Joseph Cardijn and the Jocist Network at Vatican II by Stefan Robert Gigacz, LL.B., LL.M
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The Leaven in the Council: Joseph Cardijn and the Jocist Network at Vatican II By Stefan Robert Gigacz, LL.B., LL.M. (Legal Theory), DEA Canon Law. A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Divinity 2018 Abstract This thesis investigates the role and impact of Joseph Cardijn, founder of the Jeunesse Ouvrière Chrétienne (Young Christian Workers) movement, and the jocist network of bishops and periti at the Second Vatican Council. It adopts a longue durée approach, locating Cardijn within a tradition of Catholic social thought and action that developed in the wake of Europe’s nineteenth century industrial and democratic revolutions. It highlights the influence of the Lamennais School, and Marc Sangnier’s Sillon movement as sources for his work. Secondly, it traces the influence of Cardijn, his theology and methods over the half century prior to the Council, particularly the well-known see-judge-act method, which formed part of his “Three Truths” Christian dialectic. It also documents the emergence of a global network of JOC and/or Specialised Catholic Action chaplains experienced in these methods, many of whom would become key conciliar actors. Thirdly, it examines the role at Vatican II played by Cardijn, the jocist-formed bishops and periti, as well as several lay leaders from the movement, who became lay auditors. It particularly examines Cardijn’s role in the Preparatory Commission on Lay Apostolate and its successor the conciliar Lay Apostolate Commission in the drafting of the Decree on Lay Apostolate, Apostolicam Actuositatem, and the Doctrinal Constitution Lumen Gentium, as well as the impact of his book, Laïcs en premières lignes, published in English as Laymen into Action. It also traces the role of the jocist network in the drafting of the Pastoral Constitution, Gaudium et Spes, and more generally over the Council as a whole. It concludes by identifying a “Cardijn hermeneutic” based on key Cardijn concepts, including the see-judge-act, the Three Truths dialectic, lay apostolate and Specialised Catholic Action, which collectively provide keys for understanding his contribution as well as for interpreting and implementing Vatican II. Declaration of originality I hereby certify that this thesis contains no material which has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma in any university or other institution, and affirm that to the best of my knowledge, the thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person, except where due reference is made in the text of the thesis. Where I have quoted French or other foreign language texts in English, I am the translator, unless otherwise indicated. Stefan Gigacz Acknowledgments Unsurprisingly, there are many people to acknowledge in a project like this. Top of the list is my thesis supervisor, Bruce Duncan, who recognized the potential of this research project from the outset and has unfailingly encouraged, advised, corrected and – to use a Cardijn term that Pope Francis has further popularized – “accompanied” me from beginning to end. Also vital to the project were those veterans of Vatican II, former YCW and other movement leaders, who knew Cardijn and kindly shared their recollections and experiences, including the late conciliar expert, François Houtart, Chilean Council Father, Archbishop Bernardino Piñera, now the world’s oldest living bishop, Australian John Maguire, who was “ecclesiastical assistant” or chaplain to the lay auditors at the Council, Flo Triendl, Jo Weber and Rienzie Rupasinghe, who worked with Cardijn. Michael Costigan, John Molony, Archbishop Len Faulkner, Richard Buchhorn, Don O’Brien, Bill and Anne Byrne, Bob Wilkinson, Michael Coleman, Nancy Conrad, Osvaldo Rebolledo, Mario Molina, Osvaldo Donoso kindly gave interviews which assisted greatly in understanding the background. Also deserving of specific thanks are the archivists at the various institutions where I have worked. I would particularly like to mention Serge Sollogoub at the Institut catholique de Paris, Frédéric Vienne at the Lille Diocesan Archives, and the ever-helpful staff at the Belgian Archives du Royaume in Brussels. Many others assisted by reading and/or commenting on drafts of various chapters and/or in various conversations. A few of those are Kevin Ahern, Dries Bosschaert, Oscar Cole-Arnal, Leo Declerck, Jean-Marie Dumortier, Guido Goossens, Joe Holland, Mathijs Lamberigts, Eric Mahieu, David Moloney, Val Noone, Bob Pennington, Oscar Saldarriaga, Antoine Sondag, Helen Ting, Stefaan Van Calster, Special mention also to Jean-Paul Durand, who first encouraged me to study the sources and origins of the JOC some twenty-five years ago. The Australian