j. danielou - marxist history & sacred history

7/23/2019 J. Danielou - Marxist History & Sacred History

1/12

Marxist History and Sacred HistoryAuthor(s): Jean DanielouSource: The Review of Politics, Vol. 13, No. 4 (Oct., 1951), pp. 503-513Published by: Cambridge University Pressfor the University of Notre Dame du lac on behalf of Review ofPoliticsStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1405118.

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2/12

Marxist

History

and

Sacred

History

By Jean Danielou, S.J.

FOR

Marxism*

history

is the

process

by

which man

transforms

himself

by

transforming

he economic

conditions

of his existence

through

work.

The

expression

of

this

process

on the social level

is

the

class

struggle

through

which

the

rising

class,

corresponding

o

the

economic

infrastructure

f

the

future,

tends

to

substitute tself

for

the

exploiting

class

which

is

the

expression

f the

outworn nfra-

structure.

To

exist

is

to

engage

in

this conflict

and

thus

participate

in the movementof

history.

Now

very

often

Christians,

n

order

to

oppose

Marxism,

remain

on

the Marxist

plane.

They

are

satisfied

to

set

up

one

social doctrine

against

the other. We

propose

o show

in

this article that

while

it

is

true that there

is

a

Christian

social

doctrine,

and

one

superior

o that of

Marxism,

he true

superiority

of

Christianity

does not

lie in this.

Its

superiority

onsists,

on the

contrary,n the fact that it has not only a socialdoctrinebut very

different

dimensions

as

well

and is

thereby capable

of

giving

an

integral

nterpretation

f

humanexistencewhile

Marxism

only

touches

the

surface

of

it.

We

can show this

by

taking

certain

vantage points

which will

permit

us to

see,

paradoxical hough

this

may

at

first

appear,

hat

it

is

precisely

n the

most

supernatural

nd the

most

essential

realities,

those most

peculiar

o

Christianity,

uch as the

sacraments,

hat we

shall find the

profoundest

answer to

the

problems

of

the

present

world.

All

these

realities

will

no

longer

then

appear

as obiter

dicta

in our

lives, but,

on

the

contrary,

s at the

very

heart of life.

They

will no

longer

seem to

be

a

sort of

routine

exercised

o

as

to be

in

the

good graces

of

God,

but

a

real

and total commitment.

It

is characteristicf the

mentality

of men

today

to

conceive he

world

they

live

in

as

one

history.

We

find

it

everywhere.

This is

becausehumanity,with the increasingly reatextensionof its knowl-

edge,

is more aware of

its

growth

and

advancement.

Science has

also

shown

us

that

before our

history

there was

a

whole

human

pre-

*

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 Professor

of

History

in the

University

of Notre

Dame.

503


3/12

THE REVIEW

OF

POLITICS

history.

Thinking

which

does

not

consider his

unfolding

n

time,

this

new

dimension

ardly uspected y

the

ancients,

s ineffective.

First

developed

n the

philosophy

f

Hegel,

this idea has assumed

more

and

more

importance

n our

world

of

today,

and

especially

in Marxism.

But the

expressioniven

to

this

awareness

y

Marxism

appears

o

be

very

narrow.

The essentialdea

of Marxism

s

that

the

reality

f

history

s

dialectics

y

which

man

creates

imself,

hat

is,

builds

up

humanity

ittle

by

little

through

he

transformation

f

the material

conditions f his existence.Consequently,he most effectivemen

and

the

trueheroes

f the

modern

world

will be

scientists

nd

work-

ers;

poets,

artists,

hilosophers,

ndsaints

are

of

secondary

mportance.

Thus,

for Marxtwo

categories

f

men

are

absolutely

ssential:

he

scientist

who

invents

and

the workerwho

produces

he

conditions

which

ought

o

improve

he life of

man.

This

philosophy

s

obviously

a

dynamic

ne

for

those

two

classes

of

men

because

t

makes

hem

the

essential

gents

of

history.

The

stages

n

the

history

f

human-

ity

are the

greatages

of

stone,

of

iron,

of

steam,

of

electricity,

f

radioand

of

atomic

energy.

This is

the

only important

eality.

All

the

rest is

suprastructure.

he

leverswhich

guide

human

progress

are

techniques;

he

only

way

to

develophumanity

s to

develop

technique.

