Marxist History and Sacred History

Author(s): Jean Danielou

Source: The Review of Politics, Vol. 13, No. 4 (Oct., 1951), pp. 503-513
Published by: Cambridge University Press for the University of Notre Dame du lac on behalf of Review of
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Marxist History and Sacred History

By Jean Danielou, S.J.

FOR

Marxism* history is the process by which man transforms

himself by transformingthe economicconditionsof his existence
throughwork. The expressionof this processon the social level is
the class struggle through which the rising class, correspondingto
the economic infrastructureof the future, tends to substituteitself
for the exploitingclass which is the expressionof the outworninfrastructure. To exist is to engage in this conflictand thus participate
in the movementof history. Now very often Christians,in orderto
oppose Marxism,remainon the Marxist plane. They are satisfied
to set up one social doctrineagainstthe other. We proposeto show
in this article that while it is true that there is a Christiansocial
doctrine,and one superiorto that of Marxism,the true superiority
of Christianitydoes not lie in this. Its superiorityconsists,on the
contrary,in the fact that it has not only a social doctrinebut very
different dimensionsas well and is thereby capable of giving an
of humanexistencewhile Marxismonly touches
integralinterpretation
the surface of it.

We can show this by taking certain vantage points which will

permitus to see, paradoxicalthough this may at first appear,that it
is preciselyin the most supernaturaland the most essentialrealities,
those most peculiarto Christianity,such as the sacraments,that we
shall find the profoundestanswer to the problemsof the present
world. All these realitieswill no longer then appearas obiter dicta
in our lives, but, on the contrary,as at the very heart of life. They
will no longer seem to be a sort of routineexercisedso as to be in
the good gracesof God, but a real and total commitment.
It is characteristic
of the mentalityof men today to conceivethe
world they live in as one history. We find it everywhere.This is
becausehumanity,with the increasinglygreat extensionof its knowledge, is more aware of its growth and advancement. Science has
also shown us that before our historythere was a whole humanpre* This article was originally published in Dieu Vivant, No. 13, under the title,
"Histoire marxiste et histoire sacramentaire." The English translation is by James A.
Corbett, Associate Professorof History in the University of Notre Dame.

503

504

THE REVIEW OF POLITICS

history. Thinkingwhichdoes not considerthis unfoldingin time,

this new dimensionhardlysuspectedby the ancients,is ineffective.
Firstdevelopedin the philosophyof Hegel, this idea has assumed
in our worldof today,and especially
more and more importance
in Marxism.
But the expression
givento this awareness
by Marxismappearsto
be verynarrow.The essentialideaof Marxismis thatthe realityof
historyis dialecticsby whichman createshimself,that is, buildsup
of the material
humanitylittle by little throughthe transformation
the most effectivemen
conditionsof his existence.Consequently,
and the trueheroesof the modernworldwill be scientistsandworkandsaintsareof secondary
ers;poets,artists,philosophers,
importance.
Thus, for Marxtwo categoriesof men are absolutelyessential:the
scientistwho inventsand the workerwho producesthe conditions
whichoughtto improvethe life of man. Thisphilosophy
is obviously
a dynamicone for thosetwo classesof menbecauseit makesthem
the essentialagentsof history. The stagesin the historyof humanof
ity are the greatages of stone,of iron,of steam,of electricity,
radioand of atomicenergy. This is the only important
reality.All
the rest is suprastructure.
The leverswhichguide humanprogress
are techniques;the only way to develophumanityis to develop
technique.
What givesforceto this positionis that it is not only a matter
of makingmanawareof things,but of helpinghim to commithimself by showinghim the reasonand valueof this commitment.1It
is not simplya vulgarmaterialism,
but a humanism,
a conception
of
man. As suchMarxismis the absolutecontradiction
of Christianity:
manis the supremevaluefor man;he is his owncreator.To recognize God is degradingand vilifying;to rejecthim is the essential
conditionof a realistichumanism.
Henceforthwe cannotconfrontMarxismwitha moreor less pale
Christianhumanism.If Christianthoughtsometimesseemsweak
doesnot relyenoughon
alongsideMarxism,it is becauseChristianity
on the factthatit is a religionof God,a divine
its essentialprinciple,
conceptionof history.For the Christianit is not only a humansocietywhichis builtup in historybut a divinedestinyof man. We
shall only overcomeMarxismwhenwe realizethat it is Christianity
1 See Karl Lowith, Meaning in History, pp. 42-43.

