Eugene was Vicar General of his uncle Fortun\u00e9, Bishop of Marseille, and was closely involved in the pastoral letters sent out by his uncle. The Mazenods were always fearless when it came to defending the rights of the church against the civil authorities. Eugene refers to one of these incidents in his letter to Fr. Suzanne. As I write this reflection today, it is election time here in the US and Eugene\u2019s message continues to challenge us in our political choices as to who we seek to please.<\/p>\n
\nI am surprised that the pastoral letter has not inspired you with reflections other than the remark about the displeasure of the Prefect. The response of thinking people here prompts a different conclusion and at the seminary they were inclined to applaud, which will prove to you that they still have some feeling for what is right.<\/strong><\/h5>\n
It is a bishop\u2019s duty to apply the remedy that fits the disease. Who cares whether Prefects are hurt or not – too bad if they are corrupt. St. Ambrose and St. John Chrysostom show little concern about such repercussions.<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Letter to Marius Suzanne, 7 March 1827, EO VII n 264<\/em><\/p>\n
Yvon Beaudoin, in a footnote to this letter, gives the background. In future years we will be seeing a lot more about conflicts between the French government and Eugene. \u201cAn allusion to the Lenten pastoral of 1827. Abb\u00e9 de la Bruy\u00e8re, priest of the diocese of Viviers, preached at Marseilles with much success until being interdicted by the Bishop. The latter had grave motives for acting in this manner, motives that he preferred not to make known in public. Many priests and lay people of Marseilles spoke in defence of the Abb\u00e9. In his pastoral letter of February 11, Fortun\u00e9 addressed serious reproaches to them: \u201c. . . The duties of the faithful in regard to their Bishop, so clearly laid down in apostolic times, have just recently again been disregarded by some wayward men, to the great scandal of all our flock…….\u201d. The civil authorities judged this public intervention to be too strong, all the more because no one was alluding any more to this affair. \u201cThe multiple errors [of the Bishop] although caused by the purest principles, estrange from him those who could support him in his episcopate and are an obstacle for the public servants\u201d wrote the Procurator, General La Boulie, to the Minister. March 3, 1827. \u201cLike myself, the Prefect [Villeneuve-Bargemont] groans over the mistakes of the good Bishop .\u201d \u00a0National Archives, Paris, BB 18 1294.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u201cThe separation of church and state was meant to protect church from state; a state that declares religion off limits in public life is a state that declares itself supreme over all religious values.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Ben Shapiro<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Eugene was Vicar General of his uncle Fortun\u00e9, Bishop of Marseille, and was closely involved in the pastoral letters sent out by his uncle. The Mazenods were always fearless when it came to defending the rights of the church against … Continue reading