REVIEWS
In this new century, this new millennium, we are presented with this book which was first published in 1900.
In this publication Fr. Dehon puts together the nine Lectures given in Rome between the years 1897-1900. These were, as Fr. Perroux justly indicates in his introduction, the most fertile years of the Fr. Founder’s social action.
In the document We the Congregation in the Service of the Mission, the XX General Chapter collected and expressed those motions presented within the context of the Chapter which referred to the knowledge and the commitment of the Congregation with regard to the social question. When considering the new edition of this work it stated: “To spread the social doctrine of the Church and to maximize the writings of Father Dehon; with this object in mind, the S.C.J. Centro Studi in Rome accepted the tasks of publishing a critical edition of Fr. Dehon’s social works and of spreading them also outside of the Congregation” (n. 18.3b, Progetto 1997-2003).
The Centro Studi, being aware of the current indications, thought it opportune to republish this work, and that their goal was to make it more accessible by means of a critical revision of the original text of 1900, and also, and especially, to increase its value to the reader by offering a presentation of not only the social and the political situation, but also that of the Church during those years of change: years which were filled not only with conflict and intensity, but also with those challenges which industrialization, combined with liberalism and capitalism, had germinated in the workers’ world. The workers’ world responded with socialism and anarchy, and in some way, with the same objective, so did convinced Christians and clergy, inspired by the Gospel and supported by Leo XIII.
Fr. Perroux, a very knowledgeable person, enthusiastically revealed that reading certain pages of the Fr. Founder’s writings is what made him anxious to offer us this new publication, and to do it in such a way that it would be accessible, comprehensible and motivating to the person reading it one hundred years later. Fr. A. Tessarolo, known to all, and Stefano Tertünte, who is preparing his doctoral thesis on this epoch, both collaborated with him. To both of them our grateful thanks.
The things which truly enrich and augment the value of reading these Lectures are the opportunity to study the social situation that existed, especially in France, during the last decades of the XIX century (Introduction, 13-65); and there is also the advantage of having both the introduction, which acts as a sort of prologue to each of these Lectures, and the notes, which cover personalities, social movements, etc. (69-363). There is also a third section, entitled, “Is Christian Social Renewal a book for today?”; possibly the most interesting for those who are drawn to this reading. The question being asked, in plain words, is: Is it worthwhile dedicating so many hours of study and concentrated reading when it is apparent that, after one hundred years, everything has changed? (365-427). I am almost tempted to suggest that one read this third part first.
At the end of the book, for those readers with limited time, the author offers us an addendum (429-439) containing the longest of the quotes appearing in the introduction, quotes which help to clarify Fr. Dehon’s thoughts. The section concludes with the text of a report on the lecture, signed by E. Coste in 1897, as it appeared in the periodical La Chronique du Sud-Est, with which Fr. Dehon faithfully collaborated all through his life (441-445). This report was an up-to-the-minute evaluation of everything that Fr. Dehon had said and presented during the Lectures.
In a simple but subtle reading of the Lectures the reader will be particularly surprised, indeed very surprised, to see how behind each Lecture there is a methodical and scientific labor consisting of facts, statistics and concrete studies of the social, political and cultural reality of the history and, obviously, of the doctrine of the Church and the orientations of Leo XIII in Rerum Novarum: “Fr. Dehon does not offer a series of figures a priori without checking; he proceeds scientifically among figures and statistics. He is like a steel scalpel. No evil of society escapes him... The symptoms of the crisis and its causes are immense and of different orders. There is no single remedy and the error of certain schools lies in not considering more than the incomplete aspects” (443).
Further on Fr. Perroux picks up the basic idea, the motivation which urged Fr. Dehon’s social dedication: “In this commitment it is necessary to count on the help of God, to whom we pray every day for His Kingdom: Adveniat Regnum tuum. However, as has been indicated many times, ‘this desire must not be restricted to simply idealistic thought’, as the aforementioned E. Coste wrote (444). In this sense, allow me to suggest a supplementary reading of a little book by Fr. Perroux, one which, starting from the very title, expresses Fr. Dehon’s mood: Léon Dehon, passionné du Christ, passionné du monde (Leo Dehon, a Passion for Christ, a Passion for the World), which appeared in 1998 and is probably known to many of you.
Through a careful reading of the introduction to the Lectures, the figure of Fr. Dehon emerges as “an excellent authority of social studies, and his word, strong and efficacious, was well received every time he spoke. His ability made him a much requested speaker in the Catholic Congresses of France” (15). And, at the same time, he also appears as a serene and balanced person who, on occasion, took on the task of pacifying souls by directing the Congress participants in the examination of conscience (377).
