To add to Eugene’s distress, he discovered that three of the French Bishops, who had originally given letters of approval and encouragement for Eugene to take to the Pope, had changed their minds and written to the Pope to discourage him from granting approbation to the Oblates!
January 5. – I began my day by going to offer the Holy Sacrifice on the tomb of St. Joseph Calasanctius, with the intention of obtaining by his intercession the light and the strength necessary to sustain this new battle prompted by the demon against our holy enterprise. I emerged from there to go to the house of the Archpriest Adinolfi…. His countenance reassured me strongly. He told me that not one, but three of those who had approved, had written quite a bold letter in common which had no common sense and which was utterly anti-canonical: these are his own expressions. He had at first believed it to the trick of some emissary jealous of Ferruci, and had compared the signatures but there was no doubt that the three Bishops have signed this letter. He has much reassured me and he avowed to me that from the beginning of this affair, he who is so accustomed to deal with similar matters, had been astonished by its pace, he could not conceive how it could go so grandly forward without meeting obstacles. This one did not surprise him but it did not cause him much fear. I had taken strong resolutions before St. Joseph Calasanctius; the words of the Archpriest have added hope to my faith.
The Bishops of Aix, Gap and Digne had written to Cardinal Castiglioni and to the Pope on December 8 saying that, on reflection, the statutes of the Oblates appeared to them as unacceptable. They contained several dispositions contrary to the rights of Bishops and the civil laws of France. Eugene now feared that Cardinal Castiglioni, the future Pope Pius VIII, had spoken to the Pope and influenced him negatively:
Cardinal Castiglioni will not have failed to speak to the Holy Father to this effect and, you know, when someone abounds on one side and no one replies, how easy it is to make an impression
Letter to Henri Tempier, 5 January 1826, EO VII n 216
“Most people spend more time and energy going around problems than in trying to solve them.” Henry Ford
Eugene was rightly upset at the actions of 3 of the bishops from France and their actions and with Cardinal Castiglioni, the one who had spoken to him about visiting the French Ambassador. And while he maybe wasn’t totally surprised he must have been hurt a little. Again betrayal and rejection by his own countrymen, by bishops from his own beloved Church. All done I am sure in the language of piety and godliness. Archpriest Adinolfi said: “…he could not conceive how it could go so grandly forward without meeting obstacles.” He obviously was not surprised at all and his words hint at this being quite normal and a part of the process. And rather than walking around the problem he wants to face it right on and solve it (it being what the Pope and the Cardinals hear last (being the positive versus the negative).
For some reason I look back at the New Testament and find similarities with Jesus and the Pharisees in his time. Mankind seems to have changed very little in some ways. And now, 200 years after Eugene – what about me? This is where it begins to be a little uncomfortable for I must look at myself, my actions, my reasons for doing what I have and how I have. Has there been self-righteousness in there? How has it shown itself? What has it hidden behind? Has it been about ‘building up’ or lessening and breaking down? How have I moved in my life? Has it been in prayer and discernment, with others or on pure impulse looking only at myself? Probably (and sadly) a bit of both. I must keep checking, and bouncing it off of others.
Lord give me the courage to always be truthful with myself, with you. Give me the strenght to be steadfast. Let it not be all about me, but rather all about you.