CHAPTER IV

WHILE de Condren was absorbed in what more specially concemed the inner life, study, the direction of soûls, and the daily intensifyîng of hîs own Personal advance in the Unitive way, de Bânlle was following the latter object by a différent path. Political labours and negotiations thickened round him, royal favours were heaped upon him — ^public opinion pointed him out as the rival of Cardinal Richelieu, whose enmity was speedily kindled in conséquence. But de BéruUe did not aim at the position of a world-famed statesman, nor even when appointed Counsellor of State and Président of the Council of Regency (as he was in the year 1628), did thèse worldly honours tum his thoughts aside from that which had always been his one ûrst thought Nor were the scarcely less fascinating lures of science more successful. Prominently concemed in ail that was stirring in the world of intellect, — the patron of and ûrst to discover Descartes' genius as well as that of

other scientifiic men — ^none of thèse things really fiUed his mind. Perfectly aware that his health was breaking, the Cardinal continued to toil wearily and painfiilly at his public duties, both political and those which concemed the congrégation, but meanwhile he was preparing to lay them ail aside, and give in his last account to God. As early as April 1629, he made a gênerai confession to Père de Condren in préparation for death, and he was repeatedly heaid to express an eamest désire, if it might be, to die while actually cetebrating the Blessed Sacrifice of the Eucharist

Towards the end of September he went to Fontainebleau, where the King required his présence conceming a mission to Gaston d'Orléans, who, as usual, was in trouble. On the 27th the Cardinal returned to Paris so ill that he was unable to get to the Mother House, and remained that night at Saint Magloire. A day or two of rapidly increasing weakness foUowed, during which de Bérulle could not be induced to give up any part of his office ; but on October 2nd, while celebrating with much effort, he fainted away at the end of the Gospel Directly that he came round, however, he insisted on continuing the service, and broke down finally just before the Consécration, while saying the words " Hanc igitur ohîaiimtTn!^ The Oratorian Fathers placed thcir

THE OR A TORY AND ITS SYSTEAf. 159

Général in an arn^diaîri and gave him the Viaticum and Extrême Unction; during the few minutes of needful préparation he was heard to cry ont, " Where is He ? Let me see Him ! Let me adore Him ! Let me receive Him 1" Almost directly after receiving the last Sacraments de Bérulle passed from this life, at the ageoffifty-four.

Although up to the time of his death Cardinal de Bérulle had not framed Constitutions for the Congrégation, or provided for many extemal détails,' he had done much towards the development of its internai life, and to enable it to meet the needs of the day. From first to last his leading idea was "the close connexion of the new Congrégation with the Priesthood ; its spécial union with the Incarnate Word above ail in His Divine Priesthood, wherein He is chiefly seen as adoring the Father, and mediating between God and man."' The varions existing Religions Orders, he said, were founded by men, and hâve some spécial evangelic counsel as their main object — the Franciscans poverty, the Carthusians solitude, the Jesuits obédience; but the Priesthood owns no Founder save Our Lord Jésus Christ, and therefore it is pledged to seek ail evangelic perfection, not to sélect and pursue one point alone. Too often the priests of God hâve forgotten and lowered * L'Oratoire^ Père Perraud, p. 164. ' Ibid. p. 81.

i6o PRIESTLY LIFE IN FRANCE.

this their high standard, and Cardinal de BéruUe's object in founding the Oratory was to bring them back as far as possible to it ^' The aim of the Congrégation is to strive after the perfection of the Priesthood." Doubtless, he said, this should be the aim of each sevend priest, but united action is ever more powerful than the best-intentioned efforts of individuals can be, and the advantages of a Community life to those who are seeking to attain a high standard is very great

" A common social life," de BéruUe says, " is most essential to the perfection of the ecclesiastical state of life, for solitude is injurious not merely to the weak, but also to those who need many things to promote their work which a Community aflfords, such as participation of labour, readiness to be found at ail times by the people, constant co-operation alike in their fonctions in the Church and in those works of charity which claim their care.

" In addition to ail this assistance given by a common life to the extemal work of the sacred ministry, it is a great help to those whom God calls to Christian perfection to subject themselves to the guidance of a Congrégation, which shelters them from many hindrances, and assists them by example, by conférences, and many like means which are unattainaUe to individuals."'