Research Theology Foundation provided a grant that enabled me to kickstart my research. Yarra Theological Union and the University of Divinity in Melbourne enabled me to obtain an Australian government-funded PhD research scholarship. Special thanks also Michael Kelly and Suman Kashyap, who took care of many thankless administrative matters. Many others too numerous to mention also provided logistical and other assistance in large or small measure. Naturally, I would also like to acknowledge the tremendous support and patience of Helen, my wife, whom I have already mentioned for her academic advice, my daughter Kiara, who assisted with checking various references, as well as Jade and Robbie, who also “accompanied” me throughout this project. The last and perhaps ultimate acknowledgment goes to the late Marguerite Fiévez, the de facto first secretary general of the JOC Internationale, later Cardijn’s personal secretary, archivist for Cardijn, the JOCI and the Belgian JOC as well as a historian and Catholic lay leader in her own right. Moreover, it was Marguerite who compiled Cardijn’s first and only full-length book, Laïcs en premières lignes, which played a key role in transmitting the jocist influence to the Council, and whose networking and advocacy skills no doubt were also vital. Stefan Gigacz Contents Introduction 1 Part I Cardijn’s ‘long nineteenth century’ 8 Chapter 1 Young Cardijn 9 Chapter 2 Lamennais, Le Sillon and La JOC 13 Chapter 3 Cardijn’s “Christian dialectic” 43 Chapter 4 The development of a global jocist network 64 Part II: Preparing for the Council 93 Chapter 5 ‘Mater et Magistra’ and Pope John XXIII’s call for New Pentecost 94 Chapter 6 Church, world and lay apostolate: Cardijn in the Preparatory Commission 105 Part III: Cardijn and the jocist network at the Council 152 Chapter 7 The Council opens without Cardijn 153 Chapter 8 Suenens vs Cardijn: ‘Lay people in the front lines’ 178 Chapter 9 The Cardijn dialectic in Gaudium et Spes 198 Chapter 10 The apostolate proper to lay people 263 Chapter 11 Completing the canon: Freedom, mission, liturgy… 332 Conclusion Chapter 12 A Cardijn perspective on Vatican II 352 Bibliography 361 Abbreviations AC Archives Cardijn ACJB Association belge de la jeunesse belge (French Catholic Youth Association) ACJF Association catholique de la jeunesse française (French Catholic Youth Association) ACLI Italian Workers Catholic Action ACI Action catholique indépendente (Independent Catholic Action) (France) ACO Action catholique ouvrière (Worker Catholic Action) (France) AJ Archives JOCI CAJ German JOC movement CC Vatican II Coordination Commission CELAM Latin American Episcopal Conference CFM Christian Family Movement CPC Vatican II Central Preparatory Commission CSC Central Sub-Commission of the Mixed Commission (MC) DC Vatican II Doctrinal Commission COPECIAL Preparatory Committee for International Lay Apostolate Congresses FIMARC International Federation of Rural Adult Catholic Rural Movements FIMOC International Federation of Christian Worker Movements ICO International Catholic Organisations JAC Jeunesse agricole chrétienne (Young Christian Farmers) JEC/YCS Jeunesse étudiante catholique / Young Christian Students JIC Jeunesse indépendente catholique (Independent Catholic Youth) JOC/YCW Jeunesse ouvrière chrétienne/Young Christian Workers JOCF Jeunesse ouvrière chrétienne féminine JOCI Jeunesse ouvrière chrétienne International JUC Jeunesse universitaire catholique / University Catholic Youth KAJ/VKAJ Flemish JOC LAC Commission for the Apostolate of the Faithful; for the Editing of Printed Material and the Mass Media, generally known as the “Lay Apostolate Commission” LOC Ligue des ouvriers chrétiens (League of Christian Workers) MC Mixed Commission of DC & PCLA drafting Schema XIII (Gaudium et Spes) MIAMSI International Movement for the Apostolate of Independent Milieux MIJARC International Movement of Catholic Agricultural Youth PCLA Pontifical Commission on Lay Apostolate (Preparatory) SCA Specialised Catholic Action STSC Signs of the Times Sub-Commission of the MC TSC Theological Sub-Commission of the MC Cardijn’s episcopal coat of arms Introduction Introducing Cardijn “Vatican II canonised Cardijn,” Melbourne Archbishop Frank Little told several leaders of the Young Christian Workers (YCW or Jeunesse Ouvrière Chrétienne – JOC), including myself, in 1979. I was impressed but not surprised. Many veteran JOC leaders and chaplains, who were familiar with Cardijn’s “incarnational” theology of lay apostolate, or who had experimented with dialogue masses long before the Council, shared Little’s views. Even then, it was recognised – or perhaps assumed – that the Vatican II Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes had borrowed its “inductive” approach from Cardijn’s see-judge-act formation