Missionnaires d'Afrique
François Richard M.Afr
Archiviste Rome
Il y a 150 ans
Lavigerie évêque
Lors de sa mission au Proche Orient, labbé Lavigerie avait fait preuve dune compassion hors du commun pour les victimes des tueries. Il avait amplement manifesté ses nombreuses qualités de chef, tant pour le contact que pour lorganisation. En tant que Directeur de luvre dOrient, il était déjà connu du grand public. Mais en rentrant en France, il put constater que certains pensaient à lui pour devenir évêque de Vannes. Il navait que 35 ans et pensa plus sage de refuser.
Par contre, on lui proposa de devenir Auditeur au tribunal de la Rote à Rome. Le gouvernement français avait en effet le droit de nommer un représentant pour siéger à ce tribunal. Rappelons quen 1860, les États pontificaux constituaient encore un État indépendant dont le pape etait le souverain. Assumant tous les attributs dun chef dÉtat normal, le pape était donc responsable de ladministration ordinaire de lÉtat, ce qui inclut aussi bien léconomie que léducation, la médecine, la voirie, la défense, la police et les tribunaux, etc. Le tribunal de la Rote gère donc ainsi non seulement des cas relevant du droit canon mais aussi des cas de droit civil et criminel.
Lavigerie le jour de sa consécration épiscopale à Rome, le 22 mars 1863.
Lavigerie se retrouve donc juge ! Par sa formation, il est historien et non juriste. Peu importe ! Après 5 semaines de séjour à Rome, on lui attribue un doctorat en droit tant civil que religieux. Mais son véritable intérêt ne se porte pas sur le travail du tribunal. Sa présence à Rome comporte un autre volet qui touche à la diplomatie. Il doit essayer de mettre de lhuile dans les rouages des relations entre la France et le Saint-Siège.
Et la situation est compliquée : ce sont les troupes françaises qui garantissent lindépendance des États pontificaux face à la montée du nationalisme italien (risorgimento), lequel se bat pour que Rome devienne la capitale de la nouvelle Italie. Les catholiques français ultramontains soutiennent lindépendance du pape. Dautres soutiennent les républicains italiens et souhaitent que le pape abandonne son rôle de souverain temporel. Lempereur Napoléon III est partagé : il soutient lunité italienne (contre lAutriche), mais il ne veut pas sopposer aux conservateurs français. Lavigerie est assis entre deux chaises : dépendant du pape Pie IX, il ne peut pas sopposer à lui. Mais son cur penche contre les ultramontains. Il sen tire avec un peu dhumour et beaucoup de diplomatie.
Surtout, il profite de sa position pour observer ce qui se passe à la curie. Et le moindre quon puisse dire, cest quil nest pas édifié. Il trouve que la curie ne comprend rien au monde moderne, et na aucune dimension vraiment catholique : Le monde catholique est régi par une caste dont les idées sont nécessairement étroites comme toutes les idées de caste, et même le sont dautant plus, dans le cas du gouvernement romain, que ceux qui le composent nont jamais quitté leur pays et en partagent, par conséquent, tous les préjugés. Aussi assistons-nous à ce singulier spectacle de voir italianiser le monde sous prétexte dunité catholique (Lettre à M. Faugère, 10 janvier 1863). Il conçoit et propose plusieurs pistes pour internationaliser et ouvrir la curie. Mais ses propositions tombent dans limpasse.
Bref, il nest pas à son aise. Il sennuie. Sa santé se détériore. Il désire un poste où il puisse non seulement observer et conseiller, mais décider et agir afin de vraiment influencer lhistoire de lÉglise. Il postule lépiscopat. Après quelques péripéties où il exerce son habileté et son entregent pour promouvoir sa cause, il est finalement préconisé évêque de Nancy au consistoire du 16 mars. Il ne perd pas de temps et est ordonné évêque (à lépoque on parle de sacre) le 22 mars 1863 à Rome même, par le cardinal Villecourt, à léglise St Louis des Français. Il a 37 ans.
Certes, il fait part de son émotion : Quels moments ! Je naurais jamais cru pouvoir être bouleversé et écrasé comme je lai été. Priez Dieu quil fasse de moi un bon évêque. Mais cela ne lempêche pas de savoir ce quil veut : Je veux être un évêque vraiment libéral et ne point mener mes prêtres à la Turque !
Il a choisi sa devise : Charitas, et son blason : le pélican. Son programme est clair. Il lexpose dans la lettre pastorale quil envoie de Rome dès le 5 avril au clergé et aux fidèles de son nouveau diocèse. Lidée maîtresse qui le guide est la conciliation entre lÉglise et le monde moderne : LÉglise nest lennemie ni de votre intelligence ni de votre philosophie, ni de vos sciences, ni de votre industrie, ni des uvres de génie de lhomme, ni de sa liberté, ni du progrès des sociétés humaines Bref, il veut mettre toute son énergie à préparer le futur, et non pas à geindre sur un passé appelé à disparaître. Loin de se concentrer sur des combats darrière-garde, il clame bien haut son zèle apostolique qui se concentre sur lessentiel : Je napporte au milieu de vous quun seul drapeau, celui de Jésus Christ et de son Église Jai reçu la mission de vous enseigner les trois choses les plus grandes, les plus saintes, les plus nécessaires qui soient ici-bas, à savoir la foi qui soutient et dirige la vie, lespérance qui la console et la charité qui la rend heureuse et féconde.
