WF 1992 - Documents

"... The Church is not the enemy of your intelligence or of your philosophy, neither is she against your sciences or your industries, or any of the products of man's genius: she is not the enemy either of your liberty or the progress of human society: she only asks that all these things remain within bounds of reason and justice: on the contrary she rejoices, and we rejoice with her, at everything which augments this heritage of glory, riches, honour and prosperity, the fruits of man's labour and intelligence..." (Pastoral Letter when Lavigerie was installed as Bishop of Nancy, 5 April 1863).

"... Sometimes she (the Church) is deliberately presented under false colours with the intention of turning people against her: she is not only made out to be the enemy of all true progress, but she is also shown to be totally opposed to the most legitimate triumphs of the human spirit. Now in her name, I de-clare that this is not so (...) There is nothing great and noble in this world which is not consecrated by her; she blesses everything that is just, and she encourages all that is fruitful. She is always the very first to commend the works of Man's genius, for he is the masterpiece of the God whom she serves! ..." (Speech given at prize giving of a school at Nancy, 11 August 1866).

Christian people have given the impression that they were asleep for far too long. In the first centuries they used to take a prominent part in the propagation and in the defence of the faith, and they even shared in the government and administration since they used to elect their pastors: but somehow they gradually seemed to lose interest in all their former activities (...) But at the same time while the laity in the Church were sleeping, all over the world, the ungodly populace suddenly awoke. (...) What is more, ordinary people were led into error, and they believed, and still believe, that the Church not only encouraged Christian people to be somnolent, but that she was opposed even to the people's being involved in any form of secular government. This is where that terrible hostility sprang up, towards the end of the last century, and was carried over into the beginning of this one, and which has had such deplorable consequences. It cannot be denied that the Church denounced all the errors, all the crimes and the bloody violence which suddenly made irruption into the old Christian world in the name of the people, but the Church never con-demned the populace as a whole; far from that, she entered into an alliance with them in all those places where Christian doctrine and moral standards were still respected..." (Pastoral Letter on the Encyclical Sapientiae Christianae of Leo XIII, 3 February 1890)

It is imperative for the Greek-Melchite students at Jerusalem to be brought up in their own rite, and as far as possible in the customs of the country as regards food, drink, clothing, lodging etc. Otherwise they will have no impact on the conversion of the East, and will be incapable of strengthening the faith of the people of their own rite. It is true that these are but material things, but they have their importance. (Letter to the Prefect of the Propaganda, 19 November 1881).

"... The only languages to be studied in the house besides French, are the Oriental languages, Arabic and Greek. Never allow students to join the Latin rite. Later on, even if some of them desire to join the Society of the missionaries who brought them up, they must keep to their own rite. In a word, the Apostolic School of St Anne's, founded exclusively for the Orientals, must direct everything to that end. It should therefore remain Oriental, not only in its rite and teaching, but also in the way of living, dress, lodging and food..." (Instructions to Missionaries sent to Jerusalem).

The fundamental mistake made in the East is to be distant with the Orientals and to show disdain for their rites, and to want to Latinize them in making them enter the Church. This way of acting is doubly lamentable. On the one hand it can only reach a very limited number of people, for only a very few Orientals would have the heroism to give up their language in the church services and practices which they regard as a precious heritage.

Furthermore, as soon as the Catholic Missionaries broach this subject, they are suspected of having ulterior motives of a political nature, and people do not understand why they should want the Orientals to give up their language and customs, unless they have been called in to further the interests and intrigues of Western politics. There is only one method which can bear fruit in the East, and it can be stated thus: accept and respect everything to be found among the Orientals, with the sole exception of vice and error ..." (Instructions to Missionaries sent to Jerusalem).

"... The Fathers must bear in mind that the chief obstacle to their work would be the slightest suspicion that they want Latinisation. All liturgical offices at which the students assist must be in the Greek rite. (...) This is the spirit which must be re-awakened in them in an endeavour to unite them very closely with the Holy See, and to go on showing them how great and necessary for salvation is this union and perfect orthodoxy..." (Instructions to Missionaries sent to Jerusalem).

"... All Roman government, in my opinion, both Church and State alike, is marked by one great, outstanding evil - it is not a Catholic government. Let me explain. I mean that for the last three hundred years, and only for the last three hundred, instead of taking men from all nations into the government, they have only admitted Romans into their ranks, or at least Italians, and as for the Sacred College, only Cardinals belonging to Italy have ever been elected as Head of the Church (...).

