics, we follow in the tradition of great saints who embraced holy doubt. St. John of the Cross wrote of the “dark night of the soul”—periods of spiritual doubt that ultimately deepened faith. St. Teresa of Ávila questioned and struggled through her spiritual journey. St. Augustine himself proclaimed, “Doubt is but another element of faith.”
In our spiritual lives, we should acknowledge our human limitations, listen to diverse perspectives and ponder our doubts. While our secular society often values certainty and confidence, embracing uncertainty and doubt can lead us to more informed decisions, deeper faith, and a more authentic relationship with God. In the words of Pope Francis, “Faith and doubt are both gifts from God.” Through humble doubt, we create space for the Holy Spirit to work within us.
By Paul Sloane is the author of Lateral Thinking for Every Day published by Kogan-Page.