MARXIST HISTORY AND SACRED HISTORY

505

whichmakeshistoryreal. Christianity
one hisis also fundamentally
not
and
a
of
more
or
an
less
outside
ideal
world
of
tory
conception
humanrealities,and sortof addedto them. As an interpretation
of
total history,Christianity
giveshistoryits definitivemeaning.
The historyof the world,in the Christiansenseof the word,is
essentiallySacredhistory,the historyof the greatworksof God in
time in which,with the irresistible
powerof His creativespirit,He
buildsthe true humanity,the eternalCity. Hence, if we wish to
find the Christianmeaningof history,we must knowhow to go
beyondapparentand externalhistoryin orderto penetrateto the
realone whichis builtin the depthsof man. Only the Holy Spirit
can give us an understanding
of this. We findthe essentialsof it in
an accountof the greatworksof God anda description
for
Scripture,
us of the waysof God and of the mannerin whichHe doesthings.
It is, therefore,in the measurein whichwe live by Scriptureas the
true realitythat we shall discoverand understand
the universeacto
God.
cording
of the creation,
Scripturebeginswith an historicalaffirmation
thenshowsus the continualactionof Godthroughevents: He chose
Abrahamas headof His peopleand madean alliancewithhim to
lead his peoplein His ways. And herewe cometo an important
idea: this SacredhistorywhichGod makesis opposedto thatwhich
manwishesto make(the one that Marxdiscovered).Fromthe beginningthereare two histories.Thereis the one menwishto make
becauseof pride,the flesh, imperialism
and domination;it is the
of
and
bloodyhistory wars,persecutions captivities.For manymen
this is the only history. But besidethis humanhistorythere*isthe
historywhichGod makes. Throughit God buildsHis kingdomand
leadsmenaccording
to His ways.The Old Testament
givesa typical
in the conflictbetweenthe prophets
exampleof thesetwo tendencies
andthe powerfulwhoalwayspersecute
them. The prophetshavethe
Christiansense of historyand, throughthe spiritwhichenlightens
them,theyact as thoughintroduced
by God to the veritable
meaning
of the destinyof humanity.
In the middleof history,the Son of God Himself,by His Incameon earthto assumehumanity,
to uniteHimselfto it,
carnation,
to purifyit withHis bloodand to leadit foreverinto the kingdom
of the Fatherafterhavingliberated
it fromdeathandsin. Whatman
seeksis preciselya liberation;he wantsto shakeoff the captivity

506

THE REVIEW OF POLITICS

whichweighsheavyupon him. This captivity,however,is not eco

nomicbut spiritual.Originalsin is not capitalism,
the essentialevil
for Marxism. Even a humanityfreed-of all socialmiserieswould
still remainin an integralmisery:that of sin. When Marxsaid
that once man was freedfromhis economicbondagehe wouldbe
happy,Marxwas wrongfor thereremainsspiritualmisery. Thus in
SovietRussia,peoplemay be liberatedon the economiclevel, but
they exist,-and strikinglyso-in a profoundspiritualdespair.
The Marxisteffortis, therefore,
and does not descend
superficial
into the veritabledepthsof humanmisery. Of coursewe should
fightagainstsocialmisery;but suchmiseryis simplythe repercussion
of anothermuchmoreprofoundandintimateone: sin, death,Satan.
The one wholiberatesfromthisrealcaptivityis JesusChristandHe
alone. The meaningof historyas the Marxistssay,-and we agree
withthemhere-is to freeman,2but we say that only JesusChrist
and thosewho live in Him can do it. Theseare the missionaries
the real saviorsof humanity.As long as we
and contemplatives,
fail to realizethat socialreactionagainstMarxismis inadequate,
as
as
we
enter
not
into
the
do
and act
long
realityof Christianity
we shall retainan inferioritycomplex.Althoughwe
accordingly,
haveour dutieson.the socialand economicplane,theyare not all.
Thereis somethingmoreimportant
of
and deeper:the continuation
the workof JesusChristin the salvationof humanity.
To be sure,Marxismdoes not deny absolutelythat Christianity
is a greatand beautifulthing,that it broughta veritablerevelation
into the world.But MarxismsaysthatwhatChristianity
accomplished
in the past is overand donewith;now it is in a stateof crisisand
a new humanityis beginning.We are beyondChristianity
on the
roadto a religionof the newtimes. The Christianof todayanswers
of faith: one doesnot surpassJesusChristfor
this witha profession
in Him the end of thingsis reached.He aloneis the last,the eternal youthof the world.He is alwaysthe newbeyondWhomthere
is absolutelynothing,in Whom the end of all thingsis attained.
With Him the essentialeventof humanity
hasoccurred;
consequently
we shouldnot expectfromprogress,whateverit may be, anything
whichhas the importance
we possessin JesusChrist.We have incanbring.
more
than
or anyrevolution
Him
in
finitely
anytechnique
2 Garaudy, Le communismeet la morale, p. 71.

