Why did Eugene give himself so generously to the ministry of youth? Clearly because they were among the most abandoned of society in religious terms. These opening paragraphs of the Diary he wrote of his youth ministry, show their abandonment in strong language. It is a longer than usual extract that I publish today, but it gives a frightening picture of the situation in France; and echoes the same sentiments of the Preface. Perhaps it becomes even more alarming today when we see how many of our youth seem to be in a similar situation!
It is not difficult to grasp that the immoral Napoleon’s plan and that of his infamous government’s is the total destruction of the Catholic religion in the States he has usurped. An obstacle to the decisive execution of his devilish strategy for this deplorable project seems to be the attachment of the majority of the oppressed peoples to the faith of their fathers. He is reduced to awaiting the effects of time and of the methods he employs in the meanwhile to arrive at his goals,
Of all methods the one he counts on most is the demoralization of the youth.
The success of his measures is frightening. Already the surface of France is covered with colleges, military schools and other establishments where irreverence is encouraged, bad morals are at least tolerated, and materialism is promoted and applauded.
All these dreadful schools are filled with pupils whose parents’ avarice gives in to the attraction of a free place or a half-scholarship, or the hope of an advancement that is promised only to the clever. Empty places are filled with unhappy victims whom the tyrant pitilessly snatches from the bosom of their families and forces to drink of this poisoned cup, where they must find the origin of their inevitable corruption. Already the work is to a large measure accomplished. The 15-year old pupil of a college, the pupil of a preparatory or military school or polytechnic, a page, etc., all alike are become impious and depraved, and leave almost no hope of their return to good living, to good religious and civic principles. They are trained to recognize no other god than Napoleon. The will of this new providence that promises them no punishment for their vices and advancement for their ambitions is their only rule of conduct, the only motivation for all their actions. And so one sees them fly at the least sign from their idol wherever his voice calls them, ready to commit every crime that it pleases him to exact of their sacrilegious devotion. This is a terrifying picture but a true one and I could embellish it still more without fear of being accused of exaggeration. Apart from what is evident to everyone’s eyes and can be seen by everyone, I have in my possession a thousand proofs for my argument.
Diary of the Aix Christian Youth Congregation, 25 April 1813, O.W. XVI,