Page 97 - La Société canadienne d'histoire de l'Église catholique - Rapport 1961

acknowledge thet the thoughtless imprudeuee of many Catholic Iay men
has occaeioned this violent reaction agairist the religious communities
and against lhe Ch~rch."(~''
Following publication of the Decrees, the hinhly-aroused emotions
of the Catholics in France were contrasted by restraint and cauiion in
the Vatican. The French Ambassador songht to per~uade the Pope,
Leo XIII, and others in the Curia tri abandon the Jesuits in effect, by
allowinp them to vaeate France so that the rernaining ordera rnigbt be
spared.caa)
The Pope, supported by the Cardinale, Jid not assent tu such a
transaction. Thus, the policy of the Va~ican evolved : it judieiously
refraiaed from aetively engaging in the conflict, which was, in reality,
an interna1 aflair 01 France; yet it remained steadlast in the lace ol
diplomatie pleas 10 counsel the Jesuits and others into snbmission to
the povernmental ordinances against them.
In France, Catholies, lay and clergy, unanimously sprang to their
feet. Universally aroused. they allowed tnore rein to their emotions
than to a sober analysis of the situation. As in the past, liut even more
energelically, tlie bishops raised the cry in deience of the threatened
Congregations. Biahop Bouret told the Jesuits : "Your eause ia that
of the Church itself. We will make your pain ours. Your persecniions
are o~re."'"~) In thie spirit, the secular elergy resolutely adhered to
the episcopal protests. All the laymen joined in, and ihe leaders arnong
them nndertook a tour of tlie country to campaign against the ikcreea.
Nor did the aflected ordcrs remain idle. Assnniing the lzsuits
irre,ocably condemned, the reniaininp orders coosidered the ~ecnnd
becree as liaving lelt ajar a dnor to some accommodation. The Snpeiiors
of various orders in Paris met at ~he Oratorian house and a~reed unani-
mously to endorse two essential points : to afisert solidarity in their
ranks; and IO discountenance authoriza~ion. In addition. tliey decided
to liold a plenarv assemlily on April 27. tri which al1 Superiors throught
the country were invited.
At tliis meeting, more ihan sixir Honses eerosij the couiitry were
represented. After a briei discussion, they emphaticall r I eiteroted their
unity and iheir decision to decline crimpliance with tlie Decree. Tlie lines
were drawn; there was no~hing more but to await ihe hour of reekoning:
the execution of the I)ecree~.['~l

ExcePt those actively engaged in teaçhing, for whom tlie moraioriu~ri
e~pired on Angnst 31, he deadline for the Jesuits' evacnation was lune
29. The? had made nri move to comply wiih the Decree. Beni on their
expulsion, the government saw iio alternative but to use force.

,31) Cittd by Hmnt~us. IV. 528, o. 1.
(22) CI. Lecanuet, II, Kif. On the ictiviiies ai ambassarior Despree in Rome ai
this iime, see Barbier, II, 34f.
(28) Cited by Lecanuet, II. 49.
(24) Description of ihis phaw ha& dwly on Barbier, 11, 30-36.