The second part of 1823 was a nightmare for Eugene. Not only did his arrival and presence in Marseille lead to friction in certain quarters, but difficulties emerged in Aix en Provence as well.<\/p>\n
\nI will not launch into a chapter of regrets and sorrows, it would be unending…<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Letter to Hippolyte Court\u00e8s, 13 August 1823, EO VI n. 112<\/em><\/p>\n
Leflon gives some details: Bishop Fortune’s installation upon the see of Marseilles seemed an ideal guarantee for the future of Father de Mazenod’s missionary society since it assured them of an episcopal protection which was absolutely indispensable. However, the very thing that was supposed to save the Society from outside peril came very near destroying it by provoking a crisis inside the little family. The great threat came from where Father de Mazenod least expected to meet it; his collaborators felt, in effect, that their superior was devoting himself far more to the diocese than to themselves when, in reality, the situation was quite different; so much so, that the people of Marseilles were soon to accuse him just as wrongly of sacrificing the interests of the diocese to those of his Missionary Society and of colonizing the diocese to the profit of his religious family. His prolonged sojourn in Paris from February 15 to July 31, 1823 resulted, first of all, in disorientating the poor missionaries who, until then, had been under the spell of his forceful personality and had become accustomed to following his direction implicitly.<\/em><\/p>\n
In all fairness, he could not be blamed for the late arrival of the Pontifical Bull which delayed Fortune’s consecration until July 6, in spite of the urgent summons the latter had received from the Minister of Cults to come to Paris immediately after his nomination at the end of January. During all that time, the frequency and length of the Founder’s letters should have been proof enough of his constant solicitude and deep paternal affection; postal liaison, however, no matter how regular it may be, never equals personal contact. Then too, good Father Courtes did his best at Aix to substitute for him, but he had neither the dynamism, influence or authoritative manner of the Founder. Even in spite of this, however, the assurance that their Superior-General would rejoin the community as soon as possible induced them to practice patience. Now, when he returned from Paris on August 6, instead of resuming his residence at Aix, he left the city with his uncle and established his domicile at Marseilles where his duties as archdeacon took up much of his time. Tempier, who had likewise been appointed archdeacon, left the motherhouse permanently, and so, an unavoidable wavering ensued.<\/em><\/p>\n
Leflon II p.242-243<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
“There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love.”\u00a0\u00a0 Martin Luther King, Jr.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The second part of 1823 was a nightmare for Eugene. Not only did his arrival and presence in Marseille lead to friction in certain quarters, but difficulties emerged in Aix en Provence as well. I will not launch into a … Continue reading