On May 9 1825, Eugene accompanied his uncle Fortun\u00e9 to Paris and then to Rheims to attend the consecration of the new king, Charles X. The historian, Rey, commented that \u201cAll the dignitaries of the kingdom, the archbishops and one bishop of each ecclesiastical province had been invited to this ceremony that boldly proclaimed the union of the Church and the State within this royal and Catholic authority.\u201d Eugene was a monarchist and acknowledged the important role of the king and what this meant for the freedom of the Church\u2019s ministry. What he reacts against here is the behavior of the dignitaries as they awaited the arrival of the king:<\/p>\n
\nWhen shall I ever manage, very dear friend, to hide myself far from the world, yes, so far that I shall not be able to see or hear it. The more I regard it close at hand, the more it looks despicable and horrible to me. This time I can say that I find myself at the center of its magnificence, on an occasion when vanity unfurls all its opulence. Impossible to see anything more sumptuous; one\u2019s eyes are dazzled. Yet these are only preliminaries for the most splendid ceremony that ever shall be seen during the reign of a powerful monarch. Prior to his arrival, all the celebrities of the kingdom are coming in crowds and jostling one another in this little corner of the earth.<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Everybody is steeped in conceit; admiration and ecstasy abound. They think themselves remarkable merely from the fact of being just now at the focal point of the whole of Europe. They applaud any favors which elevate certain personages of whom they are jealous at heart but whom they flatter as long as they are not without hope of seeing themselves become their prot\u00e9g\u00e9s.<\/strong><\/h5>\n
It would be endless if I tried to describe all I see at close quarters but I would also never be able to say to what extent I disdain all that is made the object of the admiration and cupidity, I dare say, of all of them\u2026<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Is it thus that one must think, speak, act in order to gain a fortune and advance? I wish these people happiness but reserve the right, by taking the opposite direction, to protest by my conduct against all this lying, illusion and deplorable deception; my sole consolation will always be to see my companions walk with me in paths which from day to day become more unfamiliar but where we still find footsteps left by the saints to mark their passage and encourage those who wish to get to where they are\u2026<\/strong><\/h5>\n
I have talked so much about what is going on here that I have forgotten to tell you that the King will make his entrance tomorrow at two o\u2019clock, that we will be waiting for him from noon with our bishops at the cathedral where he will come to attend first vespers and the sermon preached by His Eminence the Cardinal de la Fare, that he will present his gift to the church of Rheims consisting of vestments of great beauty, sacred vessels, etc., that tomorrow, Sunday, we will have to be at the church before six o\u2019clock and, in consequence, will have to say Mass during the night, that on Monday will take place the procession of the nobility, Tuesday the grand parade, from assisting at which we will dispense ourselves, having chosen precisely that day to steal away…<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Letter to Hippolyte Court\u00e8s, 26 May 1825, EO VI n 178<\/em><\/p>\n
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\u201cDon’t aspire to be like the gilded weather vane on top of a great building. However much it may glitter, however high it may be, it adds nothing to the firmness of the structure. Rather, be like an old stone block hidden in the foundations, under the ground where no one can see you. Because of you, the house will not fall.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 St. Josemaria Escriva<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
On May 9 1825, Eugene accompanied his uncle Fortun\u00e9 to Paris and then to Rheims to attend the consecration of the new king, Charles X. The historian, Rey, commented that \u201cAll the dignitaries of the kingdom, the archbishops and one … Continue reading