And so it has come about especially during this last quarter of a century, that a most peculiar spectacle has been taking place before our very eyes: under the pretext of Catholic unity, the whole world is being Italianised, especially France. We are expected to adopt their liturgy, disciplinary practices, song and even the dress of the Italian clergy, and what is very unfortunate, we have a whole crowd of deluded spirits who feel obliged to comply with all this.

It would not have been possible for any of these exaggerations to have crept in if Popes from all the different nations had followed on one after the other, instead of their being always Italian Popes, and also if the advisors and the others in the service of the Holy Father, were to belong in equal numbers to all the Catholic countries instead of all being Roman. It would be quite normal for each individual to insist on whatever was good in his own country and then there would have been a choice between two things, or else people would have been left free in all that was of minor importance. If uniformity was really necessary, this uniformity would be the end product of all the excellent things from each country, instead of being merely a slavish reproduction of the good and bad practices of only one of them.

"... Do you think it would be the same here if you were to have Cardinals from all the different countries in proportion to their populations? - French, American, English, Spanish - instead of having nothing but Italian Cardinals? Surely not. On the contrary, with both conservatives and liberals present, they would form a well-balanced group; you would have here a really moderate senate, because it would be animated by true wisdom..." (Letter to Faugère, Political Adviser to Foreign Affairs Office, Rome, 10 January 1863).

"... In future the Italian element in the Sacred College must be offset by the presence of as many foreign Cardinals as possible here at Rome. It is not for nothing that I say here at Rome, because the Cardinals who reside in France, Spain, Austria and England have absolutely no influence on ecclesiastical affairs. There is only one way to gain such influence, and that is to be near the Pope, for in him is invested all personal and sovereign power, to place oneself in such a position that one can see him frequently, talk to him and advise him when necessary, as also the Cardinals who have been entrusted by the Pope with the direction of his affairs ..." (Confidential note to the Minister of Religion, on the nomination of the French Cardinals, May 1875).

"... My mission, dear Monsignor, is to begin the de-Italianisation of the Church. Everything has prepared me for this. My studies, my stay in Rome, my involvement in French Episcopal affairs, and finally my apostolate in Africa which has obliged me to step outside and above all the various parties... Everything (...) henceforth depends on this most crucial process: the de-Italianisation of the Church. I know what means should be taken to this end and I am ready to point them out, I offer myself wholly for this task, I tell you once again, here lies my path..." (Letter to Maret, 3 December 1875).

"... Keep well in mind that as long as the Italian Cardinals are in the majority, they will never nominate a foreigner: it would be very rash to try to make the public think otherwise. The one and only practical thing to do in this connection is to influence the Pope so that he may come to gradually increase the number of non-Italian Cardinals. That may bring about some results... a hundred years from now..." (Letter to a journalist, 1888).

And it must be clearly noted here that we say become "Christians" and not "French" or "Europeans". It would be absurd to turn them into Europeans and Frenchmen. This would render them far less fit for the task which lies ahead of them, as we have just said. Their hearts and their minds need to be transformed, that is to say the interior, in order to make them truly Christian; but all the exterior with its local colouring needs to be left intact, i.e. dress, lodging, and above all language". (Capitular instruction on the subject of the direction of the seminaries)

You are going to find yourselves, in the centre of Africa, in the midst of the competition, the divisions and the passions, which are often legitimate, of all the nations engaged in conflicts upon which the future of Africa depends. Never take sides in any political question, whatever it may be; support no cause other than that of the faith and of humanity. Never allow your cause or your name to become involved in political or commercial interests; if you are wrongfully accused of doing so, protest and go on protesting, do not let people disregard the fact that you are truly apostolic men, that is to say, men who know how to embrace with a like affection all the nations of the world. Give proof of this, show not so much by words as by deeds that this is your one and only desire..." (Farewell Address to the twenty missionaries leaving for Equatorial Africa, Algiers, 29 June 1890)

"... To succeed in transforming Africa, the following conditions, according to me, are needed. The first is to educate Africans, selected by us, in conditions which from a material point of view leave them genuinely African. The second is to give them an education which, with the least possible expense to the mission, will enable them to have the greatest influence on their compatriots. The third is to let the scope of the undertaking on which you embark be such that you ensure its full effect".

The Fathers will observe this point very carefully in order that the direction they give to their efforts be more effective. The temptation to organize their classes in the same way as in the colleges of France would be absurd. I forbid them explicitly to give the children European dress, European beds, European customs. They must be left with their African dress, provided it is becoming, and all the outward habits of the African including those with regard to sleeping and eating. I also forbid them explicitly to give the children formal classes in a European language, French for example; let them pick it up by practice. They should be taught to read and write Swahili or the main dialect of the particular mission where they reside..."

The young Africans selected must be brought up in their own country and in the Mission, except in very rare cases. To send them to Europe should be considered the equivalent of murdering them, and even to place them in institutions along the coast, where they would be brought up like Europeans, would be a very great error..." (New Instructions for the Fathers of the 1879 Caravan)

They must have no illusions: in the missions today among the pagans, apostasies are very numerous in proportion to the number of conversions. Carried away by the unthinking desire to mark souls with the seal of the children of God, missionaries are administering Baptism too easily, without regard to the strength of their converts or to the almost insurmountable dangers to which they are exposed".

"... These different motives lead me to use the power I have received from the Holy See in view of the setting up of the missions of Equatorial Africa; by virtue of this power and in view of the moral situation of the populations the Fathers have to evangelize, I decide that the ancient discipline of the Church which has never been formally abrogated shall be vigorously adhered to by our missionaries. Consequently they must establish three distinct degrees among their neophytes: the first is that of 'Postulants', to whom they will teach only the fundamental truths of the natural order, enlightened by Revelation, as I have indicated above, refraining from teaching them anything beyond that. The second degree is that of 'Catechumens', to whom they will explain the essential truths of Christianity, but without speaking of worship or of the Sacraments other than Baptism; finally the third degree will be that of 'Faithful' for whom there will be no secrets.

* "... Slavery, as it is practised in Africa, is not only, indeed, contrary to the Gospel, it is contrary to natural law. (...) Now, the natural laws do not concern Christians only, they involve all humanity. That is why I am appealing to everyone, without distinction of nationality, party or religious creed. I do not address myself simply to faith, but to reason, to justice, to respect, to love of liberty..." (Talk given in the Church of the Gesù, Rome, 28 December 1888)

* "... It is not enough to know the horrors of slavery: we must work to abolish them. (...) For such undertakings, what is especially necessary is organization, unity, a common understanding, for such an enormous task. We must therefore, before going on to a general action, appeal to all the energies, all the experiences. Here it is a matter of bringing one quarter of the globe to civilization and life. (...) That is why we must already now think of a gathering, and even, I dare say without fear, an international Congress with delegates from the anti-slavery committees now existing in Europe. (...) What I hope for from such a meeting is to bring to the ears of all humanity the tremendous chorus of cries of despair, for justice and freedom, from the heart of an entire race, so cruelly doomed to death, in the hope that what the voice of an old man, a shepherd, cannot do alone, all of those brotherly voices united to his will accomplish. (Letter of the Cardinal to Mr. Keller, President of the Governing Board of the Anti-Slavery Society, Marseilles, 19 January 1889)

(...) It was by arousing public opinion that, a century ago [sic], the American anti-slavery movement overcame the resistance it encountered. (...) "It is only when people react with passion", Cowper exclaimed on that occasion, "that government begins to act..." (Letter to the Anti-slavery Committees to invite them to an international congress of their work, Algiers, 25 April 1889)

* "... What is more, the ordinary people were led into error, and they believed, and still believe, that the Church not only en-couraged the Christian people to be somnolent, but that she was opposed even to the people's being involved in any form of secular government. This is where that terrible hostility sprang up, towards the end of the last century, and was carried over into the beginning of this one, and which has had such deplorable consequences. It cannot be denied that the Church denounced all the errors, all the crimes and the bloody violence which suddenly made irruption into the old Christian world in the name of the people, but the Church never condemned the populace as a whole; far from that she entered into an alliance with them in all those places where Christian doctrine and moral standards were still respected..." (Pastoral Letter on the Encyclical Sapientiae Christianae of Leo XIII, Algiers, 3 February 1890)

* "... Let me assure you that union is also the first desire of the Church and of its pas-tors at all levels of the hierarchy. (...) Of course, she does not ask us to give up our memories of past glories, nor the feelings of fidelity and gratitude which honour all men. But when the will of a people is clearly expressed; when, as Leo XIII recently declared, the form of government has nothing in it that is contrary to those principles which alone can bring life to Christian and civilised nations; when, in order to save one's country from the dangers that threaten it, wholehearted support of such a form of government is necessary - then, the time has come to declare that the trial period is ended and that, to put an end to our divisions, we are ready to sacrifice all that conscience and honour allow and even order us to sacrifice, for the salvation of our fatherland.