In the introduction to the Lectures Fr. Perroux, in a few pages, presents a complete picture of the world and of society moving from the XIX to the XX century: with its ideologies, its social movements, its confrontations and, especially, the wretched state of the working class, oppressed by boundless liberalism and capitalism. The condition of the workers, who were at the mercy of the liberal bourgeoisie, was virtually ignored, giving rise to socialism (scientific Marxism as opposed to utopian socialism) and an anarchy of radical solutions.
In addition to this, there was a Church, disoriented in the social world, atrophied by what it had inherited from the ancient regime, afraid of modernity and confusing charitable works with justice (39-65, 379).
It is important to remember that the social reality of St. Quentin was to be Fr. Dehon’s awakening call, one which increased until it reached the most committed and dense years of 1897-1900 (28-38); and that in France there also existed a living, popular and devout Church, though it lacked a true Christianization (56) and was faced with a powerful laity (57), in spite of its conversions of great resonance and uncommon figures of sanctity.
As indicated before, by reading the third part, Is Christian Social Renewal a book for today?, one is made aware of the fact that it could, above all, be seen as the grouping of several specific texts, full of passion and intensity as Fr. Dehon’s Lectures always were. In this group of texts one can see the emergence of the figure of the priest-brother who has lived the experience of the love of the Heart of Christ, and who is now trying to move, to inspire and to launch into action his miscellaneous Roman audience (411-13). In this way he made present that which, 71 years later, Paul VI was to speak about in precise words: “The struggle for justice and participation in the transformation of the world shows itself to be an essential element of the preaching of the Gospel, which is the mission of the Church for the redemption of humanity and its liberation from all situations of oppression” (408).
This book shows that Fr. Perroux feels that an in-depth reading will bring out the following points (367-70), which are the root of Dehonian thought: “It is necessary that Christ reigns in society” (370-71); following the pontifical tendencies of Leo XIII (372-73) to the point of setting up a true social doctrine (373-74), one which will lead to the conclusion of “a true social restoration starting from the Gospels” (374-77), from which “the Church of Christ desires to spread life by means of the Good News which was proclaimed to the poor” (377-80) with a clear program (380-81). This must be done within the concrete reality of liberalism and socialism, with the intervention of the State (382-85) and with the response given by the professional associations and trade unions, working either separately or together (385-89).
In addition there are various other themes which have already been clearly defined: from the fact that social activity brings with it an unavoidable political commitment or the growth of so-called “Christian democracy”, for which he fought and which caused him much displeasure and the loss of friends (392-97), up to an issue which is still awkward to analyze even today: Fr. Dehon’s anti-semitism and the key to understanding it (397-98).
Certainly we are shown that approaching Fr. Dehon’s Lectures must “arouse us to go beyond them”, to concern ourselves with questions which are very concrete today, as they were when he was speaking, and which today also call for our attention: the general malaise in today’s world, which fundamentally is just the same now as it was then (418-19), the calls and challenges of today’s world (420-23), by considering how to combine the Gospels and social justice (that is to say, the policy of the Church regarding social problems).
In speaking of Fr. Dehon, one can say that the putting together of Christian Social Renewal “has led its author, starting from his social commitment, to develop a true social thought, a practical ministry and a Christian plan for man and for society”. Fr. Dehon is “one of those democratic priests who, in the climate of the turn of the XIX-XX century, has made an effort to bring about an accordance between the Gospels and society” (426). And Fr. Perroux continues by commenting: “We too are set in the same climate of transition between two centuries and two millennia. Since we are included among those who recognize themselves as heirs of Fr. Dehon, should not all of us consecrate ourselves to the same task with the same spirit, with equal coherency and the same fervor?” (Ibid).
After a very careful study of the figure of Fr. Dehon which emerges through this centenary work, a very topical conclusion is reached: “It seems to me that Fr. Dehon’s vision is first and foremost pastoral”. He studied the problems deeply: “Each time he augmented his information and participated in the debates of his epoch. Even though the social question is not preeminently religious, this does not mean that it should not be given a credible and serious analysis, with a commitment which is as lucid as it is generous”. “Fr. Dehon is first of all a priest who discovered the social drama in all its harshness, a drama which he desired to tackle starting from the Gospels, the faith of the Church and its pastoral demands” (376).
Evaristo Martinez de Alegria