What

gives

force

to

this

position

s

that it is not

only

a

matter

of

making

man

aware

f

things,

but

of

helping

him

to commit

im-

self by showing imthe reasonandvalueof this commitment.1t

is

not

simply

a

vulgar

materialism,

ut a

humanism,

conception

f

man. As

such

Marxism

s

the absolute ontradictionf

Christianity:

man s

the

supreme

alue

or

man;

he

is

his own creator.

To

recog-

nize

God is

degrading

nd

vilifying;

o

reject

him

is the

essential

condition

f a

realistic umanism.

Henceforth

e cannot

onfront

Marxism

ith

a moreor less

pale

Christian umanism.

If

Christian

hought

sometimes eems

weak

alongside

Marxism,

t

is because

Christianity

oes

not

rely

enough

n

its

essential

rinciple,

n

the

fact

that t

is

a

religion

f

God,

a divine

conception

f

history.

For the

Christian

t

is not

only

a human o-

ciety

which

s

built

up

in

history

but a divine

destiny

of

man.

We

shall

only

overcomeMarxism

when

we realize hat

it is

Christianity

1

See

Karl

Lowith,

Meaning

in

History,

pp.

42-43.

504


4/12

MARXIST

HISTORY

AND SACRED HISTORY

whichmakes

history

eal.

Christianity

s

also

fundamentally

ne

his-

tory

and

not

a

conception

f

an

idealworld

moreor

less outside

f

human

ealities,

ndsort of added o them. As an

interpretation

f

total

history,

Christianityives

history

ts

definitive

meaning.

The

history

of the

world,

n

the Christian

ense

of the

word,

s

essentially

acred

history,

he

history

of the

great

worksof

God

in

time

in

which,

with

the

irresistible

ower

of His

creative

pirit,

He

builds

the

true

humanity,

he

eternal

City.

Hence,

if we wish

to

find

the

Christian

meaning

of

history,

we

must know how to

go

beyondapparentnd externalhistory n order o penetrateo the

real one

which s

built n the

depths

of man.

Only

the

Holy Spirit

can

give

us

an

understanding

f

this.

We

find

the

essentials f

it

in

Scripture,

n

account f the

great

works f

God

and

a

description

or

us

of

the

ways

of

God and

of

the

mannern whichHe

does

things.

It

is, therefore,

n the

measure

n

which

we live

by

Scripture

s

the

true

reality

hat

we

shall

discover

nd

understand

he

universe

c-

cording

o

God.

Scripture

egins

with an historical ffirmationf the

creation,

then

shows

us the

continual

ctionof

God

through

vents: He

chose

Abraham

s

head

of

His

people

and

madean

alliancewith him to

lead

his

people

n

His

ways.

And

here

we

cometo

an

important

idea: this

Sacred

history

which

God makes

s

opposed

o

that

which

man

wishes

o

make

(the

one

that Marx

discovered).

From he

be-

ginning

here

are

two

histories.

There s

the

one

men

wish

to

make

becauseof pride,the flesh,imperialismnd domination;t is the

bloody

history

of

wars,

persecutions

nd

captivities.

or

many

men

this is the

only

history.

But

beside his

human

history

here is he

history

which

God makes.

Through

t

God buildsHis

kingdom

nd

leads

men

according

o His

ways.

The

Old

Testament

ives

a

typical

example

f

these

wo

tendencies

n the

conflict

between

he

prophets

and

the

powerful

ho

always

ersecute

hem.

The

prophets

ave he

Christian ense

of

history

and,

through

he

spirit

which

enlightensthem,

hey

act as

though

ntroduced

y

Godto theveritable

meaning

of

the

destiny

f

humanity.

In the

middle

of

history,

he

Son of

God

Himself,

by

His In-

carnation,

ame

on

earth

o

assume

umanity,

o

unite

Himself o

it,

to

purify

t

with

His

blood

and

to

lead

it

forever

nto

the

kingdom

of

the Father

fter

having

iberated

t from

death

and

sin.

Whatman

seeks

is

precisely

liberation;

e

wants

to

shakeoff

the

captivity

505


5/12

THE REVIEW

OF

POLITICS

which

weighs

heavy

upon

him.

This

captivity,

owever,

s not

eco

nomicbut

spiritual.Original

in

is

not

capitalism,

he essential

vil

for

Marxism. Even

a

humanity

reed-

f all

socialmiseries

would

still

remain

n

an

integral

misery:

hat

of

sin.

