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197 Pages·1974·11.045 MB·English
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NAPOLEON AND THE LAZARISTS ARCHIVES INTERNATIONALES D'HISTOIRE DES IDEES INTERNATIONAL ARCHIVES OF THE HISTORY OF IDEAS JOHN W. CARVEN, C. M. NAPOLEON AND THE LAZARISTS Directors: P. Dibon (Paris) and R. Popkin (Washington Univ., St. Louis) Editorial Board:]. Aubin (Paris);]. Collins (St. Louis Univ.); P. Costabel (Paris); A. Crombie (Oxford); I. Dambska (Cracow); H. de la Fontaine-Verwey (Amsterdam); H. Gadamar (Heidelberg); H. Gouhier (Paris); T. Gregory (Rome); T. E. Jessop (Hull); P. O. Kristeller (Columbia Univ.); Elisabeth Labrousse (Paris); A. Lossky (Los Angeles); S. Lindroth (Upsala);]. Orcibal (Paris); I. S. Revaht (Paris);]. Roger (Paris); H. Rowen (Rutgers Univ., N.].); Ch. B. Schmitt (Warburg Inst., London); G. Sebba (Emory Univ., Atlanta); R. Shackleton (Oxford);]. Tans (Groningen); G. Tonelli (Binghamton, N.Y.). NAPOLEON AND THE LAZARISTS by JOHN W. CARVEN, C.M . • MARTINUS NI]HOFF - THE HAGUE - 1974 © 1971: by Martinus Nijlwff, The Hague, Netherlands Sojtcoverreprint oJtlie liarticover 1st edition 1974 All rights reserved, including the right to translate or to reproduce this book or parts thereof in any form ISBN-I3: 978-94-010-1619-3 e-ISBN-13: 978-94-010-1617-9 001: 10.1007/978-94-010-1617-9 TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface IX PART I THE CONCORDAT OF 1801 THE NEXUS OF THE RELIGIO-POLITICAL POLICY OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE I. THE CONCORDAT OF 1801 3 A. General Idea of a Concordat 3 B. Church-State Relations in France Prior to 1801 4 C. Concordat of 1801 7 II. BONAPARTE'S MOTIVES FOR NEGOTIATING THE CONCOR- DAT 10 A. Religious Situation in France Prior to 18 Brumaire 10 B. Religious Climate at the Beginning of the 19th Century 17 C. Bonaparte's Evaluation of the Religio-Political Climate 20 III. NEGOTIATION OF THE CONCORDAT 27 A. Preparations for the Negotiations 27 B. Summary of the Negotiations 33 IV. THE CONCORDAT PROVIDED A MODUS VIVENDI ON QUES- TIONS BASIC TO THE POWER OF EACH RULER 40 A. Papacy - Privileged Position 40 B. Bonaparte - A Subservient Clergy 43 V. RATIFICATION AND PROMULGATION OF THE CONCORDAT 52 A. Ratification 52 B. Promulgation 59 C. European Reaction 59 VI. OBSERVATIONS ON BONAPARTE'S RELIGIOUS POLICY 61 A. Bonaparte Satisfied Public Opinion 61 B. He Consolidated His Regime 63 C. He Enhanced His Gloire 66 D. Summary 67 PART II THE CONGREGATION OF THE MISSION WITHIN THE NAPOLEONIC RELIGIO-POLITICAL POLICY Introduction 71 I. HISTORICAL SURVEY OF PRE-NAPOLEONIC LAZARISTS 1625-1800 73 A. Who and What Are the Lazarists? 73 B. Geographical and Numerical Extent of the Lazarists 79 II. EARLY RELATIONS OF THE LAZARISTS WITH BONAPARTE 84 A. Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul 84 B. Lazarists' Foreign Missions Vis-a-Vis Bonaparte 90 III. THE LEGAL REESTABLISHMENT OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE MISSION 96 A. Decree of Reestablishment 96 B. Decree Conferred Legal Existence on the Lazarists 100 IV. THE LAZARISTS SUBSEQUENT TO THEIR REESTABLISH- MENT - EXTERNAL PROBLEMS 108 A. Motherhouse 108 B. Resumption of Former Works 115 V. THE LAZARISTS SUBSEQUENT TO THEIR REESTABLISH- MENT - INTERNAL PROBLEMS 125 A. Government of the Congregation of the Mission 125 B. Personnel 145 VI. SUPPRESSION OF THE LAZARISTS IN FRANCE 150 A. State of the Lazarists in 1809 150 B. Reasons for the Suppression of the Congregation of the Mission in France 154 C. Suppression of the Congregation of the Mission 158 PART III SEQUEL TO THE NEPOLEONIC REESTABLISHMENT OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE MISSION Introduction 169 1. THE CONGREGATION OF THE MISSION IN THE POST-NA- POLEONIC PERIOD 170 A. France 170 B. Europe 178 II. RECAPITULATION 180 Bibliography 185 Index 188 PREFACE Neither in English nor in French is there a published study of Napoleon Bonaparte's reestablishment in France of the Congregation of the Mis sion, whose members are generally known in France as Lazarists.1 This study, Napoleon and the Lazarists, 1804-1809, examines the reestablish ment of the Congregation of the Mission in France and its subsequent relations with the Napoleonic Government. Because religion played an important role in the policies and plans of Napoleon, this study is set with in the framework of Napoleon's general religio-political policy. Since the Concordat of 1801 was the legal instrument by which the Catholic Church was reestablished in France and also a necessary preliminary to and a model for the reestablishment of the Lazarists, its negotiation is treated in detail. The examination of the reestablishment of the Congre gation of the Mission in France under Napoleon Bonaparte and its sub sequent history between 1804 and 1809 follows. It is a study in microcosm which reflects Napoleon's general religio-political policies. Who are the Lazarists? The name Lazarist originates from St. Lazare, the original Motherhouse in Paris of the Congregation of the Mission of St. Vincent de Paul. St. Vincent de Paul founded the Congregation of the Mission in 1625. With the cooperation of St. Louise de Marillac, he also founded the Congregation of the Daughters of Charity. Until his death in 1660, he was, according to the Constitutions of both religious communities, the Superior General of the two Congregations whom he referred to as the Double Family. Moreover, his successors as Superior General continued to direct both Congregations since both the Lazarists and the Daughters of Charity vow obedience to the Superior General of the Congregation of the Mission. Within the lifetime of St. Vincent de Paul the Lazarists preached missions in the countryside of France, di rected seminaries for the education of the diocesan clergy, conducted re- I In English speaking countries the Lazarists are known as Vincentians. x PREFACE treats for priests and laymen, and labored in the foreign missions in Al giers, Tunis and Madagascar. During his lifetime both Congregations spread to other countries in Europe. St. Vincent de Paul and his suc cessors governed this worldwide Double Family. Prior to the French Revolution these two Congregations proved useful instruments to both the Church and the French Kings. The Lazarists were greatly esteemed for their seminaries and missionary work. The Daughters of Charity were similarly lauded for their hospital work. Ne vertheless, both the Congregation of the Mission and the Daughters of Charity were dissolved by the Government during the French Revolu tion. Under Napoleon Bonaparte both were reestablished. Although the Lazarists were reestablished specifically for foreign mission work, N apo leon allowed them to resume their former works within France. He re established the Daughters of Charity so that his Government would bene fit from their hospital work. Thus, both Congregations played a part in the practical working out of the Emperor's religio-political policy. This study specifically narrates the reestablishment of the Congrega tion of the Mission in 1804 and its relations with the Napoleonic Govern ment. It is limited to the Lazarists, except in those matters in which the relationship between the Lazarists and the Daughters of Charity affected the relations of the Congregation of the Mission with Napoleon's Govern ment. The Lazarists' reestablishment and the problems they encountered subsequent to their reestablishment brought them into close contact with Napoleon's Government. The attempts by the Lazarists to solve these problems show, in microcosm, various aspects of Napoleon's policies: his control and management of religious affairs in France, and his poli tical Gallicanism. To place the Lazarists in this historical perspective I have divided this study into three parts. Part I is a restatement of a well-known and much narrated aspect of French history, the Concordat of 1801. A discussion of the Concordat must form the basis of any study of Napoleon's religious policy. Only after he promulgated the Concordat did Napoleon's control over French religious affairs extend itself to the reestablishment of the Congregation of the Mission. Therefore, I have considered it necessary to recapitulate what other authors have written about the religious history of this period and about the Concordat itself in order to present the study of the Lazarists in its proper context. Use has been made of a selected bi bliography of published works dealing with the religio-political affairs of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic periods. Most noted of these pub lished works are the five volumes of P. de la Gorce, Histoire Religieuse PREFACE XI de la Revolution Fran~aise, Simon Delacroix's La Reorganization de L'Eglise de France apres La Revolution (1801-1809), and Boulay de la Meurthe's indispensable compilation of the documents relating to the Concordat of 1801, Documents sur La Negociation du Concordat et sur les Autres Rapports de la France avec Le Saint-Siege. Since Part I is in tended to be a recapitulation necessary to highlight Napoleon's religio political plans, no attempt has been made to consult and develop an exhaustive bibliography or to investigate archival material other than that contained in Boulay de la Meurthe's six volume compilation. This synthesis of Napoleon's religio-political policy provides the over view necessary to discuss the reestablishment of the Lazarists. Except for a brief survey of the history of the Congregation of the Mission prior to the French Revolution, Part II deals with the reestablishment of the Lazarists in France by Napoleon Bonaparte, the problems they encount ered in revitalizing themselves, and their dissolution in 1809 by the Em peror. I have endeavored to explain the reasons for their reestablishment, their usefulness to the Napoleonic Government, the involvement of the Government in the affairs of the Lazarists, and the reasons why Napoleon judged that they were no longer useful to his Government. The history of the Congregation of the Mission thus provides an insight into Napo leon's relations with the Holy See, his general religio-political policy, and the effect of the European unrest on the Congregation of the Mission. For this study of the Lazarists I have consulted all the pertinent ma terial contained in the archives of the Congregation of the Mission, 95 rue de Sevres, Paris, France. Some of these documents have been publish ed in Actes du Gouvernement Fran~ais Concernant la Congregation de la Mission, but this book is not generally available except in some houses of the Congregation of the Mission. These specific documents and all the other pertinent documents used in this study, whose translations are my own, are catalogued in the archives of the Congregation of the Mission under the title of Vicaires Generaux.2 While the subject of this study is the period of 1804-1809, I have deem ed it necessary to add Part III in order to bring to a suitable conclusion several problems discussed in Part II since these problems were solved only after the fall of Napoleon. Under the restored Bourbon Monarchy 2 According to the Constitutions of the Congregation of the Mission an appointed Vicar General governs the Lazarists after the death of a Superior General until a new General can be elected. Because of the international unrest of the Napoleonic period the Lazarists were unable to convene a General Assembly of the Congregation of the Mission whose purpose would be the election of a Superior General. Therefore, the Vicars General of this period performed all the functions of a Superior General as provided by the Constitutions and the directives of the Holy See.

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