Eugene de Mazenod speaks to us

Having shared the good news with the Oblates, Eugene continued to reflect joyfully, a joy which we recall ourselves on this bicentenary year:

Have you understood, dear friend, and may all of our dear Brothers grasp, the worth of this word uttered by the mouth of the Head of the Church of Jesus Christ! After I had submitted to his judgement the fundamental points of our Rules, after he had reflected two days on all my words, contrary to the conclusions of the one who made the report on this affair, it is then that he said: “No, I like this Institute, I wish to approve its Rules.” Favourable as doctor and judge, he wishes also to be a father: “Choose the mildest of the Cardinals of the Congregation … !” I could not hold back my tears, so touched was my heart by this goodness. It is something extraordinary and we can only be dumbfounded before God at this protection so little deserved considering my part in it) that all of you, my dear children, who serve the good God with right good will, have brought about for my consolation and the happiness of the whole Society.

On leaving the house of the Archpriest Adinolfi, I said a heartfelt “Te Deum laudamus” and entered the church where lies the body of Saint Joseph Calasanz, there to thank our Lord and pray him to finish his work.

Letter to Henri Tempier in Marseilles, 22 December 1825, EO VII n. 213

Eugene continued his narration of his audience with the Pope:

This morning, at the time appointed, I betook myself to the Archpriest’s house who, in parenthesis, lives at the other extremity of the city. He received me immediately with good grace, dealt with some affairs in my presence with one of his secretaries, and then commenced to speak of our affair. He first read to me the succinct report that he had made to the Holy Father which, it must be said, basically contained my memoir and the essential points which ought to stand out but, as he had given me to understand the day before yesterday, he concluded in favour of the laudanda after the text had been examined to see if there was anything to change.

But, give praise to the goodness of God and unite yourselves, all of you, to me to thank him! Such was not the mind of the Holy Father: “No,” said the Pontiff, “This society pleases me; I know the good it does, etc., etc.” And he entered into multiple details which surprised the Archpriest to the uttermost. “I wish to favour it. Choose a Cardinal, one of the mildest of the Congregation, to be the ponent of this cause; go to him on my behalf and tell him my intention is not merely that these Rules be praised but that they be approved.” O Leo XII! Even were the Congregation to reject our Rules, you would nonetheless be considered for ever amongst us as the benefactor and the father of our Society.

Letter to Henri Tempier in Marseilles, 22 December 1825, EO VII n. 213

Having delivered the Pope’s request and the Rule to Secretary Adinolfi, Eugene spent the next day at home praying for the success of Adinolfi’s audience with the Pope.

I continued to recommend it to God through the intercession of the holy Virgin, of the Angels and Saints and it is in this state of holy abandon that I waited to go and learn what was decided in this audience with the Pope, so vital to our interests…

I chose the recourse of going to pray to God in the (chapel) balcony, the while I supposed the audience was taking place, not that I had the foolish idea my prayers could produce the good effect that I desired, but because it seemed to me appropriate to recollect myself in the presence of Our Lord, somehow or other, while grace should work and the Holy Spirit should inspire the Head of the Church as to how he should decide our fate and the salvation of an infinity of souls.

Letter to Henri Tempier in Marseilles, 22 December 1825, EO VII n. 213

Before following the Pope’s instructions and delivering the Rule to the Archpriest Adinolfi to begin the process of studying it, Eugene armed himself with fervent prayer.

As you can understand, our affairs were going forward too well for me to neglect to go the very next day to M. the Archpriest whom the Holy Father had bidden me to see on his behalf. It was December 21, a memorable day for me, as you know, for it is the anniversary of my ordination. I went early in the morning to offer the holy sacrifice in the grotto of the basilica of the Vatican, on the bodies of the holy Apostles. I was with a holy priest who has been called to the missions amongst the infidels. He served my Mass. I took my time and afforded myself the consolation of naming explicitly all those whose salvation interests me most on this precious tomb. I served the Mass of the future martyr for my thanksgiving; then, going up into the church of St. Peter, I took part in Matins and Lauds of the Chapter and went on my way, commending myself the while to all the saints in paradise, to the dwelling of the Archpriest Adinolfi.