» Règlements de TOratoire, Préface,

THE ORATORY AND ITS SYSTEM. i6i

De Bérulle held that the priesthood is no less bound to seek after the highest perfection than those who hâve fonnally taken the Religious vows, and therefore he would not hâve his priests bound by more than their Ordination Vows; they were to aim at the Counsels of Perfection in virtue of that total self-dedication, which he looked upon as the very essence of sacerdotal life. " His intense love for the ChuTch," sa)rs Bossuet, " kindled in him the désire of forming a Company which he would inspire with no other mind than that of the Church ; to which he would give no rules save her Canons, no superiors save her Bishops, no possessions save her Charity, no vows save those of Baptism and Holy Orders. Therein holy liberty becomes a holy bondage; men obey without being dépendent; they govem without commanding ; authority finds ail its strength in gentleness, and respect needs not to be upheld by fear. Love, banishing fear, works miracles, and without any fiuther yoke than its own sweet self, knows not only how to subject, but to annihilate self-wilL Hère, in order to form true priests, they are led to the Source of ail Truth ;— they hâve the Holy Scriptures in their hand, perpetually seeking its letter in study, its spirit in prayer, its depth in retreat, its efficacy in practice, its end in charity — ^the true end of ail, ' Christiam

i6a PRIESTLY UFE IN FRANCE.

nomèm thesaurus^-'^t one treasure of Chiistianity, as says TertulliaiL"'

V\xt de BéruUe enlarges on his idea of the perfection set before the Priesthood in the foUowing tenns: —

'^Inasmuch as ail the members of this Congr^;ar tion are bound by their callîng to seek this perfection, their life should be perfect, submissive, rçgulated, social, edifying, and laborious.

^^Fcrfea in intention — seeking God, not self, Heaven, not earth, desîring nothing save to possess Jésus, and to serve Him and His blessed Mother, putting aside ail other claims as though they were not :

'' Submissive in practice and functions, actbg according to the will of others :

^^R^ulatedm exact observance, obeying rules for the love of God and not constrainedly :

'' Social in humility and gentleness, and in kindly foF bearance towards one another, ^aUer alterius (mera portate, • • . Non quœ sua sunt singuii comiderania :*

" Edifying others by modesty, by a humble spirit and holy conversation :

^^ Laborious extemally, through constant occupation and work, and intemally through a hidàen life ever seeking God."

De Bérulle goes on to press the &ct that thèse

> Oraison Funèbre du Père Bouigoing, Bossuet, Œuviea^ edit Lâchât, vol. xii. p. 646.

obligatîons dependi not upon relîgious vows, but upon sacerdotal consécration : —

" To whîch manner of life priests are called by the Life of the Son of God, which they are bound to set forth in their own, inasmuch as our part is to live and move in Jésus, through Whom Alone we are called.

"The perfect life contemplâtes and adores His Divine life:

"The life of submission has référence to His subjection to the abjection of our human nature in every stage from infancy to death :

" The life of rule has référence to the way in which His Life was subjected not only to the Father's Will, but to the ordinary course of natural things :

" Sodal life to His Life among the Apostles, with the Blessed Virgin and S. Joseph, etc. :

" The life of édification and labour to His Labours on eaith and His Cross.

"The real link which binds this Congrégation is Charityi and the aim of those who form it is to seek after evangelical perfection thereby, not by any solenm vows. Consequently their life, which ought to be spedally interior, is in extemals ordinary; and their attention is rather fixed on practical boliness, on Jésus Christ and His Church, on their duties, their responsibilities towards soûls, than on cérémonies and extemal observances, which however are not to be

i64 PRIES TL Y LIFE IN FRANCE.

n^lectedy but shaped according to the extemal life of the Communîty." «

Thus while other Orders devoted themselves spedally to preachîng, éducation, or contemplation, the Oratory contemplated the organisation of the secular priest's life, whatever might be his individual vocation.

" If you are capable of study," wrote Père Amelote (the friend and biographer of de Condren), "the Oratory will provide you with quiet, with books, and with pulpits from whence to teach. If you seek retirement, it offers you solitude as well as more busy positions ; if you yeam after a life of pénitence, you will find men among us as ascetic as the Carthusians themselves; or if you are consumed by zeaî for God's service, our Society offers you a choice of missions and cures. Do you delight in music and splendid ritual ? You can follow such. In a word, the Oratory charitably moulds herself to every Community without becoming identical with any, inasmuch as it is not separated from the Bishops, and is bound to ail natural superiors."'