* 'You understand, of course, that when I advise resignation or 'wholehearted' adherence, I speak from the political viewpoint only. I mean that, in my ministry or as a citizen, I would not do or encourage any ac-tion that would tend to oppose or unseat the established government. But both priests and faithful must be convinced in their hearts that when they adhere to the Republic they must bring to it their faith and their legitimate demands. Indeed, this is for the good of the Republic itself. We would bring it no strength at all by mere renunciation or miserable capitulation. We can truly serve the Republic and the country only if we bring with us into its veins the Christian blood that it lacks". (Letter to Bishop Bourret of Rodez, Biskra, 2 December 1890)

In 1860, as Director of the Association of the Oeuvres d'Orient, Lavigerie visited Lebanon and Syria after the massacre of Christians by the Druses. At Damascus, he discovered an uncompromising Islam, but he also met the Emir Abd-el-Kader, a religious man whose open mind impressed him. These memories would remain with him. When, seven years later, he arrived at Algiers as Archbishop, Lavigerie did not see himself as the shepherd of Catholics only. He very quickly sought to create relationships between the Church and the Muslim population, asking the military Administration at least to leave him free "to go about doing good". Actually, he wanted to undertake, with his clergy, a "serious, efficacious and durable apostolate in the particular conditions which obtained at that time in Algeria.

Today we would say that there was a tension between dialogue and mission. Lavigerie experienced it even if he considered Islam, as a religion and as a society, in the same unfavourable light as did most of the clergy and writers of the day. In addition, this Bishop was French to the depths of his soul, and one idea was uppermost: if France was to keep Algeria, it would have to assimilate the Algerian people, and in order to do that truly, it must let the population be Christianised, In this work of approach, the Bishop with his clergy, and his men and women religious, had a very special, irreplaceable role to play.

This desire to adapt led the missionaries to integrate themselves as much as possible in the life of the people, with all that this meant: dress (gandourah, burnous, chechia for Fathers and Brothers), food, hospitality... Very soon, White Fathers and White Sisters began schools where their members could study Arabic, the Koran, Muslim theology and law. Some of these schools have today become specialised Institutes (Document 3). One eloquent sign of this will to adapt is the following: during the autumn of 1881, Lavigerie sent a group of three missionaries to the French Sudan. They took the route across the desert and on 21 December were massacred by some Touaregs. Near their bodies was later discovered a book, badly damaged by the sand: it was a copy of the Gospels in Arabic which the "Missionaries of Algiers" had had sent to them, before leaving, by the Jesuits in Beirut (2). In 1893, the Touaregs gave this "relic" to Sheik Bajdanda of In-Salah, who sent it to the missionaries at Ouargla. This book is now in the Archives of the White Fathers, in Rome.

(1) In his Directive of 1874 concerning the seminaries and educational institutions of the Mission, the Archbishop of Algiers wrote: "The Arabic language and literature will be the basis of their literary education. It is forbidden to teach them Latin before they are in the junior novitiate. French will be taught to them only if it is impossible to get proper classical texts in Arabic. But the study of Arabic will have pride of place in the classes".

The first is that you never lose sight of the special character and spirit of your Society. In deviating from its particular purpose you would lose the very reason for your existence. Founded for the pagan peoples of Africa, it cannot and must not undertake anything which runs counter to that objective. Not only is its purpose special, so are the means by which it seeks to attain that purpose, for these confer a particular character on its action. It is a character which leads you to draw closer to the African peoples, to adopt the externals of their way of life, their language first of all, then their dress and food, after the example of the Apostle: "I made myself all things to all men in order to save all" (I Cor. 9,22).

"My second recommendation, my dear Sons, is that in your zeal you continue to combine prudence, patience and charity. Prudence, for any attempt on your part to cut corners or to exaggerate things will result in great harm rather than good. Patience, for your apostolate is laborious and wearisome; only if you can bear a great deal without discouragement or complaint will you surmount the obstacles ahead of you. Finally charity, for it is your chief weapon, one which pierces hearts and wounds them for eternal life. May that be the secret of your success. Love these poor people, do them good, dress their wounds. In return they will give you their affection, then their confidence and in the end their souls".

