The Layman and Society

Extract

It is exactly thirty years ago that the first of the now famous Semaines Sociales de France was held in Lyons. Since then sessions—annual, except during the War—have been held of this perambulating Catholic University in all the regions of France: the twenty-sixth session was held this year in Nice (July 23 to 29). In 1932, at Lille, the theme treated was economic; last year, at Rheims, political; this year the official title of the subject was Social Order and Education. The title puzzled not a few, myself included: and it is only now that in retrospect I seem to grasp its full meaning. At Lille and Rheims the principles of economic and political science, as embodied in Catholic doctrine, had been admirably stated—principles, which have only to be applied, to end the economic and political anarchy of our age. But the anarchy continues; the principles are not applied. Why? Because our age does not know them; because an education is needed. It is only through education that we can move towards an ordered Society: Par I’éducation vers I’ordre social chrétien was in fact the title of the President’s inaugural address at Nice.

‘Christianity has been tried two thousand years and has failed,’ say our neo-pagans. No, we retort, it has never failed, whenever it has been tried: the trouble is, that it has so rarely been tried. Individually, yes, it has been and is being tried: but socially?