[HEADING VII]1
THE ZEALOUS PRIEST IN THE CARE OF WOMEN
There are things that have to be done in union with the parish priest and others independent of him.
I mentioned above that the master association established in the Church is the parish: the parish priest is by office, by right, by duty, its moderator: the other priests, chaplains, beneficiaries, rectors of churches, spiritual directors of hospices and hospitals, teachers, etc., and especially the vice curates, are more or less directly his cooperators. They are the parish priest's arms: and a great principle should shape their conduct: study the program and the direction of the parish priest in the spiritual care of women in order to support him in whatever is possible.
A parish priest, guided by a sincere desire for the religious welfare of his parish, has a long-range plan and a short-range one: these have to studied also in terms of the care of women. The long-range program is: to lead souls to Heaven by all means: this is common to every parish priest, no one can excuse himself from it: and not much study is needed to understand it. - The short-range program instead is: the composite of those specified means for caring that the parish priest chooses according to the local needs. It is specific, it is practical, it is the expression of zeal and of prudence of a good pastor of souls. In this, he also has
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something original and particular: and it is here that his cooperators must study him and support him. I do not believe that cooperators ought to function independently: that parish priest would not succeed in his intentions unless he provokes and takes into consideration suggestions and observations: no one can ever assert that cooperators ought to strip themselves of freedom necessary in the accomplishment of specific duties. Nonetheless, the parish priest has always a precedence that at times might impose respect, at other times obedience: but always it has to be recognized that pastoral work has its center on him. Different direction, badly hidden discord, open struggle, these are always causes of infinite troubles among the clergy and among the people. Certainly, it can happen that one who is in an inferior position might have more secure points of view, then, he can also humbly manifest his thought: in practice, however, before God and men, mutual agreement in action is always better: disagreements are always the worst of evils.
[From the pulpit and from the confessional]
Hence, material help and, even more, moral help to the parish priest in his initiatives in favor of young people and women. It is known: hardly do these initiatives obtain immediately the whole population's approval: there always are those who want to see in them human goals, sordid speculations, spirit of novelty!
More so when one new activity is focused on
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women, so inclined to envy, jealousy, suspicion! And woe is there if these interpretations should find confirmation or support among the divided clergy. Each one has his own talents and according to these, he shall support the parish priest: from the pulpit to the confessional, in public and in private, with words or deeds, through the assumption of a part of the work or by offering one's services for eventual needs only.
The good use of talents received is what assures success in God's judgment.
So then: the priest, who is not the parish priest, shall he stand by with his hands on his waist or, worse, as a mere spectator in the act of observing or of waiting after the parish priest? - No: there is, other than the help that he can extend to the first pastor of the parish, a number of things that he can do. He can accomplish a great work from the confessional: since women go more frequently to the sacraments, let the priest find out what area comes his way for working. Zeal is first of all founded in piety and in virtue: let the priest then penetrate souls with the more profound sentiments of piety, strengthen wills for true virtues: these souls shall be ready to the first appeal of the parish priest for whatever good work. What could the parish priest do if, wanting to establish an organization, he should notice that the truest of the foundations is wanting?
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Formation in virtues through advice, by calling for examination of conscience on the principal duties, through insistence especially on humility and on gentleness.
Then, through the confessional, more than in any other manner, one can direct women to zeal: and to a very broad range of zeal, from which are excluded only those activities that require a true external and local organization. The confessor sees more easily what good women might do, in their capacity as wife, as mother, as daughter, as sisters, as an unbound woman, as a person who lives in a society. Then. the confessor's words have strength and a particular authority that, accompanied by divine grace, comes in a moment when the soul is disposed to welcome it. History is there to prove that the priest has worked more, in general, when he did not reduce his ministry to external activities. It is suitable to work on the souls in particularly and from within.
Neither can he train in zeal only with advice, but also with often reminding on the examination of conscience on this duty, important among others. To enter into ourselves, to place ourselves before ourselves, to excite repentance in us, just as it is done in confession is, also naturally, a great means of formation. No one can argue against its educational value. I said that whatever priest, parish priest or not, having under his direction organizations for women
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or not, can always lead and remind women to be zealous at home. I have as well said that this is the part of zeal that weighs more on women, that which constitutes the most essential parts of her duties, the first area of woman's activity. Let every priest, then, find out what work is open for him. The parish priest can and should aim at something more: we could see this further on. Meanwhile, he himself among the beginners of the parish ministry, and every priest, free and in the dependence of the parish priest, can do what is most urgent: to train well-meaning youth, to form faithful brides, to train conscientious mothers, then to direct everyone in the work for moral and religious welfare of the family.