MARXIST HISTORY AND SACRED HISTORY

507

For the Marxist, history has not yet set its course: he looks
toward the future. For the Christian,history is substantiallyfixed
and the essentialelement is at the center,not at the end. There is
thus no total risk. The acceptanceof salvationgiven by Christwhich is not our work-is an aspect, in the eschatologicalorder, of
this recognitionof our basic dependence,a dependenceconstituting
the fundamentalreligious attitude. Does this mean that there is
nothing more to be done? Yes, if, after the event of the Redemption, no fundamentaltask remainedto be accomplished. But the
Redemptionis a reality of incomparabledynamism;for what is acquired by right for all humanityremainsindeed to be transmitted
to all men. There is the mysteryof missionsand the grandeurof the
missionaryideal. Sacredhistoryis the historyof the presentin which
we live, of which we are the instrumentsas the prophetsonce were
who workedto extendto all peopleswhat JesusChristbroughtto us.
In Le Christ el le temps Cullman observesthat in war there
comes the day when the decisivebattle is won, afterwardsthe day
of the triumphalmarchunder the arch of triumph.3 Betweenthese
two events there is a certainlapse of time. The Resurrectionis the
Stalingradof the Redemption,the day when the battle is won. But
Christ wished to permitus to participatein the victory-and some
battlesremainto be fought. Total victory,however,does not depend
on them; it has alreadybeen won. Christianhope is the certitude
of this victorywith the expectationof our coming into possessionof
peace. Presenthistoryis that of combatsthroughwhich God deigns
to associateus with His work until Christ has taken on His full
staturein breadthand depth in all hearts. This is what fills present
history,much more than the conflictsor the alliancesbetweennations
and classes. If we act often like worldly men and allow ourselves
to be taken in by apparenthistoryit is becausewe do not see things
deeply enough.
The sacramentsare the historicalactions, correspondingto the
of the time whichextendsfrom the Ascension
particularcharacteristics
to the Last Judgment,that is to say, of the time in which we live.
this time is the fact that it comesafter the essenWhat characterizes
tial event of Sacred historyby which the world has alreadyreached
its end and hence-as certain Protestantsclearly saw-it can add
3 Christ et le temps, p. 100.

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THE REVIEW OF POLITICS

nothingto time. JesusChristis not surpassed.On the otherhand,

the gloryof JesusChristhas not yet beenvisiblymanifested.This
time, therefore,is characterized,
secondly,by this non-manifestation,
by this "hidden"aspect. And finallytime'spropercontentis the
extensionto all humanityof the realityacquiredby Christ.
whichthe actionsof
Now these are preciselythe characteristics
the
one
structure
sacramental
On
hand,theyareneveranypresent.
of
but
"imitations,"
"representations"the Deathand Resurrecthing
tion of Christ:"We whohaveall beenbaptizedin ChristJesushave
are simplya reproduction
beenbaptizedin death."The sacraments
of the sacerdotal
actionof Christby whichall thingshaveattained
havea hiddenaspect.Only the sign
theirend. Still, the sacraments
is apparent;
its realityremainsinvisible.Forindeedthe realityof the
is not yet visiblymanifest.This is admirably
Resurrection
explained
by St. Paul (Col. III, 1-4): "Risen,then, with Christ,you must
lift yourthoughtsabove,whereChristnow sits at the righthandof
not earthlyminded;you have
God. You mustbe heavenly-minded,
life
is
hidden
and
death,
awaynow withChristin
undergone
your
God. Christis yourlife, and whenHe is mademanifest,you too
will be mademanifestin glorywithhim."
constitutethe eventsof a timewhichis the
Thus the sacraments
and the Parousia.Theyare a "metensionbetweenthe Resurrection
morial"of the Resurrection
and the permanent"prophecy"
of its
as a "document"
manifestation.
The Eucharist,
of the "New Alliance"preventsus fromforgettingthe essentialeventby whichthis
alliancewas definitelyconcluded:the unionin the personof Jesus
of the divine and humannatureand the introduction
of human
naturepurifiedby the Blood of the Crossinto the sphereof the
as an eschatalogical
meal,is the
Trinitarylife. And the Eucharist,
of the heavenlybanquet,of the communication
prefiguration
by
Christof the fullnessof His goodsto His ownin the Houseof His
Father.4Thus duringthe delayof the Parousia,the Eucharist
prevents humanity,in this foretasteof celestialfood, from tiring of
to terrestrial
food.
waitingand fromreturning
But I havenot dweltso far on the last characteristic
of ourtime.
Betweenthe Ascensionand the Parousiaits specialfunctionis missionaryactivity,begunat Pentecostand continuinguntil the return
4 Yves de Montcheuil, "La signification eschatologique du repas eucharistique"in

