The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1958-06-13
Catholics And De Gaulle:
French Leader Has
Had Varied Career
by Erik v. KuehneIf-L eddihn

4Fs& a ny ETN " No@fiIFcf'kS0otHH
France, as we indicated before, is one of the
few countries in which Catholic leftiSt intellectuals
are more frequent than middle-of-theroaders or
rightists.
Conversely there exists in France something we
find nowhere else in Europe. genuine rightiStS Ii. G.
not fasciSts, but conservatives and monarchiStS) who
are agnosticS, if not downright atheists. And, almost
as bad: we get monarchists who are nationalsts,
whereas, normally, monarchists have a very cosno-
Early in this century, under the leadership Of
The highly gifted Maurras, . group OF furious nation
ISIS. hitherto tied to the cause Of the French Revolv.
tion, espoused the cause of monarehicai restoration.
This group was quite successful, especially
among young inteHectualS and university people.
Yet, on account of its rabid nationalism it was con-
demned by the Church in 1926, their daily paper
Action Franchise was put on the index, Its adherentS
communicated.
De caulIe, a pracficing Catholic. belonged to
the Action FRANCHISE as a young officer. but he drift
ed away sitter Maurrss, accommodation MANY
Catholics stubbornIy stuck il out, went to The Saera-
menfs in far away parishes where they were Un.
known, and hoped for q lifting Of the ban which,
after Mavrras' submission, was one OF the first Off
cial actions of Plus XII following his election in 1897
In 1882 Captain de Gaulle published a small
book called "The Edge of the Sword which he dedi-
Gated to Marshall Petain, the godfather OF his Oldest
son. This booklet is very interesting because II IS an
outline how to become "a chief.
De GauIIe was land certainly still isl convinced
that republican democrscies end by suicide and thus
he insists that "a chief" The does not use the word
dictator or avioerst) ought to wait unf'' the masses
are ready until in their despair about the ineffee-
tiveness Of their government they Glamour Tor his
assuming power.
De Gaulle, in the past, had a phenomenal rise as
a leader in exile, but when he returned to France the
combined Communist and American q opposition
prevented a reform of the French constitution after
the pattern of America with lar reachlng powers
Given to a Prime Minister-Presldent and tnen De
Gaulle. sensing that his time had not come, RESIGNED
He went into a voluntary retreat, writing BOOKS
in a brilliant style and waiting for another pronltlous
moment-which, if it has come now, came q DIT due
for an undoubtedly ambitious man OF ~
What de GauIle would eoncrefe'y 90 WIN .
n,w. eoual 70 that Of the American presidenf IS
almost anvbodv's guess. He nioht ban me Som"on.s.
Party, although such an action would 0e : "ei0'
operation. ;,.o,,oct,.1
1;hortv. there are too many outstanding lntelleetuais
close to him (Soustelle and Malraux are lust .wo
names of an enchanted circle to hermit his becoming
totalitarian in matters of the spirit.
And finally, he might contemplate the resIora-
ton Of the monarchy. The telegram he sent TO the
Pretender. the Count Of Paris, on the occasion OF
the Dauphin's marriage, is a document OF o1Iiclai
hommages .aL
How would the French Catholic, view sucn
changes if they ever should come about anu the
French Republic not muddle through further 70 q
final and more complete doom? The malority-may.
be only a bare majority-of French Catnoncs Wouiu
be happy-or at least Satisfled-to see an autnoIl-
tartan rule by de Gaulle and a restricted parlment
as a MINOR evil. 6uL tHcH tlSic Wouiu ~ = otASA
thinking of those influenced by Maritain's reasonIng)
who would prefer the present, unstable situation, IN
sisting that it belongs to mans nature to rule him.
self" s..<. stM t y,
1.-THE more democracy, the, better" they would
say, wherevpon their adyersariss, also in the cafho-
lie camp, would reply that parIimentarisn does not
mean "seIf rule" and that true "seIf-governmenf~
will always remain . beautiful, though idle dream.
Just as there is no Catholic vote in America
there is still less of a Catholic vote" or even .
Catholic opinion" in France.
There are Emergencies among the laity, the
clergy, and the hierarchy. Unity is always easily
achieved without much thinking and reflecting; only
too often it rests on blind consent.
va One might deplore the division of the French
Catholics or one might exult over it; it all depends
from what angle one looks at it. Intellectually it is
a boonrpoitically a grave handicap.
Grove Press. $2.45. Paper. !