More: one who does not care about her brothers and sisters, of her husband, of her children, how can she have the diligence for caring for others? On the other hand, is it not in the sanctuary of the home that the first attempts of zeal ought to be done? Training for zeal, as formation to whatever other virtue, is not a work done by jumps but gradually, passing from the more simple and from here to the more difficult, then the most difficult.
More: our periodicals on women's activity rightly so have cast an alarm during these last years. Perhaps not everyone has noticed its importance. They said: let us work, but not to destroy nature; but in order to consolidate it,
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to help it, to perfect it: let us work without destroying God's work.
Now, the family is the work of nature and of God. Today it is threatened in its foundations by the impious, by Freemasonry, by socialism. These tend to destroy the foundation through civil marriage, with divorce: they tend to destroy life by throwing out of the house not only the husband but also the wife: they tend to destroy the fruits by frustrating2 and stealing the right of parents to educate their children. Now the priest who works for the consolidation of the home performs a necessary and at the same time modern work. Local action shall not be enough: but this is the base of general action. To turn daughters, wives, mothers into lovers of the home, attached to and interested in the good functioning of the home: daughters, wives and mothers, who should find their purest and greatest joy in staying at home: daughters, wives and mothers jealous of the peace and sanctity of the home. Should not many of the organizations' work be aimed at these? They do not have to take the place of but to perfect, assist, accomplish the work of the family and the accomplishment of the family duties. Many from among the Catholic women's movement have as well to remember that they let women go out of the home too much, very often they turn to naught the influence of parents, to separate members from the home, to impose an education
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that is too artificial, without love, with domestic ideals.
Speaking of confession, two short observations would not be useless. Women, more than men, are more inclined to scruples and to small obsessions. Well, all spiritual masters recognize the powerful means for caring: let her be engaged in works of zeal: lead patiently her activity on serious and grave concerns. Among the first of these: visits to the sick, the spiritual as well as material care of children, social services for women; among the second are: to cultivate practical virtues, prayer for the spread of the kingdom of Jesus Christ, the care of the family. It shall not always be easy but the effect is certain.
The confessor is not only a judge, but also a doctor, teacher, father. - Now I would like to take into consideration something that might be a burning issue. Moral theology is quite profuse in training confessors to become good judges but very limited in teaching them to become teachers, fathers and doctors of souls. And yet the occasions of serious difficulties for judgment are not so frequent: while it is something most ordinary, most common, that of having to suggest strong, convenient remedies, of teaching at least the principles of Christian virtues, to console and encourage continues. One could see here how necessary it is that the priest does not reduce his studies
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to the book of moral theology, at least up to the way it is dealt with today. He needs a broad instruction in ascetics, the knowledge of modern psychology, a broad study of the modern needs and those of pastoral work.
Canon Brianza3 wrote a very good book on the modern lack of will power: based on the principles of moral theology, on practical psychology, he draws precise, secure rules for direction and pastoral work. Among other things, he takes note suitably how women of today have become more nervous, neurotic, hysteric and, consequently, lacking of will power in comparison with the past. Thus he concludes: Let us pray so that the venerable clergy leaves a bit more to God's judgment the problems of yesterday, as, after all, they are gone! And that they, with greater courage, get into practical matters of today: less criticism, my God, but much, very much practice! Let us pray more so that the clergy might make the use of moral theology more penetrating into the medium of psychology, which is, also this, a great conquest that God has will and that we must utilize... I cite only one mistake that is born of the neglect of these studies. It often happens that one preaches on a virtue; the audience approves, comes up with a sterile desire and concludes nothing. Not much has been said to the senses, decision was not made, in short, one has not prepared himself: one, who did not have the legs or have them very weak and sick, wanted to run.
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I refer to some of the excellent books of practical psychology: the reading of at least one is indispensable to the clergy, whether he lives in the city or in the countryside, for himself or for others.