Recherches de Sciences Religieuses, 1946, pp. 10 sqq.

MARXISTHISTORY AND SACREDHISTORY

509

of Christ, since, the Gospel tells us, the conditionof this returnis

the evangelization
of the wholeuniverse. Now the sacraments
are
the essentialinstruments
of this missionwhichis the realityof present historyunderthe appearances
of profanehistory.The mission
of the Apostlesis, properlyspeaking,to baptize:"Go, teach all
nations,baptizingthemin the nameof the Father,and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit." Indeed it is Baptismwhich unites one to

the messianic
to the Churchand whichmakesthosewho
community,
have receivedit participants
in messianicgifts. Confirmation,
parin
the
of
ticipation
anointing Christby the Spiritat the beginning
of His publiclife furnishesthe Christianadult,accordingto Cyril
of Jerusalem,5
in a stableway,withprophetic
charism
whichmakesof
and by witnessing,
an activeagentof the mission.
him,by preaching
And the Eucharist
is the sacrament
of unitywhichgathersaboutthe
Christof glory,presentin the community,
all nationsin orderto offer
themthroughHis handsto theFather.
It is thesesacramental
actionswhichare the greateventsof the
presentworld-muchgreaterthan great worksof thoughtor of
whichfill
science,muchgreaterthan greatvictoriesor revolutions,
the pagesof apparenthistory,but do not penetrate
to the depthsof
realhistory. Theseare grandeurs
or of
of the orderof intelligence
the orderof bodies. But the sacraments
are the grandeurs
of the
orderof charity."JesusChrist,"Pascalsaid, "did not makeany
to
greatinventionsbut he was holy, holy to men and redoubtable
the devil." This is whatwe havenot sufficiently
realized.And this
is whywe allowourselvesto be so impressed
of the
by the grandeur
fleshor of the intelligence
whileforgettingthat we are the trustees
of the designsof Trinitarycharity.By the importance
we give them
we makeidols of humanglories,of Science,of Money,of History,
of the State; whereasthe firstcommandment
is: "Thoushaltlove
the LordThy God with thy wholeheart,and with thy wholesoul,
6
andwiththywholemind,andwiththywholestrength."
Now the worksof the powerof Godamongus arethesacraments.
We said abovethattherewas a greatercaptivitythaneconomiccapthat the greatercaptivitywas
tivity and capitalisticenslavement,
5 "Le symbolismedes rites baptismaux,"Dieu Vivant, I, p. 42.
6 In his last volume of poems Tu aimeras 'Eternal, Edmond Fleg shows admirably
this apostasy from the one God and this cult of modem idols among the well-knownJews
of the nineteenthcentury, Rothschild, Marx, and Einstein.

510

THE REVIEW OF POLITICS

not to the powersof money,but to

spiritualcaptivity,enslavement
the Powersof Darkness.Now Baptismalonedeliversus fromthis
captivity. One alone indeed liberatesus from spiritualcaptivity,
JesusChrist,Who by His Death descendedinto the kingdomof
death,into the profoundest
abyssof misery,and Who, by His Resforever
the
crashed
doorsof deathand cameout the Conurrection,
of
queror Hell, openingup to all humanitythe road of spiritual
liberation.Baptism,St. Paultellsus, makesus die withJesusChrist
in orderto arisewithHim and ascendwithHim to the rightof the
Father. Given in the first Christiancenturyduringthe Paschal
night, Baptismappearsclearlyhere as the continuationof those
great worksof liberationaccomplished
by God in deliveringHis
from
of
the
of the firstEasterand
in
the
course
people
yoke Egypt
of His Son from the yoke of Hell duringthe
in the deliverance
secondEaster. And the thirdEasteris thusnot a simpleliturgical
of the two others,but the effectivecontinuation
of
commemoration
the samereality.
The mysteryof liberation,
Baptismis also the mysteryof "creation." It is, accordingto St. Paul,palingenesis,7
a secondGenesis.
At the beginningof the world,the Spiritof God, hoveringlike a
dove over the primitivewaters,raisedup in themthe biologicallife
of the firstcreation.It is this sameSpiritwhich,the Gospeltellsus,
coveredMarywith His shadow,obumbrabit
tibi,to raiseup in her
that of the universe
by His all powerfulvirtuethe secondcreation,8
of grace,of the worldof divinizedhumanityof whichChristis the
of
Orient,the eternallyrisingsun. Now Baptismis this recreation
each man. Plungedinto the watersvivifiedby the energiesof the
reborn;recreatedin Christand,
Spirit,he comesout regenerated,
henceforth,
belongingto the secondcreation.Marxismsees in man
the demiurgeof humanitywhichit createsperpetually
by transformBut it can no more
ing throughworkhis economicinfrastructures.
liberatemanfromhis moreprofoundcaptivitythanit can raiseup a
reallynew humanity,for JesusChristaloneis the reallyNew Man,
the homonovissimus.
What is true of baptismis likewisetrue of all the sacraments
whichis sacramental.
and of the economyof all Christianity
I shall
note only one otherexample:the Mass. This is essentially
the pres7 Titus, III, 5.
8 "Le symbolismedes rites baptismaux,"Dieu Vivant, I, pp. 37-38.

MARXIST HISTORY AND SACRED HISTORY

511

action
underthe sacramental
ence,subsisting
mode,of the sacerdotal
of Christ.Now thissacerdotal
actionof Christby whichHe glorifies
of creation,
perfectlythe Fatheris the end of history,the fulfillment
the successof the divineplan. The purposeof creationis indeedthe
of His sovereign
excellence
gloryof God, that is, the recognition
by
meansof spiritual
liberties.It is to recognizethe sovereignty
of God
that the sacrifices
of all nationsand of all religionshavebeenmade
down throughthe centuries. But these were only figures,for in
reality,the menwho offeredthembelongedto the city of sin which,
accordingto St. Augustine,is "builton love of oneselfto the contemptof God." The Passionof Christ,on the contrary,manifests
"thelove of God to the contemptof oneself."He showedthatthe
will of the Fatheris so lovablethat everythingis worthsacrificing
to it, "becomingobedientuntil deathand until the death of the
Cross." The Fatheris therebyglorifiedfor ever. Now the Massis
that sacerdotal
actionof Christmadepresentby the sacrament
so as
to hold humanlibertyin the movement
whichbearsit to the Father
and so to extendthe gloryof God. Againand againwe discernthe
characteristic
featureof sacramental
times: it is situatedwithinthe
end alreadygainedwhichis the gloryof God. God is glorifiedin
Christand nothing,surelyno vicissitudeof history,can alter this
But thisendmustextendto all menandthroughChrist
glorification.
"all glory"must ascend to the Father.

The Mass is, therefore,the presencealreadyof the consummation of things. And he who uniteshimselfto the sacerdotal
action
of Christin the Mass fulfillsthe absoluteaction,that in whichthe
totalityof his beingexpressesitself and in whichthe reasonof his
existenceis madeclear.Thus the Massis the end to whichBaptism
is ordered;it is not the beginningbut the fulfillment
of the mission.
ofThe ultimateaim of all this is to constitutethe total community
the
Mass
which
been
all
fering unique
spiritualliberties,having
by
turnedtowardGod, wouldrecognizeHis sovereignexcellenceand
unitewiththe Trisagion.But this presenceremainsa presenceveiled
velatum. This sacramental
statusis that of exin the sacraments,
to
Parousia.
It
the
of
the
This delay
pectation. corresponds
delay
causesanguishfor some. Daniel Halevy recentlysaid that it was
a greatdifficultyfor him: "Christsaidhe wouldreturn-andyet he
has not returned.And so nationshave tiredof waitingand have
turnedto otherguides."But Christalso saidthatbeforeHis return

