As we saw in a recent post, the Jeunesse Syndicaliste changed its name to Jeunesse Ouvrière Chrétienne in 1924. Indeed, the first publication that mentions the new name is the first edition of the “Bulletin des Dirigeants” or “Leaders Bulletin,” which appeared in July 1924 – 100 years ago this month.
In that publication, we read a report, not of a meeting of young workers, but of 56 priests from various dioceses in Wallonia, who discussed, amended and approved the draft statutes of the new JOC.
Cardijn, of course, presented an outline of the new movement, explaining its work under the headings of formation, action and organisation, concepts that he further developed in an article entitled “Action catholique dans la classe ouvrière” or “Working Class Catholic Action,” published in the Jeunesse Ouvrière magazine the following month, August 1924.
What’s perhaps most amazing about the Priests’ Meeting of July 1924 is the number of priests who attended and who were evidently (mostly) committed to the development of the movement in their parishes and dioceses. This also helps explain the rapid growth of the movement over the coming months.
Also significant is the mention of explicit approval of the movement by the bishop of Tournai, the industrial and mining region that bordered France in the south.
That bishop was Gaston Rasneur, a progressive bishop, who soon after played a significant role in the condemnation of the extreme right wing Action Française movement by Pope Pius XI.
Also significant is the fact that no mention is made of approval by Cardijn’s own bishop, Cardinal Désiré Mercier of Malines, who was in fact much more favourable to the Action Française.
All this sheds light on the presence also of Fr Louis Picard from the Belgian Association of Catholic Youth (ACJB), also extremely conservative, who took the opportunity to insist on the Catholic Action character of the movement.
Indeed, over the following six months, Picard and the ACJB would continue to cause trouble for the developing JOC, almost leading to its condemnation by Cardinal Mercier before it had started. As we know, only Cardijn’s visit to Pius XI and the latter’s endorsement of the JOC saved it from being stillborn.
Despite the opposition from Picard and others, it’s clear that from the beginning Cardijn wanted the JOC to be a movement of the Church.
And it’s equally clear that it was the support that he gained from the Church that enabled the JOC to develop as it did.
Stefan Gigacz
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Gaston-Antoine Rasneur (Wikipedia.fr)
Un Gaumais controversé : Monseigneur Picard, catholique militant (Facebook)
Documents
Original French
Journée sacerdotale du 10 juillet 1924 (Joseph Cardijn Digital Library)
L’Action Catholique dans la classe ouvrière (Joseph Cardijn Digital Library)
Priests’ Day 10 July 1924 (Joseph Cardijn Digital Library)
Catholic Action with the working class (Joseph Cardijn Digital Library)