A DIFFICULT DECISION
A few weeks later, a troubled Eugene wrote to Bishop Bourget of Montreal, revoking his permission to proceed with the application to the Vatican for Fr Guigues to be appointed bishop. It was the result of a letter from the Oblates in Canada:
I have just received from Father Allard a letter which plunges me into the greatest anguish. I fear, in consequence of the forebodings instilled in me by this Father’s letter, which is more strongly worded than the one I had previously received, that we may strike a fatal blow at all our establishments in Canada by the promotion of Father Guigues to the episcopate… I would wish to be still in time to withdraw it since the consequences of this nomination are to be so disastrous – such at least is the judgement of those upon the scene.
Eugene gives the reason for his concern for the good of the mission of the Oblates in North America:
You can judge, Monseigneur, what must be my anxiety. If such things are to be the result of the choice of Father Guigues, there is no room for hesitation. We must renounce it for I ought not to hide from you that I am absolutely unable to send from Europe anyone capable of replacing him in the functions with which I have entrusted him. No one is better able than you, Monseigneur, to appreciate the position of the Congregation in Canada. You know too well the trials and tribulations which preceded the arrival of Father Guigues in Canada since it took all your charity, all your paternal kindness to ward off all the difficulties.
Letter to Bishop Bourget of Montreal, 23 December 1846, EO I n 72
REFLECTION
The right thing to do and the hard thing to do are usually the same.”
Steve Maraboli
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While I know a few historical facts there is much between the lines that I do not know or remember. It would be so easy to draw conclusions that might be erroneous…
A delicate balance that must be maintained for the good of all. In the end it will be the will of God, but still he reflects on a decision which could affect both the growing congregation and the life of the Church.
We too are called to make difficult decisions, with regard to our own lives and the lives of those around us who we touch in one way or another. We are faced with these decisions in our work lives, our family lives, as we minister to and with others… We cannot succumb to the idea of making the easiest decision or the decision that will make us popular. Nor can it be made out of anger, jealousy or any other self interest.
We know from history that the right decision was made and God worked with that. Prayer and guidance from the Holy Spirit is required, not just in the decision making process, but also how we enliven and share those decisions. And God will find a way to work through our less than stellar decisions. They must be life-giving and shared out of love rather than a desire to show another up. They must be taken and shared with love and forgiveness (for the love alone may not always be enough).
Perhaps that is why the right decision can also appear to be the most difficult.
I think of Mary as she pondered in her heart the things she had been told…