As an adolescent in Venice, Eugene had stated:<\/p>\n
\nI shall fulfil those duties at fixed times, but with the freedom of God\u2019s Spirit which will allow me to respond to whatever the circumstances demand.<\/strong> (Rey, Vol. I, p. 26.)<\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Ren\u00e9 Motte and Al Hubenig write:<\/p>\n
\u201cFreedom\u201d is the key word because it would be an important value throughout Eugene\u2019s life. Later, for example, the aftermath of the 1848 Revolution occasioned universal male suffrage \u2013 the first time that such a voting right was granted to the working classes. However, it came with a serious problem. To exercise this new right, voters had to go to the central town of the canton or to a major city. For those living in an urban area, it meant little inconvenience, but the majority of people lived in remote rural villages and hamlets far from the voting centres. Thus, for a peasant, it meant walking all the way to the county seat to vote.<\/p>\n
Eugene de Mazenod was then Bishop of Marseille. He wrote a pastoral letter to all parish priests telling them to dispense from the obligation of Sunday Mass all persons for whom that obligation would pose a problem in the exercise of their franchise. It is worth noting that the French general elections of 1848 took place on Easter Sunday!<\/strong><\/p>\n
Living in the Spirit\u2019s Fire<\/em>, p. 18<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As an adolescent in Venice, Eugene had stated: I shall fulfil those duties at fixed times, but with the freedom of God\u2019s Spirit which will allow me to respond to whatever the circumstances demand. (Rey, Vol. I, p. 26.) Ren\u00e9 … Continue reading