This text examines Jan Patočka's concept of secularization, which he often interpreted as the self-deification of humanity. In his late work, particularly the Heretical Essays, Patočka argues that modern Europe remains tied to a Christian understanding of historical meaning even after discarding core theological concepts like God as creator or judge. In this secularized framework, humanity merely occupies the divine position. Drawing on Karl Löwith, Patočka identifies this dependence on history for meaning as a source of modern nihilism and despair, suggesting that history is as unstable a foundation as clutching at waves during a shipwreck. The document further explores Patočka's rejection of Teilhard de Chardin and his skepticism toward post-war theological views that presented secularism as a legitimate outcome of Judeo-Christian teachings. Patočka is characterized as a dispassionate Catholic who maintained a distance from Protestant interpretations of secularization despite his intellectual engagements. Ultimately, the analysis highlights Patočka's critical stance on the continuity between Christian teleology and the modern crisis of meaning.