Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira

While the problems raised in regard to Catholic Action and its relations with the hierarchy are numerous and complex, the issues related to Catholic Action and the interior life are no less so.

Liturgy and Interior Life

If some doctrinal deviations in regard to the question of the mandate could be explained by the forced, and even very forced, exegesis of certain papal declarations by the reading and sometimes audacious interpretation of certain European authors, we do not know how to explain the origin of some liturgical doctrines that unfortunately circulate by word of mouth in some circles of Catholic Action. The fact is that the apostles of these doctrines allege as the sole foundation for their position a single pontifical text, which is merely a verbal statement the Holy Father Pius X is said to have made to interlocutors worthy of all respect. This statement does not constitute a logical foundation for any error. Moreover, this use of it is grossly incorrect.

In fact, Pope Pius X himself reproved this form of argumentation:

At all times, in the arguments about Catholic Action, one should avoid confirming the triumph of one's personal opinion by quoting words of the Sovereign Pontiff, claiming that they were spoken or heard in private audiences. One should avoid, a fortiori, doing so in public assemblies since, besides the scant respect thus shown to the Sovereign Pontiff, one runs a serious danger of misunderstandings, in accordance with each one's personal opinions. The unfailing way of knowing what the Pope wishes consists in restricting oneself to the acts and documents issued by competent authority. (1)

Be that as it may, it is affirmed, maintained, and secretly whispered about that the practice of the liturgical life and a certain grace of state proper to Catholic Action, as well as the inebriating action of the grandeur of Catholic Action's ideals, reduce to silence the natural seduction to evil and diabolical temptations in the intimacy of its members.

This implies an entirely new asceticism.

Without denying that fervor for the Church's liturgy constitutes one of the most beautiful manifestations of truly enlightened piety, and precisely because we consider the Sacred Liturgy, like the Church herself whose voice it is, "a maiden with neither blemish nor wrinkle," we cannot admit that a well formed liturgical spirit can give origin to the disastrous consequences we will mention below.

The claim is made, in final analysis, that participation in the functions of the sacred liturgy furnishes the individual faithful with an infusion of grace so special that, as long as he behaves in a merely passive way, he will sanctify himself, because the effects of original sin and the diabolical temptations will be silenced in his bosom.

Thus, the sacred liturgy would supposedly exercise over the faithful a mechanical or magical action of an entirely automatic fecundity, rendering any effort at collaboration with the grace of God, on man’s part, superfluous.

The "Mandate" and Interior Life

Perhaps as a corollary of the mandate attributed to it, it is presumed that Catholic Action confers an identical grace of state. Finally, it is maintained that the simple fascination for Catholic Action's ideals of conquest is enough to immunize all the faithful against the seduction of the world, the flesh, and the devil.

These ideas extensively penetrated certain circles of Catholic Action and form the erroneous theology which holds that these same circles’ principles in matters of apostolate strategy are nothing more than applied pastoral science.

Traditional Asceticism

Once this intricate order of ideas is accepted, the whole concept of interior life is altered. Precisely because of this, a constant and effective struggle is waged in the circles dominated by this doctrine against all the traditional means of asceticism that proceed from recognition of the effects of original sin indicated by the Church and that implicitly teach man to take precautions against the deviations of his will and sensibility and to acquire a true dominion over one and the other through a generous correspondence to grace.

In this line, spiritual retreats preached according to the method of Saint Ignatius were not spared rebuke and harsh criticism, being described as hateful and backward. Retreats should be replaced with days or weeks of study, something easily explained because the retreat aims above all at training the will to control one’s passions. Once all this becomes unnecessary, a mere enlightenment of intellects in "days of study" and "study centers" is perfectly sufficient.

Private meditation is likewise conceived as mere enlightenment. These errors repudiate the examination of conscience, exercises of will, application of the sensibility, the so-called spiritual treasures, all of which are labeled as archaic methods, spiritual torture and so on.

The Work of the Counter-Reformation

It is obvious that a great number of these deviations already attempted to infiltrate the Church in past centuries and especially during the Pseudo-Reformation.

The crushing of these attempts was the work, par excellence, of the sacred Council of Trent, the most beautiful schools of spirituality born during the Counter-Reformation, and the great saints they produced.

Precisely because the Holy Church's doctrine in regard to these errors shines in a particularly clear way in that Council, in the lives of those saints and in the splendor of those spiritual schools, some members of Catholic Action repudiate everything that comes to us from that glorious age, on the pretext that the spiritual schools of the time were imbued with a Protestant individualism from whose contagion they were unable to escape entirely.

They are equally displeased with Redemptorist missions preached according to the method of Saint Alphonsus Mary Liguori, as well as many of his works, particularly certain chapters on morality and Mariology.

They mock the contemplative orders, whom they accuse of leading a misguided contemplative life.

They ridicule the mystical works of Saint John of the Cross, which they call a "deceit."

Their great excuse is that these schools of spirituality are rife not only with individualism but even with "anthropocentrism," since they deviate one’s eyes from God to fix them on human miseries and the struggles of the interior life. They also refer to this as "virtue-centrism."

They claim, as we have said, that all this constitutes an infiltration of Protestant individualism and Renaissance humanism into the Church.

The Authority of the Holy See

In his letter Con Singular Complacencia, Pope Pius XI refuted this opinion, praising two typical fruits of the Ignatian spirit: the Marian Congregations and the Spiritual Exercises.

As for the latter, he said: "It is with singular pleasure that we see the members of this peaceful Marian army…constantly temper their weapons in frequent spiritual retreats, and in the forge of the Exercises they practice every year."

