6 - Orthodoxy and Rome

Summary

Immediate reactions to Laberthonnière's philippic

Prominent amongst those expressing approval of Positivisme et catholicisme were Blondel himself and, also from the academic world of philosophy, Delbos and Boutroux.

Blondel, whatever his earlier reservations about his friend's sharp separation in ‘L'Eglise et l'Etat' between the respective interests of Church and State, thought very highly of Positivisme et catholicisme: thus the book's spirit was ‘ardently Christian’, and the author's standpoint was both ‘very orthodox’ and ‘very evangelic’. This reaction was scarcely surprising inasmuch as Positivisme et catholicisme was the culmination of a joint effort against what they took to be misconceived theology and the political abuse of Christian religion. Also, in the ecclesiastical climate of the time – the closing years of Pius X's pontificate–the book's publication was on the part of the Oratorian priest a deed of no mean courage, and, as such, it had Blondel's admiration.

Courage too was the quality that struck most Delbos – who had known Laberthonnière for some fifteen years – and within two weeks after the book's publication he was warmly complimenting its author: it was ‘an interesting and vigorous book’, and, more impressive still, it was ‘an act of courage which is greatly to your honour’. Delbos expressed the hope that its publication would not cause too much trouble for Laberthonnière himself.