I forgot to tell you that I had brought with me our precious volume and that I laid it on the confession of Saint Peter while my saintly companion offered the holy sacrifice, as I implored the head of the apostles and Saint Paul and the other holy Popes who are buried in the same place, to accept and bless them.

Letter to Henri Tempier in Marseilles, 22 December 1825, EO VII n. 213

During the audience, the Pope then continued to tell Eugene:

The great number of these requests, which are coming to us especially from France, has made the Congregation adopt a particular mode of approbation, which consists of praising, of encouraging, without formally approving.” I was not afraid to manifest to the Holy Father that this mode would not satisfy me, and I dared to hope they would do something more for us.

Lest I did not retain the name of the secretary whom he designated to me, he extended his kindness to the point of looking in his desk for a half sheet of paper, he moved the pen and ink stand towards me and handed me the pen so that I might write at his dictation. “Go to M. the Archpriest (that was the secretary) on my behalf and tell him to make his report to me on Friday, which is the day of his audience.”

Before leaving the Pope, Eugene had one last request:

As you will understand, I kept nothing from the Holy Father… “Does your Holiness approve that the Society take the name of ‘Oblates of the Most Holy and Immaculate Virgin Mary’ instead of that of ‘Oblates of Saint Charles’ which it had previously taken?” – The Pope said neither yes or no; I think I understood that he said it should be put in the report. I did not insist on explaining the matter further because it was the least important thing and we could wait without inconvenience. This change has seemed necessary to me in order not to be confused with an infinite number of communities which bear the same name.

Letter to Henri Tempier in Marseilles, 22 December 1825, EO VII n. 213

As Eugene was enthusiastically narrating to Pope Leo XII all the good that was being done by his missionary family in France, he continued:

You would have been touched, my dear friend, to see, while I spoke, how this holy Pontiff raised his eyes towards heaven, then joined his hands and bowed his head on them clasped together, glowing with gratitude and thanking God with all his heart. It seemed to me that this invocation alone would draw new graces on our ministry.

Letter to Henri Tempier in Marseilles, 22 December 1825, EO VII n. 213

I find this moment extremely significative As Eugene was describing all that was being achieved, the Pope spontaneously entered into grateful prayer. I believe that this was the moment when the Pope recognized the inspiration and presence of God in what he was hearing. It was this moment that would lead him to decide to grant his approbation through the due process that would be observed.

Eugene narrated his audience with the Pope:

The Pope receives in his small private room. He was seated on a settee, with a desk before him on which he leaned. I made as I entered the first customary genuflection but there was not enough room between the door and the place where he sat to make a second; I found myself promptly at his feet that I did not try to kiss either because when bowing profoundly I did not see them or, too struck by the appearance of the Pontiff, whom my faith showed immediately as the Vicar of Jesus Christ, I became attentive only to the charm and the goodness of his face. I handed him with respect the letter from my uncle which he placed before him on his desk. Then began our interview, which ran on several subjects, and lasted nearly three quarters of an hour.

It would be impossible for me to relate to you all that was said, still less to describe to you the goodness, the pleasant manner and courtesy of the sovereign Pontiff. I was kneeling beside him. Several times he motioned for me to rise; I did not wish to, I was comfortable at his feet, besides I leaned against the desk. I could have remained longer in this position without discomfort. I explained the principal purpose of my journey, but many were the episodes that entered into this narration; even the miracles of Blessed Alphonse Marie de Liguori entered into it. You should have seen with what interest he listened to the succinct narration which I made to him of the good operated by our missionaries. I took care not to forget to tell him what you had just written to me: “At this moment the two youngest missionaries of the Society are working marvels, etc. One of them, Most Holy Father, is not yet old enough to become priest; he was ordained in August with the dispensation of sixteen months that your Holiness deigned to grant to us; and yet the good God has used them to convert Protestants, etc.”