The distinction is clear: It is not only retreats in general, but specifically the Spiritual Exercises that Pope Pius XII, as all of his predecessors, praises, blesses, recommends, and inculcates. We will return to this matter.

Still in this order of ideas, the innovators of Catholic Action actively oppose the Rosary and the Way of the Cross, devotions which, by demanding an effort of the will, are for this reason considered antiquated.

The Origin of These Errors

It is not difficult to see that this whole chain of errors proceeds, in final analysis, from a spirit of independence and carefree enjoyment that endeavors to free man from the weight and struggles that the work of sanctification imposes.

With the spiritual combat eliminated, the life of a Christian seems to be for them an uninterrupted series of spiritual pleasures and consolations.

Thus, those who think this way avoid and even counsel against meditating on the sorrowful episodes of the life of the Redeemer, always preferring to see Him as a victor full of glory.

They expressly recommend ambiences impregnated with a joy that, while attributed to spiritual causes, shows itself eager for natural satisfactions.

Members of Catholic Action in some circles are taught to wear exclusively light-colored and joyful clothing in adolescent styles, to always maintain a cheerful attitude, and to avoid serious or sad topics.

As we will see momentarily, the old formulas of courtesy are severely condemned.

The Rules of Christian Modesty

A total camaraderie levels sexes, ages, and social conditions in an equality presented as the realization of Christian fraternity. Scripture warns us that “the imagination and thought of man's heart are prone to evil from his youth." (2) Yet, oblivious of the effects of original sin and diabolical temptations alike, they despise and mock many of the barriers that Christian tradition established between the sexes in society.

Among these barriers, some are designed not so much to protect the innocence of young ladies as their reputation. As these barriers in Brazil are very lively, they constitute a precious protection for the integrity of domestic life. Besides, they expressly conform to what Saint Paul says when he instructs us to avoid evil and even "from all appearance of evil refrain yourselves." (3)

These people, however, under the deceitful pretext that the infraction of these customs is not intrinsically immoral, not only tolerate but recommend that members of Catholic Action put them aside.

Let us give an example: Everyone knows that, in theory, it is possible for a young lady to go out at night completely by herself with a group of young men who are not her relatives without thereby falling into sin. But in a country like Brazil, in which this dangerous habit has not been introduced, everyone knows how much society stands to gain by repudiating such an imprudent practice. Nevertheless, these people not only permit but advise such conduct in Catholic Action.

No one is unmindful of the multiple dangers that dances present. Dances, however, are not only tolerated but recommended; not only recommended but imposed. Spiritual retreats during carnival are considered a desertion, because a Catholic Action member must do apostolate amidst the pagan celebrations of the carnival.

Some claim that going to doubtful or scandalous places, taking "the Christ" there, would do apostolate.

Vaccinated against sin through the marvelous effects of the liturgy and of Catholic Action's mandate, other members would claim that, like salamanders, they could remain inside a raging fire without being burned.

Everything that reminds them of feminine delicacy irritates them since it accentuates the difference between the sexes. They fight against wearing a veil in church, for example. They find no fault in women wearing men's pants or smoking.

Although the Church established a prudent distinction between the masculine and feminine branches of Catholic Action, some souls almost deny this distinction in practice as they want a complete intermingling of both in their respective activities, leisure time, and so on. Everything that speaks of a direct and up front combat against indecent fashions, bad books, bad company, and bad shows is often passed over in the deepest silence.

It is no wonder, therefore, that education in purity is frequently done in a rash way, soaked in morbid sentimentalism and paganizing ideas full of dangerous concessions to modern customs.

It would seem that so many and deplorable liberties are "privileges" inherent to Catholic Action. The old methods of mortification and flight from near occasions of sin were certainly very apt for old associations where one can really be severe and demanding. Catholic Action, however, supposedly represents a liberation from all this.

These precautions were like crutches on which the structural, juridical, organic and vital insufficiency of the old associations was supported. Catholic Action could and should do without all this. (4)

In spite of everything, however, we must emphasize that the promoters of such errors are very frequently persons of exemplary personal conduct and modesty in their dress. Because of this, far from serving the cause of good principles, they, on the contrary, further facilitate the spread of evil by giving these doctrines a disinterested and purely speculative character.

Notes:

1) St. Pius X, Letter to the Bishops of Italy, July 28, 1904.

2) Gen. 8:21.

3) 1 Thess. 5:22.

4) "A fool will laugh at sin,” says the Scriptures (Prov. 14:9); while "the prudent man saw the evil, and hid himself; the simple passed on and suffered loss" (Prov. 22:3). What harm? "Look not upon the wine when it is yellow...but in the end, it will bite like a snake" (Prov. 23:31-32), and "thy eyes shall behold strange women, and thy heart shall utter perverse things. And thou shalt be as one sleeping in the midst of the sea, and as a pilot fast asleep, when the stern is lost" (Prov. 23:33-34). What better image of the hardening of conscience? And the Scriptures continue: "And thou shalt say: They have beaten me, but I was not sensible of pain: they drew me and I felt not" (Prov. 23:35). It is the obstinate deafness to the voice of conscience resulting from not fleeing from the occasions of sin and from not following the counsel: "Depart from the unjust, and evils shall depart from thee" (Ecclus. 7:2).

The active and diligent interior struggle against the passions is always the condition for sanctification and even salvation. The Holy Ghost says: "Go not after thy lusts, but turn away from thy own will. If thou give to thy soul her desires, she will make thee a joy to thy enemies" (Ecclus. 18:30-31).

Next

Table of Contents

Prev