"The papacy again, representing the traditional unity of European civilization, has also shown itself unable to limit effectively the push of nationalism"

This quote by Irving Babbitt talks with the power of nationalism in Europe throughout the 19th century. Babbitt is recommending that the papacy, which typically stood for the unity of European people, was incapable to contain the growing power of nationalism. This is likely due to the reality that nationalism was an effective force in Europe during this moment, as individuals sought to assert their very own nationwide identities and break away from the standard unity of Europe. Babbitt's quote highlights the trouble of maintaining unity in the face of such an effective pressure as nationalism. It likewise acts as a suggestion of the value of understanding the power of nationalism and its potential to interfere with conventional unity.