The Constitutions of the Oratory were not finally framed till Père de Condren*s Generalship, but they may as well be referred to hère, for their spirit

R^lements, quoted by Père Perraud, p. 9a ■ Vie de Condrôi, il p. c. viiL

was altogether that of Cardinal de BéruUe» and his successoi's great aîm was to act in ail things according to his mind.

The Congrégation was to be itself tho source of and to exercise ail authority, an authority the ministration of which it delegated to the Superior and certain assistants, but with the right reserved of questioning and examining their govemment by means of a General Assembly held every three years.

A living Oratorian makes some interesting comments on this Govemment» as being pre-eminently constitutionaL

"It is curious," Père Adolphe Perraud says, "to study its mechanism by the light of the period in which it was framed and carried out It was in that early part of the seventeenth century, when on ail sides power was becoming more centralised, the exercise of authority more direct, the share of govemment to which inferiors were admitted smaller; — when Richelieu's System was paving the way for that of Louis XrV.,— on the eve of the day when France was so dazzled with glory as to forgive the ^ Grand Roi' for presuming to say, ^PEtaiy c*est moi^ It was at the beginning of that long period of a hundred and seventy-five years during which the national représentation of the Etais ^knkraux was to be altogether suspended, and when, from 1614 to 1789, France was

l66 PRIESTL Y LIFE m FRANCE.

nevar to be pennîtted by her rulers to make herself heardi to protest against the fatal wars înto which she was dragged, to complain of the taxes which cnished, or to control by means of her représentatives the finandal ruin which was being wrought for her. It was in such times as thèse that the founders of the Oratory developed a Constitution in which the rights of ail were so carefully guarded, which obliged superiors to consider the opinions of their inferiors, which called npon authority to render a periodical accoimt of its acts, and to be set aside in due course before a higher power, namely, that of the Congrégation îtself as represented by its deputies.

"One might marvel less at this ample liberty were we contemplating one of those Religions Orders which were founded in the Middle Ages, contemporary with a condition of things in which the modem System of administrative centralisation was unknown. In those days the S3rstem of assemblies and élections was found in full vigour in conventual life, both among men and women, long before it was dreamt of in civil sodety/ and the modem declaimers who think to

< After analysing the Constitatioiis which S. Dominic gave to his Order of preachers, Lacordaire sa3rs : '' Such were the Constitutions which a Christian man of the thirteenth centnry gave to other Christian men, and assnredly ail modem charteis hâve a atiangely despotic savour compared with this. Thousands of men, scattered ail over the face of the earth, lived dnring six

display their wisdom by denotincmg the despotism and lack of liberty and progress of the Chuich, would be amazedi were they to read the Constitutions of ClteauXy or S. Dominic, to find that thèse calumniated cloistds were so many small states govemed by magistrates of thehr own choosing^ and uniting practically the most heroic obédience with the noblest and most real liberty."*

The Oratory was govemed by a triennial Assembly of deputies — one of whom represented every twelve members — such membership requiring a man to be in Priesfs Orders, and to hâve been three years and three months in the Society. This Assembly elected aU officers and reviewed ail acts. The Superior General was to be re-elected every three years, according to S. Philip Neri, but during de Bérulle's life no measures were taken to rule this point in France, and the fitst Assembly under de Condren decided that the Superior should hold office for life " in honour of the Everlasting Priesthood of Jésus Christ'*

The practical rule of life of Cardinal de BéruUe's Congrégation was simple. The hours kept in the

hnndred yean under this r^me, peaceful and united — the most industricms, the most obedient, the freest of men." — (Mémoire pour le Rétablissement des Frères Prêcheurs^ c. ii) * L'Oratoire, p. 93.

i68 PRIESTL Y LIFE IN FRANCE,

seventeenth century were everywhere early, and the Oratorians adopted as implying no great austerity the same tîme for rising shortly after gîven by S. Vincent de Paul to his Sisters of Charity — ^4 A.M., nine o'clock p.m. being the hour of goîng to bed The first act of the day was an honi's méditation. Those who were in their novitiate spent the rest of it in offices, study of Holy Scripture — ^a portion of which was to be leamt by heart daily — ^and of theology; due heed to exercise and récréation being taken. The Fathers who had completed their novitiate found no lack of emplojrment in the exercise of their priestly functions, éducation, and the varions intellectual works to which their respective capadties called them. There was no severe asceticism among them — ^the ordinary rules of the Church were supplemented by some few days pf spécial observance, and silence was kept on the evenings of Friday and Saturday in memoiy of our Lord's Seasons of retirement even from the Blessed Virgin and His Apostles, as well as on ail ^t days, and when the Blessed Sacrament was exposed. More stress was laid by their pious Founder on the spiiit than on the actual form of the Oratorian life. "The whole object and mind of this institution," he wrote,» "is spécial love and honour to Jésus Christ in His Etemal Priest* ' Esprit de rOiatoire.