"My final recommendation, dear Sons, is the counsel of the aged Apostle of Ephesus: 'Children, love one another'. This is the most important of all my counsels, indeed, without it all the others would prove useless. Love one another. Be ever united in heart and mind. Be in very truth but one great family. Be ever penetrated by an esprit de corps, in the Christian and apostolic sense of that expression. May discord never gain entrance among you, may you be ever alert to defend each other from external attacks made on your work or on your good name, ever ready to sustain each other, to come to the aid of the other. In a word, be not only united but one". (Circular Letter on the Government of the Society, 11 November 1874)

"... But missionaries must remember that it is not enough for them to be personally holy: their proper vocation is to work for the sanctification of others. They must apply to themselves the word of Our Lord: ... 'for their sake I consecrate myself so that they too may be consecrated in truth' (Jn. 17,19). Like the Apostles they must truly become fishers of men. This is more specially the vocation of a missionary of Equatorial Africa. No other mission should be able to arouse more effectively the zeal of an apostle."

"... Never take sides in any political question, whatever it may be; support no cause other than that of the faith and humanity, be respectful towards authority wherever it is established; give to all alike the co-operation of your charity; never allow your cause or your name to become involved in purely human interests; if you are wrongfully accused of doing so, protest and go on protesting, do not let people disregard the fact that you are truly apostolic men, that is to say men who know how to embrace with a like affection all the nations of the world. Give proof of this, show not so much by words as by deeds that this is your one and only desire."

"If you want to be imbued with the spirit of your Society and with the spirit of the Church which sends you, you have only to look at the members who make up you own missionary group. I purposely wanted all the nations whose interests confront each other in Africa to be represented in it. It is not only Frenchmen whom I see among you; that is natural enough, since your Institute was started on the soil of France and flourished there; I see also the names of England, of Germany, of Belgium. In a word the names of all the Powers which until today have contended for African civilization".

Old and crippled by infirmities, sub-ject to fainting fits that left him exhausted, repeating that he was no longer good for anything but the grave, he nevertheless went everywhere, to Milan, Naples and London, to Brussels, Lucerne and Paris... He called Christians to help save African victims of slave-traders and bring them out of that grave, at a time when he felt himself descending to death...

He had always had a taste for what is new, what is daring, what is great. In his early twenties he had thrilled to certain ideas, as if awaiting new vitality for eternal truths. He had advocated the rejuvenation of old formulas, a departure from routine, the end of sectarianisms, enslavements, narrowness, quarrels - the reconciliation of those who think and those who believe. This desire had awakened in him at the voice of Fr. Lacordaire; he had vaguely hoped for it at the Sorbonne when he was studying the boundaries of Church and world. (...) He may have doubted those dreams of yesteryear. (...) But suddenly, Leo XIII came to the fore, considering those aspirations and ideas and unerringly confirmed what in them was good and right... (...)

If he had ambition, he probably did not even perceive it, it was just part of the torrent of his prodigious activity. He re-joiced to feel himself alive and attracting people's attention and sympathy. Being at once imperious and accommodating, blunt and kind, bold and yet temperate, with great self-control even in his outbursts, he resolved the difficult problem of how to make both a great deal of noise and do a great deal of good. (...) It is true that he had more power than authority. Some have blamed him for being a dreamer. He was nobly enamoured of greatness, and may have sought it even in outward appearance. (...)

And yet, these points being conceded to inevitable human weakness, greatness is the hallmark of Cardinal Lavigerie. He was a pioneer in an unknown land, one of the small number of men who, in each century, have influenced the destinies of their fellowmen. He worked out questions which, without him, might still hardly be touched. He hastened the destiny of the African continent. His achievement has survived him.

1892 - 26 November: Death of Lavigerie at Algiers, aged 67.

Return to the top of the page -|- -|- -|- Return to the main text

This above material was published for the Centenary of Cardinal Lavigerie's death in 1992.

If you would like to receive a hard copy of our magazine, "White Fathers - White Sisters", (i.e. bi-monthly, 4 colour, hard copy) - subscription free - or any further information please send an email, or drop a line, to the Editor at the address below giving us your postal address:

The Editor, The White Fathers, 129, Lichfield Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, England. B74 2SA.

Fax. **-44-(0)121-323-2476

You can reach us by e-mail at: suttonlink@dial.pipex.com

Return to the top of this page

Centenary Main Text

Return to the White Fathers' Page

Return to the African Country Index Page Return to the Main Articles Page

Return to the Home Page

Return to the Welcome Page