1. Governo di sé stesso (Government of one's self) - Eymieu4 (Libreria Pustet, Roma, L. 3.25).
2. Formation de la volonté (Formation of the will) - Guibert (Libreria Pustet, Roma).
3. Il carattere (Character) - Guibert5 (Libreria Pustet, Roma, L. 0.75).
4. L'abulia moderna (The modern lack of will power) - Brianza (Libreria Ghirlanda, Via Unione N. 20 - Milano - L. 2.50).
5. L'educazione del carattere6 (The education of character) (L. 2.00).
6. L'educazione del cuore7 (The education of the heart) (L. 2.50).
7. L'educazione della coscienza (The education of conscience) (L. 2.50).
8. L'educazione della virilità cristiana8 (The education of Christian manhood) (L. 2.75) of P. Gillet (Libreria Desclée, Roma).
9. Guida dei nervosi e degli scrupolosi (The Guidance of the neurotic and the scrupulous) - Raymond9 (Libreria Desclée, Roma - L. 3.50).
It should not be believed that the confessional has to be turned into conversations on ascetics; more so when women are concerned, of whom we always have to remember an ancient saying: cum mulieribus sermo brevis et durus.10 Neither has the sacrament of penance to be reduced into pure judgment: the confessor has to be, more or less, spiritual director, that is, he has to teach, correct, stimulate his penitent. In some instances, he can point out books to read: but
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1 See note 1 of the preceding heading.
2 DA has frustare (to whip) instead of frustrare (to frustrate).
3 Doctor Enrico Brianza was an honorary canon of the cathedral of Bobbio (Piacenza) (MM).
4 Cf. EYMIEU A., (died on October 1933), Il governo di sé stesso (Saggio di psicologia pratica) Government of self (Essay on practical psychology). The only translation approved by the author based on the 21
st French edition, Roma, Desclée & C. In the book three principles are developed: 1) The dominion of actions through ideas: ideas lead into action; 2) Through actions, to govern the emotions: the conditions of success; 3) Through emotions, to govern the ideas and actions: the choice of an ideal. Conclusion: the mission of freedom in the government of self.
5 Cf. GUIBERT J. (superior of the Seminary of the Catholic Institute of Paris), Character. Definition, importance, ideal, origin, classification, formation. Free version by the priest professor Domenico Dall'Osso, Salesian. Third revised and corrected edition, Torino-Roma Marietti 1928. In the preface, one reads: “Already, Jouffroy said: men are lacking; well, they would not be lacking if, other than following lazily and blindly their inclinations, they would truly attach to their lives a purpose, modeling it with systematic effort after great characters.”
6 Cf. GILLET P., L'educazione del carattere = Character education. Italian translation after the 2
nd French edition (5
th thousand), Rome, Desclée & C. 1911. The book closed with a “formula” that was posted by the Author, a Domenican, at the start of the book: “Do we want to be Christians of character? Let us begin by being honest men.” (p. 160).
7 Cf. GILLET P., L'educazione del cuore (The education of the heart). Second edition, Roma, Desclée & C. Editori - Ditta G.B. Paravia & Comp. 1914.
8 Cf. GILLET P., L'educazione della virilità cristiana (Education of Christian manhood). Translation of the third French edition, Roma, Desclée & C. 1913. The Author wrote on September 1909 in Louvain: “Here is a short treatise on supernatural psychology.” And he added: “It is our conviction that before one becomes a Christian, and in order to become one, he has to achieve the ideal of the honest man.”
9 Cf. RAYMOND V. O.P., La guida dei nervosi e degli scrupolosi (The guidance of neurotics and the scrupulous). A guidebook of all those who suffer and see others suffer. Preface by Dr. Masquin and letters of Doctors Bonnaymé and Dubois. New edition with a chapter on the “care of neurotics”. Translation by Tullia Chiorrini after the 3
rd French edition (15
th thousand), Roma, Desclée & C. 1912.
10 With women, let your conversations be brief and tough. Cf. ALBERIONE G., Appunti di teologia pastorale, Torino 1912, p. 229. This recommendation to speak short with women in the confessional comes from the conviction rooted also in the environment or in the very popular Piedmontese “wisdom”. (cf. PAVESE C., Il mestiere di vivere, 1937).