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10/17/1949 - Progressive Christians by John R. McCarthy

INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS JRcC Rue Flix Poulat Progressive Christians Grenoble Isere France October Mr Walter S Rogers Institute Current World Affairs Fifth Avenue New York N Y Dear Rogers Jacques Royer about fifty average French sparse graying wrinkled He electrical engineer respectableede City Councilor Grenoble A devout Catholic hears Mass every morning seminary He known enjoys certain amount favor local clerical Educated By Jesuits whose sympathy republican insti tutions rightly wrongly still suspect thousands Frenchmen Mr Royer would fitted familiar pattern before Royalist after member Act_ion F ansaise Gaullist That instead since ranged himself politically alongside Commdnlsts clusion Sacraments seriously considered pastor should known Buenos Aires politi cally outrageous Catholic paradox which France often seems spscialize Royer member Union Chretens Progressiste8 group Catholics Protestants while jecig Marxist materialism nevertheless accept Com munist analysis state world They convinced wrongness capitalist order downfall They oppose Viet Nam Marshall Plan Atlantic Pact Point Four France successive Third Force governments voted Communist sponsored peace ballot October Duringaout years corporate existence since their start November constant thorn Vatican Archbishop Paris provincial Catholic chanceries The great Cardinal Suhard recently explicitly against terms definition policy avoid ecclesiastical sanctions Mr Feltin Cardinal Suhard successor reportedly trying about Progressive Christians What publicized Decree Holy Office July Amilitant Royalist movement which served organ contented Right collapsed after condemnation Pope Plus XI The movement started tradition training armed youth groups which ussolini later copied successfully The leader Acti rsais Charles aurras positivist Semite despised Christianity discrete talented polemicist Catholics flocked standard Im prisoned collaboration aurras launched appeal release which unavailing JRMcC intended activities loosely called Catholic Communists In October issue their monthly paper Position Progressive Christians officially approve decree declare their submission But affirm their confidence possibility Catholic supporting practise policy national independence against constantly intensified Americani zation country possibility Catholic looking fratrici massacres pleased French Union possibility Catholic supporting words working class against capitalism They submit further declare Rome Washig manifesto strange France strange would U S Anti talism while common means socially untenable among French Catholics Some Cardinal Suhard denunciations talism would sound indeed Ca rdinal Spellman there things T6moigna Chretien popular national Catholic weekly newspaper which would Scandalize readers Brooklyn Table Esprit monthly magazine appealing Catholic Protestant intellectuals fairly close Progres Christians political issues having opposed Marshall Plan aspects U S postwar foreign policy And tradition Dominican which Lacor claire sometimes flshes pages Economic Hum_anisme Yet flirting With Catholics enough according Jacques Reyer What needed complete eradication capitalist system practise deeply rooted materialism Communism theory Based Christian notions profit competition ceaseless grati fication senses capitalism given worthless culture caused international completely destroyed dignity individual child God On coldly tical level Mr Royer maintains capitalism least Europe brought about animal subservience America different Europe class still being fought workers still mercilessly exploited capitalist still reaps unjust rewards If workers chains struck capitalist eliminated Mr Royer forsees omnicompetent A C atholic clandestine newspaper Resistance Which taking proletariat blossomed quickly after Its former managing editor A Mandouze Progressive Christian The strangest thing about paper aditional French point founder present editor Jesuit Father Chaillet state rather decentralized A given factory instead belonging single capitalist group state property communit which loated All working members community enterprise profits losses would shared those directly concerned manufacture product As celebrated Boimondeau community watch makers started skilled arcel Barbu administration would hands General Council which would determine prices wages distribution profits reserve funds I reminded Mr Royer standing about Boimondeau after several years success still almost imitators admitted ficulties widespread imitation experiment great Yet imitation there Mr Royer because present centralized economic system controlled minqrity impersonal immoral Gone widespread c_mmu system would centripetsl movement economic trusts bankers cemblnes prlce fixing agreements terlocking directorates Gone corollary would centralization French gevern mento A strng political regime necessary center offset hoever weakly concentrated power economic interests As c9_mm unaut S workers achieved respenslbility tight reins Paris lessen French mayors stance removable inister Interior ceuld become responsible their constituents Paris rupter idealists would cease impede Revelutlen which become necessary Politics service would cease different things It might become Deputies revolutionary cerumen revolutionaries Deputy These dreams dreamed before cemrse people ranging Rousseau arxian French Socialist Fearier Alexander Weolcott father They remind Americans Br Farm New Harmony Indiana They inform respectable literature industrial French revolutionary tradition They distinctly Jacobin whether arxist depends which variation arxism censider They involve political sphere approach democracy anarchism mystical anarchism Telstoi rather practical anarchism Bakunin There Reyer intermediaries between individual political epressien In subsistent munity families intermediaries vanish The Republic enough democracy The cemmunaut democra And there hundreds communauts shall relations among Ah remains What practical steps Progressive Ch istians political field their rather vague Here Royer helpful He instance there almost nothing usefully City Councilor Grenoble because there clear majority against himself Communists always votes On national scale there Progressive Christian JRMcC National Assembly other Council Republic again themselves voting Communists against bourgeois majority Why infiltrate Popular Republicans official Catholic party Mr Royer smiled We saying paved Popular Republicss I suggested But might paved Progressive Chris tians Mr Royer think The temptation American I think dismiss Progressive Christians Commiebute crackpots Yet negative formless their program obviously political expression current among profoundly religious people sillusion desire radical change That profound religious people least appearances ciding destiny nations recently Wes leyans instance leave their impress eighteenth century England The Progressive Christians little except extremely subtle mYsti It political practise distinguish themselves Communists Perhaps their policies become clearer following their first national convention November eanwhile seems Royer people whatever think their assertions their examination Marxists assume divinely sanctioned order things displays better French characteristics From tical ferments capitalist Catholics Protestants ideas forces which Frenchman solve petually insolubl political economic expression Sincerely Received New York I0