hood, the Founder of ail priesthood; and to maintaîn this spirit duly we must recognise Jésus as the Founder and Ruler of our life. So too we must give Him ail and more than the révérence and submission which religions Orders are wont to pay to their founders, recognising none other save Himself, but that without failing in obédience to such things as may be enjoined in Hîs Name and His Autbority by those who are His représentatives.** This dévotion to our Lord ought to imply : — "A great union of our mind with the Mind of Jésus, which must nile us inwardly, and bear fruit extemally:

" Great zeal for His Honour, as the object of our life:

'^ Renundation of the world and of self, as the cross we are called on to bear for His Glory : " Perfect imitation of His Life and Ways: "Diligent co-operation with His intentions and Works, ever remembering that the order of nature may subsist without our labour, but not so the order of grâce which is committed to us:

" Great respect and dévotion to His Church : '' Ëamest efforts to advance His Kingdom upon earth.

" In short, so to live as to be filled with Him, seeking none save Him, despising ail else, desiring that

He may even now bé AU în ail to us through Grâce, as hereafter He will be in Glory."

Every act was to be offered in this sensé to our Lord. On first wakîng, the Oratorian was to adore His Incarnation ; dressing, he was to remember how he had ^' put on Christ" in Baptism ; his cassock was to remind him of the Lamb dumb before His shearers, and so forth. " Time," de Bérulle wrote, " is a possession bought for us by the Son of God, in order that by means of it we may acquire nothing less than God Himself. And Priests are more bound than other men to use it for this end, inasmuch as it is their part so to employ time, that they may win not only their own blessed etemity, but that of other men."

As near an approach to continuai méditation on the High Priesthood of Christ as human imperfection admits of should be the source from whence His chosen servants must drink life and strength for their weighty office. From daily méditation upon the Life and Words of the Son of God there will inevitably resuit:

" Acts oî Adoration^ inasmuch as every action of the Son of God is Divine :

" Of Sdf-dedication^ for Christ bas bought us by His ever priceless act; and meditating on any of His words, acts, or thoughts, we should renew our gift of ourselves in thanksgiving for that spécial thing :

** ÇX Thanksgiving^ for that He came on earth for ns ; His life and whatsoever He did being ail for us :

" Of Lave. Ail He did was Love for us, and we are bound to answer Him in love, renouncing ail mère earthly love for His sake :

" OîZealj seeking that He may be known and loved of ail men, that His Love may bear due finit :

" Of Pétition. His actions are the source of ail Good Gifts, and we must ask aU we need through them."

There is one very touchîng and beautiful admonition given by Cardinal de Bérulle to the members of his Congrégation, namely, that their pétitions should be, not Personal and selfish, but gênerai ; that they ask, not that their own needs only may be supplied, but that whatever they pray for be for their neighbours, their community, the whole Church, seeking God's Glory in ail. If you feel cold and languid in prayer, if routine chills your énergies, and the spirit of dévotion grows slack and formai within 3rou, it will be rekindled by dwelling on the universality of the Love of Jésus Christ You, as a Priest, will remind yourself that the salvation of a soûl, the salvation of your flock, may hang upon the eamestness of your prayer ; that with you it rests to rescue thb soûl firom temptatîon or that other firom despair; to cast down Satan's triumphs and stablish the KioKdom of Christ Such

thoughts as thèse will surely revive the slackening warmth of a man's heart, and enable him to cast himself wîth fresh fervour before that Loving Saviour Who has said> '^ Whatsoever ye shall ask in My Name, it shall be given unto you."

Cardinal de BéruUe also recommended the practice on which de Condren, as we bave akeady seen, laid so mucb stress, the " examen de prévoyance,^* or forecasting the duties and probable temptations and trials of the coming day, so as to meet them forearmed, and strengthenêd by prayer and self-humiliation.