When Marx

said

that once man

was freed from

his

economic

ondage

he

would

be

happy,

Marx

was

wrong

or

there

remains

piritualmisery.

Thus

in

Soviet

Russia,

people

may

be

liberated

n

the

economic

evel,

but

they

exist,-and

strikingly

o-in a

profound

piritual espair.

The

Marxist

ffort

s,

therefore,

uperficial

nd

does

not

descend

into the veritable epthsof humanmisery. Of coursewe should

fight

against

ocial

misery;

ut such

misery

s

simply

he

repercussion

of

another

muchmore

profound

nd

intimate

ne:

sin,

death,

Satan.

The one who

liberatesrom

his real

captivity

s

Jesus

Christ

nd

He

alone. The

meaning

f

history

s the

Marxists

ay,-and

we

agree

with them

here-is

to

free

man,2

but

we

say

that

only

Jesus

Christ

and

those

who live in

Him can

do

it.

These are

the

missionaries

and

contemplatives,

he

real

saviors

of

humanity.

As

long

as we

fail to realizehatsocialreaction

gainst

Marxism

s

inadequate,

s

long

as we

do

not

enter

into the

reality

of

Christianity

nd act

accordingly,

e shall

retain an

inferiority omplex.

Although

we

have our

dutieson.the social

and

economic

lane,

hey

are not all.

There

s

something

more

important

nd

deeper:

he

continuationf

the

work

of

Jesus

Christ

n the

salvation

f

humanity.

To

be

sure,

Marxism

oes not

deny

absolutely

hat

Christianity

is a greatand beautifulhing,that it brought veritable evelation

into the world.But Marxism

ays

hatwhat

Christianity

ccomplished

in

the

past

is over

and

done

with;

now it

is

in

a

stateof crisisand

a

new

humanity

s

beginning.

We

are

beyond

Christianity

n the

road

o

a

religion

f

the

new

times.

The Christian

f

today

answers

this

with

a

profession

f

faith: one

does

not

surpass

esus

Christ

or

in

Him

the

end

of

things

s

reached.He

alone

s the

last,

the eter-

nal

youth

of

the

world. He is

always

he

new

beyond

Whom

here

is

absolutely othing,

n

Whomthe

end

of all

things

s attained.

With Him the

essential vent

of

humanity

as

occurred;

onsequently

we

should

not

expect

rom

progress,

whatevert

may

be,

anything

whichhas the

importance

e

possess

n

Jesus

Christ.We

have

in-

finitely

more

n

Himthan

any

technique

r

any

revolution

an

bring.

2

Garaudy,

Le

communisme

et la

morale,

p.

71.

506


6/12

MARXIST HISTORY AND SACRED

HISTORY

For

the

Marxist,

history

has

not

yet

set its

course:

he

looks

toward

the

future.

For

the

Christian,history

is

substantially

ixed

and

the

essential

element

is at the

center,

not at

the end.

There

is

thus

no

total

risk. The

acceptance

of

salvation

given

by

Christ-

which is not our work-is

an

aspect,

in

the

eschatological

rder,

of

this

recognition

of

our basic

dependence,

a

dependence

onstituting

the

fundamental

religious

attitude.

Does this

mean

that

there is

nothing

more

to

be

done?

Yes,

if,

after

the event

of

the

Redemp-

tion,

no

fundamental

ask

remained

to be

accomplished.

But

the

Redemptions a realityof incomparableynamism;or what is ac-

quired

by right

for all

humanity

remains

ndeed

to

be transmitted

to

all

men. There

is

the

mystery

of

missionsand

the

grandeur

f the

missionary

deal. Sacred

history

s

the

history

of

the

present

n which

we

live,

of

which we are the

instruments s

the

prophets

once

were

who

worked

o

extend

to

all

peoples

what

Jesus

Christ

brought

o

us.

In

Le

Christ el le

temps

Cullman observes that

in war there

comes

the

day

when

the

decisive

battle

is

won,

afterwards he

day

of

the

triumphal

marchunder the arch

of

triumph.3

Betweenthese

two

events

there is a

certain

lapse

of time.

The Resurrection

s

the

Stalingrad

of the

Redemption,

he

day

when the

battle

is won.

But

Christ

wished

to

permit

us to

participate

n the

victory-and

some

battlesremain o be

fought.

