Describing the Conference of History, the group in which the Society’s founders first bonded, Frédéric Ozanam explained that all subjects were debated, except that “the tumultuous realm of politics is foreign to our discussions.” [54, to Falconnet, 1833] The Society, in our first Rule, adopted this as a founding principle, saying that we should “banish political discussions forever from our meetings” just as St. Vincent had, and “should abstain from being inflamed by political leanings which array parties in opposition,” concluding that “Our Society is all charity: politics are wholly foreign to it.” [Rule,1835]

Frédéric, who once ran for political office, always recognized religion had greater power than politics; how much more could be accomplished through devotion to God than to the questions that divide us. Indeed, his vision for the Society was of “a community of faith and works erasing little by little the old divisions of political parties” comprised of members with “the unanimous resolve to make it a moral country and to become better themselves in order to make others happier.” [290, to Amelie, 1841]

Frédéric never shied away from debate, but as he put it himself, “I am less qualified than almost any other, to deal with those questions which are agitating men’s minds! I mean questions of labour, wages, commerce, administration…” [Baunard, 259] His personal advocacy focused instead on what our present-day Rule calls our “distinctive approach” to see issues “from the perspective of those we visit.” [Rule, Part I, 7.4] As friends of the poor, our advocacy concerns itself with enlightening our fellow citizens on the conditions of our friends, encouraging them to help individually, and as communities.

Our human nature leads us to see our own times as uniquely polarized, but the passions of politics have led to angry disputes and even civil wars in all ages. Frédéric saw that “the faith suffers from that alliance with the political interests and passions.” [211, to Lacordaire, 1839] He believed that “abandoning political doctrines to their own consequences and people to their passions, God wants to teach us to take our trust back from people and their doctrines…” [200, to Bailly, 1839] Catholic Social Doctrine lays out the goals, not the means. It acknowledges natural political disagreements that exist among people of good will but calls us to seek common ground in order to do the good that can be done. The Society seeks not to win the argument, but to represent the common ground – the civilization of love.

We are concerned with worldly matters, of course, or we wouldn’t feed the hungry, or shelter the homeless, but just as the hope in which we serve is much greater and more powerful than merely the hope of paying bills, let us also resolve with Blessed Frédéric that “Amid the philosophical and political schools that sow division in the mind and turmoil in the heart, may the Society we belong to become a great school unconcerned with the irritating issues of this world, where those who once fought come together to know and love one another, where we learn but one thing, something understandable, acceptable, and amenable to all, something admirably simple and yet infinite, eternal as the God it comes from. And by this we do mean charity!” [1378, Gen’l Assembly, 1839]

Contemplate

Do I always seek common ground with fellow Vincentians in our friendship, service, and spirituality?

By Timothy Williams,
Senior Director of Formation & Leadership Development
Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA.