Eugene de Mazenod speaks to us

In the evening of the beatification, Eugene participated in a jubilee pilgrimage walk to St Peter’s.

The Monsignor Dean of the Rota, in his prelate’s garb, carried the crucifix, I was beside wearing my soutane and long coat. As we went along, we sang the litany of the saints and I felt a real pleasure in making the streets of the Christian world re-echo my voice, singing the praises of God. When we arrived at Saint Peter’s we were presented for veneration by the faithful the famous relics of the Passion, such as the wood of the true cross, the holy lance, etc.

 I was deeply moved by the profound silence which reigned in that entire basilica during this ceremony. Everyone was kneeling in the most pious prayer. Nevertheless, it was an immense crowd. I should remark in this regard, what I have noticed ever since I came to Rome, continually making the rounds of churches; that I have noticed always and everywhere there has been the greatest respect, and that the piety of the faithful, who are however all ordinary people, poor peasants, most of them in rags, always edifies me more and more.

Roman Diary, 18 December 1825, EO XVII

Third Sunday of Advent: I have an insatiable appetite for seeing Church ceremonies when they are carried out with dignity. That’s why I gladly returned to the papal chapel. The Sovereign Pontiff did not attend so a Cardinal officiated once more and nothing is more majestic than to see this noble assembly.

Roman Diary 11 December 1825, EO XVII

A week later he was back in St. Peter’s.

This was a memorable day. I went to Saint Peter’s where Archbishop Mazio had me placed in a privileged spot, where I was able to see and hear everything marvellously. First of all, I saw the entire part of Saint Peter’s church from the confession to the far end where Saint Peter’s chair is, held up by four Doctors of the Church, two Latin and two Greek, lit up by a prodigious number of candles, for the day of the beatification of Blessed Angelo d’Acri, priest and Capuchin missionary, whose covered image was hung up at a great height, all surrounded with torches.

Roman Diary 11 December 1825, EO XVII

Describing the beatification ceremony to Fr Tempier:

Here is another of these missionaries beatified; they all have the same method and in ten or twelve days put on a mission for you with all that belongs or goes with it. That gives us courage and hope. I had been assured that the Pope would come down to pray before the newly Blessed and indeed that is what happened. So I had the consolation of being present for the inaugural ceremony for this saint, to whom I commended myself strongly, placing all of you under his protection, as well as the happiness of seeing and contemplating at leisure the Head of the Church. I cannot describe to you the impression made on my soul by the Vicar of Jesus Christ. I looked at him, it is true, with eyes of a lively faith; so I experienced feelings that were certainly not shared by most of the people close to me who only looked out of curiosity. He prayed with great fervour and I quietly united myself to him.

Letter to Henri Tempier in Marseilles, 18 December 1825, EO VII n. 212

After many weeks of absence from the Oblates in France, Eugene expressed his frustration at hw slowly things moved in Rome, and how much he missed his community.

Were I to pay attention to myself, I now have had my fill of Rome; I cannot accustom myself to live in separation from those I love, I have no pleasure away from them. Oh! how happy we will be in heaven when we are all there together! Then there will be no more journeys, no more separation and although absorbed in God we will love our friends more than ever. His intuitive vision of God did not prevent Jesus Christ from loving men, and amongst them, some more than others. That is how it is, however it pleases refined mystics to wish to give us, for the sake of perfection, another nature which assuredly would not be worth that which we have from God. So much so that there is no happiness for me, separated from those who are mine!

 Judge from that how saddened I must be at seeing how matters proceed here. It is a world in which there are nine months of vacation in the year. Business in consequence is done very slowly

Roman Diary, 9 December 1825, EO XVII

The Vatican officials were not hopeful that the Pope would give his approbation to the Oblates as this was not the custom at this time of the foundation of so many religious societies in France. In this atmosphere of lack of hope, Eugene continued to use every means at his disposal to gain a positive reponse, yet he remained reaslistic.

I have not yet seen the Holy Father and I am not annoyed at that because I am not yet prepared. Only yesterday did I finish the petition which I propose to present to him; I filled four pages of large paper. Before composing it, I had to work on the language. Shall I tell you? They give me little hope. Cardinal de Gregorio, to whom I had been warmly recommended from Turin and who has treated me with much friendship, who has already given me a dinner and a thousand courtesies, has told me positively that he does not believe that the Pope would give his formal approbation;

 … I have begged the Cardinal to speak to the Pope beforehand in my favour; he will not fail. I had previously seen the Cardinal Vicar who, it seems, will have spoken to him of me. If the audience is delayed a little, other Cardinals will be able to render me the same service. In the meantime, I have not wasted my time and since graces ought, in the absence of all else, to signify something, I have asked some which will carry weight. For this I have gone to see the prelate who is Secretary of the Propaganda, who is disposed not to refuse me anything. He will present my requests immediately to the Pope.

 I am going tomorrow to see the Cardinal Secretary of State but it is the audience with the Pope which will decide the matter. If he refuses to give the brief, I will leave immediately after Christmas; if he dithers or if he yields to my wishes, then we shall see. We will know where we stand seemingly in the course of next week.

Letter to Henri Tempier in Marseilles, 9 December 1825, EO VII n. 211

In his petition to the Pope, Eugene stressed the benefits which their Rule had brought to the Missionaries. Now he asked that the Pope fortify their mission by giving the Rule his approval.