Total

victory,

however,

does

not

depend

on

them;

it has

already

been

won. Christian

hope

is

the certitude

of

this

victory

with the

expectation

f

our

coming

into

possession

of

peace. Presenthistoryis that of combats hroughwhichGod deigns

to associate

us

with His work until

Christ has

taken on His

full

stature n breadthand

depth

in all

hearts.

This

is

what

fills

present

history,

much

more

than the

conflicts

or the

alliances

between

nations

and

classes.

If

we

act

often

like

worldly

men and

allow ourselves

to be

taken in

by apparenthistory

t

is

because

we

do

not see

things

deeply enough.

The

sacraments

are

the

historical

actions,

corresponding

o

the

particular

haracteristics

f the

time

which

extends

rom

the Ascension

to the

Last

Judgment,

hat

is

to

say,

of the time

in

which we

live.

What

characterizes

his

time

is the

fact that

it comes

after the

essen-

tial

event

of

Sacred

history

by

which the

world

has

already

reached

its

end and

hence-as

certain

Protestants

clearly

saw-it

can

add

3

Christ

et

le

temps, p.

100.

507


7/12

THE REVIEW OF

POLITICS

nothing

o time.

Jesus

Christ s not

surpassed.

On

the

other

hand,

the

glory

of

Jesus

Christhas

not

yet

been

visibly

manifested.This

time,therefore,s characterized,

econdly,

y

this non-manifestation,

by

this

hidden

spect.

And

finally

ime's

proper

ontent

s the

extension

o

all

humanity

f the

reality

cquired

y

Christ.

Now

these

are

precisely

he

characteristics

hich he

actions

of

sacramental

tructure

resent.

On

the

one

hand,

hey

are never

any-

thing

but

imitations,

representations

f the

Death

and

Resurrec-

tion

of

Christ:

We whohaveall been

baptized

n Christ

esus

have

beenbaptizedn death. The sacramentsresimplya reproduction

of the

sacerdotal

ction

of

Christ

by

whichall

things

have

attained

their

end.

Still,

the sacraments

avea hidden

aspect.

Only

the

sign

is

apparent;

ts

reality

emains

nvisible.For

ndeed he

reality

f the

Resurrection

s not

yet visibly

manifest.

This

is

admirably

xplained

by

St.

Paul

(Col.

III,

1-4):

Risen,

hen,

with

Christ,

you

must

lift

your

thoughts

bove,

where

Christ

now

sits

at the

right

hand

of

God.

You

mustbe

heavenly-minded,

ot

earthly

minded;

ou

have

undergone

eath,

and

your

life is hidden

away

nowwithChrist n

God.

Christ s

your

life,

and when

He

is

made

manifest,

ou

too

will

be

made

manifest

n

glory

with

him.

Thus

the sacramentsonstitutehe

events

of

a

time

which

s

the

tension

between

he Resurrection

nd

the

Parousia.

They

are

a me-

morial f the

Resurrection

nd

the

permanent

prophecy

f

its

manifestation. he

Eucharist,

s a

document f

the

New Alli-

ance prevents s fromforgettinghe essential ventby which his

alliancewas

definitely

oncluded:

he

union

n

the

person

of

Jesus

of the

divine and

humannature

and

the

introductionf human

nature

purified

y

the

Blood

of

the

Cross

nto the

sphere

of the

Trinitary

ife.

And

the

Eucharist,

s

an

eschatalogical

eal,

s the

prefiguration

f

the

heavenly

banquet,

of

the communication

y

Christ

f

the fullness

f His

goods

o His

own n

the Houseof

His

Father.4

Thus

during

he

delay

of the

Parousia,

he Eucharist

pre-

vents

humanity,

n this foretaste f celestial ood, from

tiring

of

waiting

nd

from

returning

o terrestrial

ood.

But

I

have

not dwelt o far on

the

last

characteristic

f our

time.

Between

he

Ascension

nd

the

Parousia

ts

special

unction s

mis-

sionary

ctivity,begun

at

Pentecost

nd

continuing

ntil

the return

4

Yves

de

Montcheuil,

La

signification

eschatologique

du

repas

eucharistique

n

Recherches de

Sciences

Religieuses,

1946,

pp.

10

sqq.

