The day came for Eugene to go to the Under-secreatry Adinolfi, to find out the reaction of the Pope. The Archpriest had recommended to the Pope that he give a decree of praise (laudanda) the Oblates and not a formal approval.
This morning, at the time appointed, I betook myself to the Archpriest’s house who, in parenthesis, lives at the other extremity of the city. He received me immediately with good grace, dealt with some affairs in my presence with one of his secretaries, and then commenced to speak of our affair. He first read to me the succinct report that he had made to the Holy Father which, it must be said, basically contained my memoir and the essential points which ought to stand out but, as he had given me to understand the day before yesterday, he concluded in favour of the laudanda after the text had been examined to see if there was anything to change.
The Pope, however, had other ideas:
But, give praise to the goodness of God and unite yourselves, all of you, to me to thank him! Such was not the mind of the Holy Father: “No,” said the Pontiff, “This society pleases me; I know the good it does, etc., etc.” And he entered into multiple details which surprised the Archpriest to the uttermost. “I wish to favour it. Choose a Cardinal, one of the mildest of the Congregation, to be the ponent of this cause; go to him on my behalf and tell him my intention is not merely that these Rules be praised but that they be approved.”
O Leo XII! Even were the Congregation to reject our Rules, you would nonetheless be considered for ever amongst us as the benefactor and the father of our Society.
Letter to Henri Tempier, 22 December 1825, EO VI n 213
At the bottom of the undelivered letter that Eugene had written to Adinolfi, he added:
Nota Bene. This letter was not necessary. Before it arrived at his address, the Holy Father had positively told the reverend Archpriest, that he loves our Society, that he wishes to favor it, and that his intention is that its Rules be not only praised, but approved. He had directed M. Adinolfi to go on his behalf to the Cardinal Ponent of the Cause and let him know this.
Letter to the Archpriest Adinolfi, Under-secretary for the Congregation of Bishops and Regulars, 23 December 1826, EO XIII n. 49.
“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice!” Philippians 4:4
I am late this morning. When I arose I opened this reflection I found myself simply sitting and enjoying Eugene’s joy. Although we already know the outcome it is as if in a small way we have travelled with him on his journey to Rome, his visit with the Pope and then his waiting. I am reminded of Advent and our focus on this time of waiting and anticipation, of yearning and longing, something our entire ‘being’ takes part in. In Eugene’s time it is almost Christmas, the 22nd of December. A bit of an early Christmas gift – from God, from the Church. And so I found myself just sitting in the joy of that moment, letting it percolate within, a joy that reflects somehow the joy that has grown within me as I look at and take part in the movement and process of being an Oblate Associate in our Province. All this as we approach December 8th and the grand Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Life seems to be incredibly full at this place in time. As I sat in the reflected joy of Eugene, and his dearest family I found my heart singing an Easter hymn; “Rejoice, rejoice, He is Risen, He is Risen, Alleluia”. Totally out of time and space but it was what my heart wanted to sing and has continued evenas I rode here on the bus and is with me now as I write.
I was struck by what Eugene shared when he wrote: “O Leo XII! Even were the Congregation to reject our Rules, you would nonetheless be considered for ever amongst us as the benefactor and the father of our Society.” No matter the outcome he now speaks of the Pope as benefactor and ‘father’. This says so much to me, for Eugene considers himself to be father to his brothers in this society – as Frank writes above “A father’s communication with his many children… that is one of the most agreeable occupations of my life”. This Pope now resides in Eugene’s heart in a most special way, in a most special place – Eugene’s heart seems to be growing and becoming more open. There is a sharing, a ‘turning over’ of himself and his own to the Church, a giving.
This brief glimpse has been a gift, truly a gift and I thank God for the wonder of it. I join in with Paul and with Frank in rejoicing in the Lord. Perhaps that is why I am singing this beautiful Easter song.