its director and its competent, passionate leader.245
In the title of the opening chapter clearly profiling Fr. Lacordaire, Apostle and Director of youth, Fr Noble clearly indicates his basic character: Il les aima (He loved them).246 This feature of Lacordaire had been indicated earlier on in the preface: His deep and unflinching love of the young.247 In the direction of youthful souls, Lacordaire preferred to use a system which might be called a spontaneous system instead of an authoritarian system, the latter characterised by a fixed program and by forced conformity.248 This system implied all of the following:
Faith in the soul of the young…providing them with the opportunity to be great while
keeping control over them; appealing to their latent energies, their good dispositions, their
readiness of heart, their generosity and power to commit themselves; removing the dross
from their exuberance and enthusiasm; favouring their spontaneity; bringing forth living
souls where goodness flows out from within, where virtues are the natural outcome of their
personal effort, the outcome of needs which are felt, wanted and loved; rendering duty
attractive and liberating, instead of making it look like something boring or tyrannical;
generating the optimism which brings serenity and fire; removing the pessimism which
turns everything cold and runs the risk of turning into lethal skepticism; taking the side of
hope rather than the side of dim prophecies; dressing wounds rather than aggravating them;
discovering a platform for God; loosening the knots which allow evil to be intertwined with
the good; collecting all the natural goodness which may spring from it and a render it ready
to serve a higher ideal”. All this seems to have been the main general features of the
directional method followed by Fr. Lacordaire in dealing with youth.249…It is essential to
jump the present and cross over to dream of the future. Humanity always looks to the future
even if it is far off, and looks to greener pastures because it needs more foresight and
faith….250 Live in the future, then: this is the great present, the great calling cry! It is the
norm for a demanding and joyful programme of life”.251
The core supporting idea for this process is proposed in strong terms: form human and Christian characters shaped through obedience, ready to enter the world with personal and well defined ideas; virtue and intelligence requires character: esto vir! (be a man!) as their foundation. Character is made up of two sets of values: natural virtues which are its foundation; religion, in which is peaks. Religion is of the greatest importance since it implies knowledge of God, the soul and its destiny. Religion is the most brilliant light for men, the decisive power against sensual and spiritual passions.252
245 Cf. C.-G. Montserret OP,Enseignant parce que prêcheur: Henri-Dominique Lacordaire, in ‘Memorie Dominicane’, N.
3, Automne 1993, Écoles et collèges, 37-48; J.Angelico de Metz OP, La fondation des dominicains enseignants par le
Père Lacordaire, ibid., 49-50. B. Cocharne is an authoritative witness to Lacrodaire’s Christian educational vision. He
was his collaborator and confidante. Cf. Le R.P. Lacordaire, sa vie intime et religieuse, 2 vol. (Paris: Poussielgue
1866).
246 H.-D. Noble OP., Le P. Lacordaire Apôtre et Directeur de Jeunes Gens. Edition revue et augmentée, (Paris: Lethielleux
1910) 1st ed. 1908, 1-21. In Chapter 2, Pourquoi il les aima et pourquoi il en fut aimé (22-39), he points to the reasons
for harmony between educator and youngsters: “the youthfulness of spirit”, or “enthusiasm for big things, generosity of
noble sentiments, passion for heroic action, constancy in work undertaken, optimistic trust in people and things” (24) 247 H.-D. Noble OP., Le P. Lacordaire, pp. 7-13.
248 Ibid., 42-46.
249 Ibid., 50-51. Importantly documented in Lettres du P. Lacordaire à les jeunes gens, éditées par l’abbé H. Perreyve,
(Paris: Douniol 1884) 1st ed. 1863. We have in mind the 15th edition, (Paris: P. Téqui 1910), 35-471.
250 Lettres du P. Lacordaire,354.
251 Lettres du P. Lacordaire,86-88; cf advice to a past pupil from Sorèze going to Paris, 361-363; to others with strong
passions, 392-396, 397-399, 431-434, 435-437; and again to a past pupil on bad companions, 425-426, and on the
essentail practices of Christian life, 427-428, 446-448; finally, strong and disturbing words to someone who is weak and
shifts between good and evil, 441-445.
252 G.-G. Montserret, Enseignant, 45-46.