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 ii 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 iii 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 iv 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. v 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).