Now this family of which Your Holiness is the beloved father, this family completely devoted to the Church, to the Holy Apostolic See and to the sacred person of Your Holiness, begs you to add to the foresaid benefits already granted that of giving it a consistence which it cannot acquire except from Your Holiness, from whom it confidently awaits the formal approval that Your Holiness will deign to give to its Rules.

 The experience of almost ten years proves that these Rules are suitable for helping the members of the Society achieve the goals they have set for themselves. The approval of seven noteworthy bishops such as the Archbishop of Aix and the Bishops of Marseilles, Gap, Digne, Fréjus, Nimes and Nice are a second guarantee, equally certain, that the Missionaries dare to present to Your Holiness.

 Most Holy Father, deign to affix the final seal and consolidate for ever such an important work by fortifying it with pontifical approval and your apostolic blessing.

Petition to His Holiness Pope Leo XII, 8 December 1825, EO XIII n. 48

Once the missionaries had started to work outside of Provence, it became necessary to change their name. They had adopted “Oblates of St Charles,” no doubt to honor the Founder’s patron saint. Eugene, however, did not like this name. Of his own accord he decided to change it to Oblates of the most Holy and Immaculate Virgin Mary and needed the Pope’s permission for this change.

Such touching signs of the great protection on the part of Your Holiness is already a kind of approval; besides, the Society of Missionaries is pleased to regard them as an inalienable title, of which it hopes, with God’s grace, never to be unworthy.

 At the same time, we ask Your Holiness that, in the Brief of Approval which the Missionaries request, you give them the name of Oblates of the Most Holy and Immaculate Virgin Mary instead of Oblates of S[ain]t Charles: this to avoid any confusion of names with other Congregations; and further, if you are agreeable and if you approve, to make it clear that the Abbé de Mazenod, who was thereto named by unanimous vote of his co-workers, be and remain the superior of the Society of the Missionary (from now on called, if it pleases Your Holiness) Oblates of the Most Holy and Immaculate Virgin Mary.

 The most humble, faithful and devoted son of Your Holiness,

 The Abbé de Mazenod, Vicar General of Marseilles.

Petition to His Holiness Pope Leo XII, 8 December 1825, EO XIII n. 48

Eugene’s petition to the Pope included the letters of support for the Oblate Rule that he had received from seven bishops.

Pope Pius VII granted liberal indulgences to the Society of Missionaries and the Bishops have not ceased to encourage their good works. It was soon necessary to expand beyond Provence and go into Dauphiné and Languedoc to respond to the wishes and concerns of the Prelates. All those in whose dioceses the Missionaries are working have approved their Rule in most flattering terms. There are seven of them. Several wanted to write this approval in their own hand so as to give in this manner more force to their honourable witness. All accompanied it with the most touching expressions of the liveliest and most sincere interest…

 But they still lack something that they desire with great intensity, that which each of them begs with greatest insistence through their spokesman, the Abbé de Mazenod, their superior: they still lack the approval of Your Holiness.

Petition to His Holiness Pope Leo XII, 8 December 1825, EO XIII n. 48

Eugene’s petition to the Pope included a summary of the work and achievements of the Oblates since their foundation ten years before:

They have devoted themselves mainly to the missions, which is the principal end of their Institute and this preferably in the most abandoned areas, preaching there in the vernacular, that is in the dialect, the daily language of the people who do not understand French well in these remote places. They have offered their assistance to the Clergy in view of a moral reform by means of retreats and a good priestly training in seminaries. They have dedicated themselves to the care of the youth whom they gather in Christian groups in order to withdraw them from the world’s corruption. They have also been engaged in serving poor prisoners whom they instruct, to whom they administer the Sacraments and those who are condemned to death they accompany even to the gallows…

The Missionary Oblates of Saint Charles thus constituted have four houses and a hostel at the present. They are serving in six large dioceses. They are entrusted with the hospitals of Aix, the prisons of Marseilles, the prisons of Aix, and the shrine of Notre-Dame du Laus. Bishops are calling them to assume the direction of their seminaries. They have, furthermore, the consolation of enjoying the affection and esteem of their Superiors and fellow citizens.

Petition to His Holiness Pope Leo XII, 8 December 1825, EO XIII n. 48

In his petition to Pope Leo XII for approbation, Eugene continued by marveling at the results of their ministry. It was ony possible for God to work through the Oblates if they themselves lived on the presence of the God they wished to communicate. In order to do this effectively a Rule of Life was needed as a spiritual companion and guide.

They themselves have been struck by the wonders that grace has achieved through their ministry. They feel that to become worthy of their vocation, they must walk in the footsteps of the Saints; that the members of their Society must have the possibility of working at their perfection and at the same time, they would provide the people with the means of salvation by preaching conversion to them.

They have resolved to embrace the evangelical counsels and to devote themselves totally to whatever would promote the greatest glory of God, the salvation of the most abandoned souls, and the service of the Church.

The Rules and Constitutions of the Society of the Missionary Oblates of Saint Charles (which is the name they had taken), commonly known as the Missionaries of Provence, have been drawn up in this spirit.

Petition to His Holiness Pope Leo XII, 8 December 1825, EO XIII n. 48