Le 12 avril, il quitte Rome. Il sera officiellement installé à Nancy le 10 mai. Il ne va y rester que 4 ans, jusquà son départ pour Alger. Cest une période courte mais extrêmement féconde. Ses efforts vont se porter principalement en deux directions : lamélioration de la condition du clergé et du niveau de léducation tant pour les enfants, que pour les jeunes et pour le clergé.
Il ne recule devant aucun effort et nhésite pas à bousculer bien des habitudes, quitte à heurter des personnes bien installées. Il ne se fera pas que des amis, et certains ne regretteront pas son départ pour lAfrique. Mais tous saccorderont pour dire que ces quatre années ont été bénéfiques pour le diocèse et que tout ce quil a mis en place a perduré et porté des fruits abondants.
François Richard
Tiré du Petit Echo N° 1039 - 2013/03
150
years ago
Lavigerie is ordained Bishop |
During the time of his mission to the near East, Lavigerie had shown an extraordinary compassion for the victims of the massacres. He had also shown many qualities as a leader as much as his ability to make contacts as well as his organisational abilities. As the Director for the Oriental Work, he was already well known to the public. On his return to France, he became aware that some people were thinking of him as the next Bishop of Vannes. He was only 35 years old. He though it wise to refuse.
He was offered the post of Auditor of the Rota in Rome. The French government had the right to appoint a representative to sit on this tribunal. We should remember that in 1860, the Papal States were still independent and the Pope was the Sovereign. The Pope had all the powers of a Head of State and was responsible for the ordinary administration of a State. This included the economy, education, health, transport, defence, and justice including the courts. The Rota dealt not only with cases involving Canon Law but with Civil and Criminal matters as well.
Lavigerie became a judge although his training was as a historian rather than as a jurist. This was of little matter as after five weeks in Rome, he was awarded a Doctorate in Law (Canon and Civil). However his real work was not at the tribunal. His presence in Rome had a diplomatic angle. He was tasked with smoothing the relations between the Holy See and France.The situation was very complicated: French troops were, in fact, guaranteeing the independence of the Papal States in the face of growing Italian nationalism (Risorgimento) which wanted to make Rome the capital of the new Italy. Conservative French Catholics supported the independence of the Pope while others thought that he should abandon his role as a temporal sovereign. The Emperor Napoleon III could not make up his mind. He supported Italian unity as a bulwark against Austrian power, but he did not want to go against the French conservatives. Lavigerie was caught between two chairs: he was subject to Pius IX, and could not oppose him but did not support the conservatives either. He got out of the situation with a little humour and a lot of diplomacy.
Lavigerie profited from his position to observe the Curia and the least that can be said is that he was not impressed. He found that the Curia understood nothing of the modern world and did not have a genuine catholic outlook. In a letter to M. Faugere, dated the 10th January 1863, he said: The Catholic world is governed by a class whose ideas are very narrow which is common in all classes of this type. This is even more obvious in the case of the Roman Government which is composed of people who have never left their country and so share all the prejudices of such people. So we are looking at the singular sight of italianising the world under the pretext of Catholic Unity. He conceived and proposed many ways of internationalising and opening the Curia. However, all these proposals hit a brick wall.
To put it mildly, he did not feel at ease in Rome and he was bored. His health deteriorated. He wished for a position where he could not only observe and advise, but also decide and act in order to play a part in the history of the Church. He applied for a Bishopric. After a number of twists and turns where he showed his skill and savoir-faire at dealing with people, he was finally recommended for the Diocese of Nancy on the 16th March 1863. He didnt lose any time and was ordained Bishop on the 22nd March 1863 by Cardinal Villecourt at the Church of St. Louis des Français. He was 37 years old.
He was certainly stirred by the occasion: What a moment! I could never have believed to be so moved and humbled as I was. I pray to God that he will make me a good Bishop This did not prevent him from knowing what he wanted: I wish to be a truly liberal Bishop and not to lead my priests in a cruel way!
He chose as his motto Caritas and as his coat of arms, the pelican. His programme was clear. He set it out in a pastoral letter that he sent from Rome on the 5th April to the clergy and faithful of his new diocese. His main theme, which was to guide him, was the reconciliation between the Church and the modern world. He wrote: The Church is not the enemy of your intelligence, or of your philosophy. She is not against your sciences, nor your industry, nor the ingenuity of man. Neither is she against his liberty, nor against human progress. In a word, he wanted to put all his energy into preparing for the future. He did not want to whine about the past which was going to disappear. Rather than concentrating on a rear guard action, he proclaimed his apostolic zeal which focussed on the essentials: I bring only one flag to you; that of Jesus Christ and his Church. I have received the mission to teach you the three things that are the most significant, the most holy, and the most essential that are to be found, namely: a faith that supports and directs life, a hope that is consoling, and a love that brings happiness and fruitfulness.
On the 12th April, Lavigerie left Rome and was officially installed in Nancy on the 10th May. He would only stay there for four years until his departure for Algiers. It was a short period but very fruitful. His efforts were concentrated in two areas: improving the conditions of the clergy and raising the level of education for children and young people as well as for the priests.
Lavigerie was never afraid to make an effort and did not hesitate to disturb the established routines even if it meant clashing with important people. He had many friends but some people were not sorry at his departure for Africa. However, everybody agreed that these four years were of great benefit to the diocese and everything that he put in place endured and brought much fruit.
François Richard
ArchivistFrom Petit Echo N° 1039 - 2013/03