1822 was the year when Marseille was on the map with the movement to restore the Diocese of Marseille, which the French Revolution had closed. There had been no bishop present for 21 years as this territory was administered by the Archbishop of Aix (and Aix had also not had a resident bishop for several years). Consequently the condition of the church in Marseille was not healthy. With the fall of Napoleon and the restoration of the monarchy, the way became clear for the reestablishment of all the dioceses closed during the Revolution. In 1817 Eugene’s uncle, Fortuné de Mazenod, had been named Bishop of Marseille, however, political and economic considerations had prevented the restoration of the diocese.
The people of Marseille had been taking sides on the naming of the future bishop. Some of the upper class supported Forbin Janson, while the poorer classes supported Fortuné. The wealthy had the means and the power to support their candidate, while badmouthing Fortuné. They were propagating the idea that he was too old and senile to become Bishop. In fact, he was72 years old and full of energy and good will. They had written to Paris to say that he had fallen into a state of near decrepitude and an article had been published.
Eugene decided not to react in public to the article:
It is not because of indifference or false virtue that I do not write to Paris. I continue to believe that we have done all that human prudence demands in order to ward off malevolent plotting…
We must leave ourselves in the hands of divine Providence and pray God to direct events according to his good pleasure and not according to the pretentious claims of men.
There is no doubt in my mind that the article in France Chrétienne is the outcome of the evil intentions and perhaps the self-importance of intriguers. What proves this is that the reflections it applies only to Marseilles might have equally applied to Montauban for which the one newly named finds himself absolutely in the same position as my uncle.
Letter to Hippolyte Courtès, 8 March 1822, EO VI n 81
“If you’re on the rocks, don’t despair; be a lighthouse.” Anonymous
“We must leave ourselves in the hands of divine Providence and pray to God to direct events….” is a little bit of where I am right now. After 24 hours of no real sleep we flew into Prague and it was so beautiful – the trees are full of colour and the fields have the most gorgeous greens. Even the drive into the city was filled with wonder. I am trying now to get my body settled on European time by having a little lunch before meeting with the person who seems to be the leader of the Oblate Associates here for Central Europe and another person who is an Associate. They are going to show me around Prague this afternoon.
My quiet time this morning was spent on a darkened plane, listening to some of Dan Schutte’s music and wondering what gifts this trip will be bringing. I am far from being on the rocks of despair, but still hope that somehow today I can be a small beacon of light, perhaps one reflecting back the light that is these people here.