The Social Doctrine of Bishop Charles Freppel and the School of Angers

351 Pages·2012·1.65 MB·English

THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA

The Social Doctrine of Bishop Charles Freppel and the School of Angers

A DISSERTATION

Submitted to the Faculty of the

School of Theology and Religious Studies

Of The Catholic University of America

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

For the Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

©

Copyright

All Rights Reserved

By

Daniel Vincent Frascella

Washington, D.C.

2012
The Social Doctrine of Bishop Charles Freppel and the School of Angers

Daniel Vincent Frascella, Ph.D.

Director: Jacques M. Gres-Gayer, S.T.D., Ph.D.

The encyclical Rerum novarum, published in 1891 by Pope Leo XIII, is
considered the cornerstone of modern Catholic social thought. In the years prior to its
release a lively debate occurred throughout the Catholic world about the appropriate
response of the Church to the realities of modern industrialized economies.
This study examines one perspective in this discussion, largely represented by the
thought of Bishop Charles Freppel of Angers (1827 – 1891). Freppel was the leader of
the School of Angers, a group whose distinctive feature was its general distrust of state
intervention as a resolution to the social question. In addition to his two decades as
bishop of Angers, Freppel was also a deputy in the Chamber of Deputies from 1880 until
his death in 1891. He thus serves as an interesting figure of study, offering insights into
both the internal debates within the Catholic Church regarding the social question and the
delicate question of the relationship between Church and State in the French Third
Republic. Two collections of Freppel’s works form the basis for the majority of this
study: the first contains his homilies and pastoral letters as bishop, the second his
speeches as deputy.
In addition to Freppel, the broader social doctrine of the School of Angers will be
considered by examining the thought of proponents such as Charles Perin and Claudio
Jannet, and the primary periodical that presented this view. The proceedings of social
congresses, especially those held in Liege and Angers in 1890, will also be examined as
representative of diverging models of social Catholicism. Some important issues of
disagreement included the relationship between justice and charity, and the role of state
intervention in resolving the social question.
A central theme that emerges is the manner in which the political context of the
French Third Republic played a pivotal role in shaping the thought of Freppel and the
School of Angers throughout the study. Finally, the minor but discernible influence of
the School of Angers on Rerum novarum will be considered.
This dissertation by Daniel Vincent Frascella fulfills the dissertation requirement for the
doctoral degree in Church History approved by Rev. Jacques M. Gres-Gayer, S.T.D.,
Ph.D., as Director, and by Rev. Brian V. Johnstone, C.Ss.R., S.T.D., Joseph Capizzi,
Ph.D., and Msgr. Robert Trisco, Hist. Eccl. D. as Readers.

__________________________________________
Dean of STRS on Behalf of
Jacques M. Gres-Gayer, S.T.D., Ph.D., Director

__________________________________________
Brian V. Johnstone, C.Ss.R., S.T.D., Reader

__________________________________________
Joseph Capizzi, Ph.D., Reader

__________________________________________
Robert Trisco, Hist. Eccl. D., Reader

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1. Introduction: The Early Career of Charles Freppel and the Origins of the
School of Angers………………..……………………………………………1

Chapter 2. Bishop Freppel as Social Critic: The Legacy of the French Revolution…….28

Chapter 3. Religion and the Foundations of Society: Family, Education, Church, and
State…………………………………………..………………………………90

Chapter 4. Principles of a Social Doctrine: Bishop Freppel and the Social Question.…130

Chapter 5. Deputy Freppel and the Fight Against State Overreach in the Chamber of
Deputies…………………………………………………………………….174

Chapter 6. Social Catholics Divided: The School of Angers and the Congresses of
1890……………………………………..…………………………………..218

