Nouvelle Théologie - New Theology: Inheritor of Modernism, Precursor of Vatican II by Jürgen Mettepenningen

Author:Jürgen Mettepenningen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-05-04T13:28:00+00:00

Spring 1949 Summer 1951

In Spring 1949, a year after the imposition of the twofold censure, a visitation took place at Fourviere - a task ascribed by the General to his confidant Dhanis - a logical follow-up to the first measure stated in Janssens' conclusions that emerged at the end of August 1947.

In addition to investigations and critique from within his order, de Lubac continued to be the subject of external critique. In a letter to his friend Danielou, he laments the never ending attacks of the Revue thomiste, as demonstrated by Dominicans Marie-Rosaire Gagnebet157 and Maurice Corvez.158 Written in 1948 and published in 1950, articles by both Dominicans are representative of the ongoing debate.

In 1950, a combination of the visitation, the ongoing polemic and Rome's continuing irritation resulted in at least three sanctions.

First, General Janssens ordered that de Lubac was to be removed as head of the Recherches de science religieuse, the house journal of the French Jesuits and their primary mouthpiece in the debate. In a letter to Danielou dated 30 May 1950, de Lubac writes that he had already known about this measure for three months. In his Memoires, he states that he had received a confidential letter from Janssens in which the latter informed him that he was to be relieved of his duties as editor-in-chief in the spring. 159 The discharge finally took place in June, shortly after the letter to Danielou. De Lubac was ultimately replaced by a group of four Jesuits: Charles Baumgartner, Joseph Lecler, Andre Lefevre and Henri Rondet.160

The second level of sanctions against the nouvelle theologie is related to Fourviere. Two months prior to the promulgation of the encyclical Humani generis, the General ordered a number of Jesuits to resign as professors at the study house and required them to move out of Lyon. Such measures were taken against Emile Delaye on 28 May 1950, occasioned by the publication of his book Qu'est-ce qu'un catholique?161 According to de Lubac, however, the real storm to hit Fourviere came a month later.162 Measures were taken against the latter on 12 June, followed a couple of days later by Henri Bouillard, Alexandre Durand and Pierre Ganne. In July 1951, a little more than a year after these events, Henri Rondet was obliged to step down as Prefect of Studies at Fourviere. By coincidence or design, Jean Louisgrand ended his term as Rector of Fourviere on 31 July 1951, precisely two years after succeeding Chamussy on 1 August 1949. His resignation serves as the final chapter in the study house's `decontamination'.

The third and final level of sanctions took place on the level of publications. On 25 October 1950, in the aftermath of Humani generis, Jean-Baptiste Janssens despatched a circular `Ad omnes provinciarum praepositos'.161 The latter document instructs the provincials of the order to remove a number of Jesuit publications from the libraries of the order's houses of formation. The publications in question were authored by Henri de Lubac (three books and an article), Henri Bouillard (one

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