Needless to say how important a feature in each priestly life he esteemed the Blessed Sacrifice of the Altar. De BéruUe's death was but the final act of his life, through which the Holy Ëucharist was ever his chief désire, his stay and consolation. " Those holy soûls who endure life and long for death," he wrote,» '' who count this world as an exile, find their consolation in the Ëucharist, and that because they grow in the Love of God through the Divine virtue of that celestial manna, a privilège peculiar to this life ; because their King and Saviour vouchsafes therein to be really présent with them ; and because by it He has given them the means of offering a worthy homage to His Heavenly Father. The Blessed Sacrament is the Manna of our désert, the Paschal Lamb of our exile, our t Discours de l'Eacharistifr

Food till we reach the Mount Horeb, the Vicdm of propitiatîon to us, our praise-offering, otir one perfect price by whidi we obtain ail things from the Father." With respect to ail intellectual labour — (and the Oratorians hâve numbered no ordinary intellects among them) — their Founder still insisted on the precept already quoted from their original institution, that knowledge is not to be sought for itself alone, but that it may be used to set forward the ELingdom of Christ and the salvation of soûls: "Non tam circa scientiam quam circa usum

SCIENTLfi."

Cardinal de Bérulle's instructions to his Congrégation on the right use of intellectual study are founded on the words of Holy Scripture ; " the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed " (i Sam. 2, 3), or as it is in the Vulgate, '* Deus scientiarum Dominus est, et ipsi praeparantur cogitationes." He enjoins them to ponder well over thèse words, and not to defraud God of that which is His, by assuming any powers of mind or intellectual capadty to be their own gifts — nay, it is a very sacrilège for a man to attribute the beauty, or force, or depth of his conception and ideas to himself, aU coming from Him Who breathed into man's nostrils the breath of life, Who is «the Father of Spirits" (Heb. xiL 9), and «the Father of lights" (James L 17). "How," the

174 PRIESn Y UFE IN FRANCE.

Cardinal asks, ^'éhall we gloiy in our petty knowledge of such small eartbly things» and not ratber lose ourselves in the contemplation and hope of the glorious tbings which await us ? AVhat are we ? What do we know? A handful of dust^ knowing somewhat of earthly science and human language» and even that but imperfectly and uncertainly. But supposing such knowledge to be carried to the greatest perfection, what is it in comparison with the speech and the knowledge of angels, still more with that of God? We are called to greater things ; we are called to know not this world, but the Author of the world, to live an endless life in Him. Surely it is no small dignity to live in God, to share His Etemal happiness ! yet that is our life, and for ever — ^let us never rest satisfied in anything short of that"

De Bérulle wams his Congrégation against the périls which beset the studious and intellectual ; — presumption, arrogance, vanity; quoting S. Bemard's saying, that '' some men leam in order to know, and that is curiosity: others to be known, and that is vanity : while others leam in order to édification, and that is charitj-." "^/iV sdurd ut sciant^ et est curiositas; alii sdufd ut scianiury et est vanitas; alii sdunt ut œdificcnty et est caritas** (In Cant 36).

Récréation times were to be watchfully used ; a few moments' prayer were to précède them, and the ejaah

latioo, " The Word was made Flesh and dwelt among usy" in order that His Mind and Conversation among men might be remembered as the model of that of His servants, a habit which de Bérulle said would cause their intercourse to be after S. Paul's precept, and "whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report" (PhiL iv. 8), would be the groundwork of their intercourse.

In treating of the spécial duties of superiors, Père de Bérulle says, " Our work is to become holy even as He is Holy, and through His Holy Spirit to leam how to promote the sanctification of others by our example and by our labours. Ail are bound to work for this end perseveringly and faithfully, giving ail our best efforts, our longings and prayers, in a word, using every gift of nature and of grâce which we may possess thereto. £ach one of us is bound to do this, though after divers manners — each according to his power and according to the work assigned him — some in prayer, others in labour; some in ruling prudently, others in accepting direction meekly, for to rule well and be ruled well is a spécial gift from God, Who gives wisdom to some and docility to others — ^to the one authority, and to the other obédience — imparting His Grâce alike to varions conditions, giving some-

times indeed a more abondant grâce to those who are ruled than to those who rule. Thus His secret counsels should mould us ail in humSity and mutual respect — superiors revering the hidden grâce in those who are subject to them, and thèse again defemng to God's Authority as represented by their superiors — ail the while being bound together in the unity of the One Spirit, Which worketh amid the *diversities of gifts.'"

Superiors are wamed to consider their duties under five heads :r—