Edmond Paris - The Secret History of the Jesuits

On that subject, Mr. T. Jung wrote, in 1874, the following lines which have not grown old-'The power of France is in inverse ratio to the intensity of her obedience to the Roman Curia".(l)

And from a more recent witness: M. Joseph Hours, when studying the effects of our very relative "disobedience", he wrote:

"There is no doubt about it; right through the continent (and maybe, today, all over the globe), wherever Catholicism is tempted to become political, it is also tempted to become anti-French".(2) A just remark indeed, even though the term "tempted" is rather weak.

We will nevertheless conclude that "to obey" would be more to the point.

Is it not better, in fact, to expose oneself to this hositlity, rather than to have to come to this conclusion, like Colonel Beck, former Foreign Affairs minister of the very Catholic Poland (2a)".

"The Vatican is one of those principally responsible for the tragedy of my country. I realised too late that we had pursued our foreign politics just to serve the sole interests of the Catholic Church".

Moreover, the fate of the very apostolic empire of the Hapsburgs was not too encouraging; as for Germany, so dear to the hearts of popes, and especially Pius XII's, she could not be pleased, finally, with the costly favours Their Holiness lavished on her.

In fact, we wonder if the Roman Church reaped any profit at all from this mad aspiration to govern the world, a pretension kept alive by the Jesuits more than anyone else. In the course of four centuries in which these firebrands spread strife and hatred, slaughter and ruins in Europe, from the Thirty Years War until the Hitler Crusade, did the Church enjoy gain or suffer loss?

The answer is easy: the clearest and most incontestable result is a continuous diminution of the "heritage of Saint-Peter"—a sad end to so many crimes!

Did the Jesuits' influence obtain better results within the Vatican itself? It is very doubtful.

A catholic author wrote:

"They always aim at concentrating the ecclesiastical power which they control. The pope's infallibility exasperates bishops and governments: they nevertheless ask forit at the Council of Trent and obtain it at the Vatican Council (1870)... The Company's prestige fascinates, within the Church, its (1) T. Jung: "La France et Rome", (Charpentier, Paris 1874, p.369).

(2) "L'Annee politique et economique", 19, quai Bourbon, Paris 4e, January-March 1953, pp.2 ss.

(2a) Declaration made on the 6th of February 1940.

CONCLUSION 193

adversaries as much as its friends. We have respect or, at least, we fear it; we think it can do anything, and we behave accordingly".(3) Another catholic writer strongly stated the effects of this concentration of power in the Pontiffs hands:

"The Society of Jesus was suspicious of life, the source of heresy, and opposed authority to it.

The Council of Trent seems already to be the testament of Catholicism.

It is the last genuine Council.

"After that, there will only be the Vatican Council which consecrates the abdication of the councils.

We are well aware of the popes' gain at the end of the councils.

What a simplification—what an impoverishment also!

Roman Christianity takes possession of its character of absolute monarchy, founded now and forever on papal infallibility.

The picture is beautiful but life bears its costs.

Everything comes from Rome, and Rome is left to lean only on Rome".(4)

Further on, the author sums up what the famous Company must be credited for: "It delayed maybe the death of the Church, but by a kind of pact with death".(5)

A kind of sclerosis, if not necrosis, is spreading and corrupting the Church, under that Loyolan ascendancy. Vigilant guardians of the dogma, whose antiquated character they accentuate with their aberrant worship of the Virgin Mary, the Jesuits, masters of the Gregorian Pontifical University which was founded by Ignatius of Loyola, check the teaching of the seminaries, supervise the Missions, reign at the Holy-Office, animate the Catholic Action, censure and direct the religious press in every country, patronize with tender love the great centres of pilgrimages: Lourdes, Lisieux, Fatima, etc. In short, they are everywhere, and we can regard as significant the fact that the pope, when ministering at the mass, is necessarily assisted by a Jesuit; his confessor is always a Jesuit, too.

By working at perfecting the concentration of power in the hands of the Sovereign Pontiff, the Company is in fact working for itself and the pope, apparent beneficiary of that work, could echo these famous words: "I am their chief, so I follow them".

So, it becomes more and more hopeless trying to distinguish the action of the Holy See from the one of the Company. But this Order, the very back bone of the Church, tends to dominate her entirely. For a long time now, the bishops have been nothing more than "civil servants", docile executors of the orders coming from Rome, or rather from the Gesu.

(3) Andre Mater- "Les Jesuites" (Reider, Paris 1932, p. 118).

(4) and (5) Henri Petit: "L'Honneur de Dieu" (Grasset, Paris 1958, p.88).

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THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE JESUITS

Without any doubt, Loyola's disciples endeavour to mask from the eyes of the faithful, the harshness of a more and more totalitarian system. The Catholic press, under their direct control, assumes some variety of inspiration, to give its readers the illusion of a kind of independence, to be open to "new" ideas: the Fathers, who are all things to all men, willingly practise these juggler's tricks which deceive only the star-gazers. But, behind these petty amusements, the everlasting Jesuit is watching, about whom an aforementioned author wrote: "Intransigence is inborn in him.

Capable of being a shuffler, because of his craftiness, he only excels at being stubborn".(6)

We find excellent examples of that stubborness and insidious bias in the patient work of the Company's members, to conciliate, for better or worse, the

"modern" and scientific spirit to which they take care to be attentive with the demands of the "doctrine" in general and, especially, with these rather idolatrous forms of devotion—the worship of Mary and wonderworking—of which they remain the most zealous propagators.

To say that these efforts are crowned with success would be an exaggeration: when blending water and fire, we obtain mainly steam. But even the inconsistency of these clouds is rather pleasing to certain subtle minds, even though warned about the dangers too much precision in the thoughts brings to a sincere piety. "Vade retro, Satanas"!

As far as that is concerned, German metaphysics are most helpful; we find in them everything we need, and even the opposite. There isn't any childish superstition which, after pedantic treatment, does not acquire some appearance of seriousness and even depth. It is rather amusing to follow the game in the periodicals and bulletins of various cultural groups.

There, the enquirer finds the material he needs, and especially the one who, through an inclination somewhat aberrant, enjoys reading between the lines.

However, these men full of bitterness do not live only the speculative sphere, the good Fathers made sure they gave their apostolate amongst

"intellectuals" a solid temporal foundation. To the gifts of the Spirit the lavishly bestow upon their disciples are added substantial advantages.

Besides, it is an ancient tradition. In Charlemagne's time, the converted Saxons received a white shirt. Nowadays, the beneficiaries of a newly-found or re-discovered Faith enjoy other favours, especially in the academic and scientific worlds: the not very clever student passes examinations without difficulties; the professor is given the professorial chair of his choice; the physician who is a "believer", in addition to rich clients, has preference when wanting to join some important society, etc.. Through a natural mechanism, these choice recruits will bring others and,