Chapter 7. Assessing Rerum novarum and the School of Angers……………………...265

Epilogue. The Fading of the School of Angers…………………………………………328
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The completion of this dissertation project would not have been possible without
the generous support of many people. I would like to thank in a special way my Director,
Rev. Prof. Jacques M. Grès-Gayer, whose steady encouragement and guidance have
supported me from my first days of study at The Catholic University of America through
the writing of this dissertation. He is a model mentor who has demonstrated for me
standards of scholarship that I can only hope to one day emulate. I would also like to
thank my readers, Rev. Brian Johnstone, C.Ss.R., and Dr. Joseph Capizzi, whose interest
in and support of my work has been invaluable. Special thanks are also due to Rev.
Msgr. Robert Trisco, who graciously stepped in to serve as a reader in difficult
circumstances. I am also indebted to Msgr. Trisco and Dr. Nelson Minnich, under whom
I have had the pleasure of working at the Catholic Historical Review during my time at
The Catholic University of America. I have learned a great deal from them about the
academic world, but they have also been exemplars of kindness and congeniality among
scholars.
On a personal level, I would like to thank my friends and colleagues in the School
of Theology and Religious Studies at The Catholic University of America. Bonnie
Brunelle kindly obtained some of Freppel’s volumes that were difficult to access.
Miriam Perkins has provided steadfast support, advice, and above all, friendship. Lucas
Kriner has also been immensely helpful, discussing my work throughout the course of its
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completion. The staff at the Center for Educational Design and Communication,
especially the late Sister Kit Collins, RSCJ, were also instrumental in supporting my
graduate studies. Final thanks are due to my family. My siblings, Dawn, Larry,
Marianne, and David have taught me many lessons, not the least of which is the value of
hard work and perseverance. Lastly, three people deserve special thanks. My parents,
Lawrence and Mary Ann, have been the unfailing foundation of all my academic
endeavors. They have offered unconditional support, encouragement and confidence in
my efforts. A mere mention in this space is hardly sufficient to express my gratitude. In
addition to my parents, the love and support of my wife Margareta have been most
responsible for the completion of this dissertation. I am similarly ill-equipped to express
to her how thankful I am for all that she has done to allow me to reach this point.
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Chapter 1
Introduction: The Early Career of Charles Freppel and the Origins of
the School of Angers

On Christmas Day of 1891, thousands of Catholics in the French city of Angers
paused from their holiday observances to visit the cathedral and pay their respects to their
recently-deceased bishop. At the funeral of Charles-Emile Freppel in early February of
1892, his eulogist recalled Freppel’s often-repeated line that “God does not direct us to be
victorious, but simply to fight.” Throughout his life Freppel engaged in battles on several
fronts, and he often did not emerge in victory. However, the battles that he waged and
the positions that he represented provide important insight into the complex portrait of
late-nineteenth century French Catholicism.
Charles-Emile Freppel (1827 – 1891) was born in the small town of Obernai in
the Alsace region of France. During the course of his life he would be witness to several
significant political, religious, and social events. The “Age of Revolutions” was gaining
momentum as the aftershocks of the French Revolution were spreading across Europe.
Both new and old political regimes governed France, as the monarchical remnants of the
ancien régime struggled against a growing republican majority. The Catholic Church
was forced to confront a new political paradigm which instead of providing the Church a
place of privilege sought rather to diminish its influence if not cast it off entirely.1 The

1 There are several general works which provide an overview to the changes of nineteenth-century Europe
and their impact on the Church. For broad surveys, see Jacques Gadille and Jean-Marie Mayeur,eds.
Libéralisme, industrialisation, expansion, européenne (1830 – 1914), Vol. 11 of Histoire du christiansime,
1
2

Church was also dealing internally with the question of how best to understand and
respond to the political and social changes brought on by modernity.2 In the midst of this
tension the Industrial Revolution added yet another layer of uncertainty, as the location
and condition of a growing mass of workers would have direct implications for both
Church and state alike.
The influence of these various factors can be found in the responses offered by
Catholics to the new problems which faced the working class as a consequence of
industrialization, urbanization, democratization, and secularization. Many solutions were
proposed to the broad social question which resulted, and within the Catholic Church the
debate deepened as economic progress, often accompanied by the misery of the workers
who propelled it, sharpened the challenges that faced the Church and society.3 The
current study seeks to identify the social doctrine of Charles Freppel and the group he
later came to lead, the School of Angers. There were several elements to this social

(Paris: Desclée, 1995); Roger Aubert, et al., The Church in the Industrial Age, translated by Margit Resch,
Volume IX of History of the Church, (New York: Crossroad, 1989). For the French Church, see Jérôme
Grévy, Le cléricalisme? Voilà l’ennemi!: Un siècle de guerre de religion en France, (Paris: Armand Colin,
2005); John McManners, Church and State in France, 1870 – 1914, (London: SPCK, 1972); Adrien
Dansette, Histoire religieuse de la France contemporaine. L’Église catholique dans la mêlée politique et
sociale, 2 vols, (Paris: Flammarion, 1965); C.S. Phillips, The Church in France, 1789 – 1848: A Study in
Revival, (New York: Russel & Russel, 1966); Jacques Gadille, La Pensée et l’Actiopn politiques des
évêques français au début de la IIIe République (1870 – 1883), 2 vols, (Paris: Hachette, 1967).
2 Some useful works on developments in the Catholic Church in the nineteenth century including the
important pontificate of Pope Pius IX and the First Vatican Council are Roger Aubert, Le pontificat de Pie
IX (1846 – 1878), Vol. 21 of Histoire de l’Église depuis les origins jusqu’a nos jours, (Bloud &Gay, 1963);
Roger Aubert, Vatican I, (Paris: Éditions de l’Orante, 1964); Les catholiques libéraux au XIXe siècle. Actes
du Colloque international d’histoire religieuse de Grenoble des 30 septembre – 3 octobre 1971, (Grenoble:
Presses Universitaires de Grenoble, 1974).
3 There are numerous works dealing with the onset of the social question and the Church’s response,
including Paul Misner, Social Catholicism in Europe: From the Onset of Industrialization to the First
World War, (New York: Crossroad, 1991); Jean-Baptiste Duroselle, Les Débuts du catholicisme social en
France (1822 – 1870), (Paris: PUF, 1951); Robert Kothen, La Pensée et l’Action socials des catholiques,
1789 – 1844, (Louvain: Warmy, 1945); Jean-Marie Mayeur, Catholicisme sociale et démocratie
chrétienne. Principes romains, experiences françaises, (Paris: Éditions du Cerf, 1986). See the references
for additional works.
3

doctrine which will be described, but special attention will be given to the role of the
state, as it was the most distinctive mark of the social thought of Freppel and the School
of Angers. Before proceeding to Freppel’s understanding and response to the social
question, it is necessary to give a brief overview of his life and identify some of the key
contributors to the School of Angers.

Biographical Sketch of Charles Freppel4

Freppel was born to parents who could be considered among the “petite
bourgeoisie”, providing him with a comfortable living though not one of wealth. His
father, François-Xavier, had served in the army under Napoleon, finishing at the rank of
captain. He was a court clerk before eventually serving as a justice of the peace in
Masevaux. His mother, Elisabeth Schlosser, came from a family of notaries that lived
comfortably, as evidenced by the additional property they held in Blienschwiller, where
Charles Freppel would vacation as an adult.5 Thus he was not destined for a public or
ecclesiastical career by virtue of his birth. His older brother Jules was his only sibling,

4 The principal biography of Freppel is Eugene Terrien, Monseigneur Freppel. Sa Vie, Ses Ouvrages, Ses
Oeuvres, Son Influence et son Temps d’après d’ocuments inconnus et inédits, 1827 – 1891. 2 vols.
(Angers, 1931 – 1932). Terrien’s work is not balanced in its portrayal of Freppel’s life, presenting him
mostly as the valiant protagonist in various struggles. However, it is very useful for its inclusion of
numerous excerpts of letters and other writings from throughout Freppel’s life. Another favorable
biography that is also useful in the latter regard is Étienne Cornut, Monseigneur Freppel d’après des
documents authentiques et inédits (Paris: Victor Retaux, 1893). Two reference articles on Freppel provide
a useful biographical overview: the first, by Charles Ledré, in Catholicisme: Hier – Aujourd’hui – Demain,
4, col. 1583 – 1585; the second, by Jacques Gadille, in Dictionnaire d’Histoire et de Géographie
ecclésiastiques, 18, col. 1257 – 1261. A helpful overview of Freppel’s life and career before he was named
bishop is Jacques-Olivier Boudon, “Le parcours de Mgr Freppel avant son election au siège d’Angers,” in
Catholiques entre monarchie et république. Monseigneur Freppel et son temps,1792 – 1892 – 1992. Actes
du colloque national de l’Université catholique de l’Ouest, Angers 23 – 25 septembre 1992. Edited by
Bernard Plongeron, with Isabelle Émeriau and Jean Riaud (Paris: Letouzey et Ané, 1995), pp. 81 – 94.
5 Boudon, p. 81.