508


8/12

MARXIST

HISTORY

AND

SACREDHISTORY

of

Christ,

since,

the

Gospel

tells

us,

the

condition

of this return

is

the

evangelization

f the

wholeuniverse. Now

the

sacraments

re

the essentialnstrumentsf

this

mission

which s

the

reality

f

pres-

ent

history

under

he

appearances

f

profanehistory.

The mission

of

the

Apostles

s,

properly peaking,

o

baptize:

Go,

teachall

nations,

baptizing

hem

n the

name

of

the

Father,

nd

of

the

Son

and

of the

Holy

Spirit.

Indeed

it

is

Baptism

which

unites

one

to

the

messianic

ommunity,

o

the

Church

nd

whichmakes

hose

who

have

received t

participants

n

messianic

ifts.

Confirmation,

ar-

ticipationn the anointing f Christby the Spiritat the beginning

of

His

public

ife

furnishes

he

Christian

dult,

according

o

Cyril

of

Jerusalem,5

n

a

stable

way,

with

prophetic

harism hich

makes

f

him,

by

preaching

nd

by

witnessing,

n

active

agent

of

the

mission.

And the

Eucharist

s

the

sacrament

f

unity

which

gathers

bout

he

Christ f

glory,present

n the

community,

ll nationsn

order

o

offer

them

through

His

hands

o the Father.

It is

these

sacramental

ctions

which

are the

great

eventsof

the

present

world-much

greater

han

great

works

of

thought

or

of

science,

much

greater

han

great

victories

r

revolutions,

hich

ill

the

pages

of

apparent

istory,

ut

do

not penetrate

o the

depths

f

real

history.

These

are

grandeurs

f

the

order

of

intelligence

r

of

the

order

of

bodies.

But

the

sacraments

re the

grandeurs

f the

order

of

charity. Jesus

Christ,

Pascal

said,

did

not

make

any

great

inventions

ut he

was

holy, holy

to men

and redoubtable

o

thedevil. This is whatwe havenot sufficientlyealized.And this

is

why

we

allow

ourselves

o

be

so

impressedy

the

grandeur

f the

flesh

or

of the

intelligence

hile

forgetting

hat we are the trustees

of the

designs

f

Trinitary

harity.

By

the

importance

e

give

them

we

make

dols

of

human

glories,

f

Science,

f

Money,

of

History,

of

the

State;

whereashe

first

commandment

s:

Thou

shalt love

the

Lord

Thy

God with

thy

whole

heart,

and

with

thy

whole

soul,

andwith

hy

whole

mind,

and

with

hy

whole

trength.Nowthe

works

f the

power

f

God

among

us arethe

sacraments.

We

said above

hat

there

was

a

greater

aptivity

haneconomic

ap-

tivity

and

capitalistic

nslavement,

hat

the

greater

captivity

was

5

Le

symbolisme

des

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-known

Jews

of

the nineteenth

century,

Rothschild, Marx,

and

Einstein.

509


9/12

THE REVIEW

OF POLITICS

spiritual aptivity,

nslavement

ot

to the

powers

f

money,

but

to

the

Powers

of Darkness.Now

Baptism

lonedelivers

s from

this

captivity.

One alone indeedliberates s from

spiritual

aptivity,

Jesus

Christ,

Who

by

His

Death

descended

nto the

kingdom

f

death,

nto the

profoundestbyss

of

misery,

nd

Who,

by

His

Res-

urrection,

rashed

orever he

doors

of

deathand

came

out theCon-

queror

of

Hell,

openingup

to

all

humanity

he

road

of

spiritual

liberation.

Baptism,

t.

Paul

tells

us,

makes s

die

with

Jesus

Christ

in

order

o

arise

with

Him

and

ascend

with

Him

to the

right

of

the

Father. Given in the first Christian enturyduringthe Paschal

night,

Baptism

appears

learly

here as the continuation

f

those

great

worksof

liberation

ccomplishedy

God

in

delivering

His

people

rom

the

yoke

of

Egypt

n the course

f

the first

Easter

nd

in

the

deliverance

f

His

Son

from

the

yoke

of

Hell

during

he

second

Easter.

And

the

third

Easter s

thus

not

a

simple

iturgical

commemoration

f the

two

others,

but

the effective

ontinuation

f

the

same

reality.

The

mystery

f

liberation,

aptism

s alsothe

mystery

f crea-

tion.

It

is,

according

o

St.

Paul,

palingenesis,7

secondGenesis.