Letter to Henri Tempier in Marseilles, 22 December 1825, EO VII n. 213

Finally the day arrived when Eugne set out for the Vatican to meet the Pope, but not without some effort because the one responsible had forgotten about Eugene’s request:

When I saw this good man, Monseigneur Barbarini, I was not surprised at his carelessness; he is as useless as one can imagine; which does not stop him from being a good priest. I told him politely that, seeing he had forgotten me and not being able to defer any longer my appearance before His Holiness without incurring some reproach, I had come without any notice to beg the Monseigneur to kindly alert the Holy Father, as soon as the ministers had left, that I was in his antechamber.

Roman Diary, 20 December 1825, EO XVII

To Fr. Tempier he described the events:

So one fine morning I made my decision. It was the 20th, vigil of Saint Thomas, and having obtained the loan of the carriage of Mgr. the Dean, I arrived in full dress at the Vatican. The first person I met at the papal apartments was a certain prelate, one of those they call here de mantellone, that is to say, of inferior rank but always near the Pope to serve him as private secretary. This good man, a little awkward at his trade, advised me to retrace my steps because it would not be possible to see His Holiness that day; that I could not have chosen a worse day, that it was the last of the audiences of the year, that the Cardinals were coming in crowds, the Ministers and goodness knows who else, hence I must put off my visit until the first days of the new year. I mollified him a little and to be accommodating, he told me to come back the second day of Christmastide, then on the Eve, and finally the day following that at which we were. That did not suit me at all.

 I have since concluded that, thinking I wished to get in to see the Pope by his intermediary, he saw no way of introducing me that day. He was wrong, I had not the slightest wish to enter by the back door. The moment this good man disappeared, Mgr. Barberini arrived; I went up to him and explained my position, reproaching him somewhat for having grieved me by his forgetfulness. A little embarrassed by my gentle reprimand, of which he acknowledged the justice, he prayed me to enter the salon and, in my quality of prelate or gentleman, I went without ado into the apartment which is next to the study of the Pope

Letter to Henri Tempier in Marseilles, 22 December 1825, EO VII n. 213.

Writing to his confidant, Henri Tempier, Eugene speaks of the efforts he has made to prepare for the visit to the Pope. Above all, he prayed fervently for the success of this mission.

When will my return be possible? I shall soon know for the Pope is expecting me; everyone has announced my visit to him and still I do not appear before him. It is on purpose that I did not wish to present myself before some Cardinals and other principal Prelates would have spoken to him about me. Now I can delay no longer and all the more so because when Mgr. Mazio asked for an audience for me, he had the kindness to say to this prelate: “But I am waiting for him; the Cardinal Secretary has already informed me.” If you only knew how apprehensive I am on seeing the moment come when I shall explain to him the principal purpose of my journey! Another person would perhaps be satisfied with having obtained what has already been granted very willingly and, I assure you, would know full well that so he should be.

 In any event, I have armed myself with all natural and supernatural aids by praying, asking for prayers, offering the holy sacrifice, invoking all the saints with all the fervour I could call upon. God will now guide his Vicar’s heart. I shall neglect nothing in explaining my request, nothing whatever that is apt to make the most impression on his mind; I have put down in writing the principal points and shall leave them in his hands. But if there is a general policy that opposes us, we must be resigned and consider ourselves fortunate to have what we have already obtained. One of my motives for wishing to delay in presenting myself was to have already in hand what I have mentioned above, just in case.

Letter to Henri Tempier in Marseilles, 18 December 1825, EO VII n. 212.

 Here at least, my dear Tempier, the days of fasting are days of penance, especially for Provençals who cannot, whatever effort they make, swallow the detestable oil they eat in Rome. On rogation days, they observe what is called the strict minimum, that is to say, eggs and dairy products are forbidden. I thank God for my invincible repugnance for the foul oil and have contented myself these days solely with a piece of boiled fish on which I have squeezed half a lemon. Mgr. d’Isoard had wished that I dine with him; I took care not to accept his pressing offer because I admit that I felt nothing would have replaced the happiness that I experienced in doing three days of penance in the true sense and the real spirit of the Church.

Letter to Henri Tempier in Marseilles, 18 December 1825, EO VII n. 212