512

THE REVIEWOF POLITICS

to the endsof the earth. The delay

His gospelhad to be preached
of the Parousia9
of the wholeworld
is thatwhichthe evangelization
of
and peoples
the
individuals
That
is
asked
patience
requires.
why
who werethe firstbaptizedis essentially
basedon charity.They are
waitingfor everyoneto be therebeforeentering.The Mass is the
of the humanvocationappropriate
to the timeof
formof fulfillment
which
as
of
Pascal
tells
the
order
is,
us,
expectation
charity.
Marxisthistory,Sacramental
have
themas
contrasted
history-we
two
levels
we
of
have
to
show
that
and
tried
representing
reality
Sacramental
alone
embraces
of
human
existence
the
history
totality
and reachesthe extremities
of it. Does this meanthat thereis no
communication
betweenthem? Is this movementof history,this
dialecticof infrastructures
whichMarxismdeand suprastructures
scribesfor us, completely
to
the
of Sacredhistory?
movement
foreign
The Marxistinterpretation
is
in
far as it pretends
so
certainly foreign
to be a total explanation.But it is not foreignin so far as the
elementsof realityit uses constitutea certainhumandatum. In
otherwords,if we considerthat the dialecticof economichistory
oughtto bringa total responseto the humanproblem,we say and
hope to have shownthat it is an illusion. Thereis no salvation
outsideof Christand His sacramental
work. Man is radicallyinof
himself.
No
invention,no revolutioncan solve
capable saving
the essentialdramaof his destiny.
But if profanehistorydoes not itself save,it is partof whatis
destinedto besaved. Christdidnot cometo substitute
anotherhumanity for the one he has created.l'0He came to liberatethis humanityfromits spiritualservitude.Hence,vain as is the pretension
of humanhistoryto achievethe salvationof man,absurdas it is to
thinkthat in participating
in scientificresearch
or politicalactionwe
help the salvationof the worldand are agentsof it, it is, nevertheto buildwhatwill
less, legitimateto thinkthat we are cooperating
be saved. It is quiteclearthat the manwhowill be transfigured
in
the
be
will
one
that
we
make
below.
It
here
is
as
true
to
glory
say
that we constitutewhat will be transfigured
as it is false to think
9 Oscar Cullman, "Le caractere eschatologique du devoir missionaire," in Revue
Historique de Philosophie religieuse, 1936, pp. 210 sqq.
10 This is the nuance which should be given to the expression of Louis Bouyer
"La nouvelle creation, c'est la mort de l'ancienne." "Christianismeet eschatologie," in
La vie intellectuelle, Oct., 1948, p. 36.

MARXIST HISTORY AND SACRED HISTORY

513

that we workfor its transfiguration.

What is trueon the individual
planeis also trueon the totalplane. Profanehistory,the historyof
civilization
and culture,comeinto the realmof Sacredhistoryin so
far as throughSacredhistory,profanehistoryconstitutes
the humanwhich
the
of
sacraments
heal
into the
bear
miseries
and
ity
spiritual
of
the
Son.
kingdom
Thus profanehistoryis assumedinto Sacredhistoryand the
Churchin this senseparticipates
in its assumption.
But profanehisThis is whatMounier
importance.
toryalwaysremainsof secondary
of the
doesnot recognizewhenhe seemsto makethe "sacralization"
new figuresof the worldthe constitutive
elementof the Church,lT
and whenhe chargesthosewho opposethe liturgicalcosmosto the
scientificcosmoswith "confusingoutmodedformsof representation
withthe eternalessenceof the religiousact." No one is lessattached
to outmoded
thanourselves
structures.12
Thatis whywedenounce
the
illusionwhich"sacralizes,"
and dead structures
unduly,momentary
in orderto see in themthe veryfinalityof the historyof our time.
This is also the pointon whichwe disagreewithFatherMontuclard
whenhe writes:"We realizethatthe progressof the Churchcannot
be in thehandsof purelyspiritualmen."13 If we understand
by the
of
Church
to
of
the
its
social
structures
adaptation changes
progress
it is quiteclearthatthis is not properlythe workof saints.But this
conceptionof the progressof the Churchremainson the surfaceof
history,in the very zone in whichMarxismmovesand wherethe
of the economicinfrastructures
constitutesa progress
transformation
in whichthe Churchmerelybecomesincarnate.But the real story
of the Churchis not to be foundthere. The real progressof the
Churchis in the liberationof captivesouls by Baptismand in the
extensionof the gloryof God by the Eucharist.The realprotagonists of thishistoryarethe saints.
11 RmrnanatelMounier, La petite peur du XXe siecle, p. 103.
12 "Christianismeet histoire,"Etudes, Sept., 1947, p. 166.
13 "Je batirai mon Eglise," Jeunessede I'Eglise, VIII, p. 25.