At

the

beginning

f

the

world,

he

Spirit

of

God,

hovering

ike

a

dove

over the

primitive

aters,

aised

up

in

them he

biological

ife

of

the

firstcreation. t

is this same

Spirit

which,

he

Gospel

ells

us,

covered

Mary

with

His

shadow,

bumbrabit

ibi,

to raise

up

in her

by

His all

powerful

irtue he

second

reation,8

hat of the universe

of grace,of theworldof divinized umanityf whichChrists the

Orient,

he

eternally

ising

sun. Now

Baptism

s

this recreation

f

each man.

Plunged

nto

the

waters

vivified

by

the

energies

f the

Spirit,

he

comesout

regenerated,

eborn;

ecreated

n

Christ

and,

henceforth,

elonging

o

the

second

creation.Marxism

ees

in

man

the

demiurge

f

humanity

hich

t creates

perpetually

y

transform-

ing through

work

his

economic

nfrastructures.

ut it

can

no more

liberateman

from

his more

profound

aptivity

han

t can raise

up

a

really

new

humanity,

or

Jesus

Christalone s the

really

New Man,

the

homo

novissimus.

What is

true

of

baptism

s

likewise

rue of

all the

sacraments

and

of the

economy

f

all

Christianity

hich

s sacramental. shall

note

only

one other

example:

he

Mass.

This is

essentially

he

pres-

7

Titus, III,

5.

8

Le

symbolisme

des rites

baptismaux,

Dieu

Vivant, I,

pp.

37-38.

510


10/12

MARXIST HISTORY AND

SACRED

HISTORY

ence,

subsisting

nder

he

sacramental

ode,

of

the

sacerdotal

ction

of

Christ.Now

this

sacerdotal

ctionof

Christ

y

which

He

glorifies

perfectly

heFathers theend of

history,

hefulfillmentf

creation,

the

success f

the divine

plan.

The

purpose

f creation

s

indeed

he

glory

of

God,

that

is,

the

recognition

f

His

sovereign

xcellence

y

means f

spiritual

iberties.It

is

to

recognize

he

sovereignty

f God

that the

sacrifices

f

all

nationsand

of all

religions

ave

been

made

down

through

he

centuries. But these were

only

figures,

or in

reality,

he

men who

offered hem

belonged

o

the

city

of sin

which,

accordingo St. Augustine,s builton loveof oneself o the con-

tempt

of

God.

The

Passion

of

Christ,

on

the

contrary,

manifests

the

ove

of

God to

the

contempt

f oneself. He

showed

hat

the

will of

the Father s

so

lovable hat

everything

s

worth

sacrificing

to

it,

becoming

bedientuntil

death

and

until the

death

of

the

Cross.

The

Father

s

thereby lorified

or

ever. Now the Mass is

that

sacerdotalctionof

Christ

made

present

y

the

sacrament

o as

to

hold human

iberty

n

the

movement hich

bears

t to the Father

and so to extend he

glory

of God.

Again

and

again

wediscernhe

characteristic

eature

of

sacramentalimes:

it

is

situated

within

he

end

already

ained

which

s

the

glory

of

God.

God is

glorified

n

Christ

and

nothing,

urely

no

vicissitude

f

history,

an alter

this

glorification.

ut this

end

must

extend

o all

men

and

through

Christ

all

glory

must

ascend

to

the Father.

The

Mass

is, therefore,

he

presence

lready

f

the consumma-

tion of things.And he whouniteshimselfo the sacerdotalction

of

Christ n

the

Mass fulfills

he absolute

ction,

hat in which

he

totality

of

his

beingexpresses

tself

and

in

which

he

reason

of

his

existences

made

clear.

Thus

the

Mass

s

the

end

to which

Baptism

is

ordered;

t is not

the

beginning

ut the fulfillmentf the

mission.

The ultimate

im

of all

this

is

to constitutehe

total

community

f-

fering

the

unique

Mass

by

which

all

spiritual

iberties,

aving

been

turned

oward

God,

would

recognize

His

sovereign

xcellence

nd

unitewiththe

Trisagion.

But this

presence

emains

presence

eiled

in

the

sacraments,

elatum.

This sacramental

tatus s

that

of ex-

pectation.

t

corresponds

o

the

delay

of the

Parousia.

This

delay

causes

anguish

or

some.

Daniel

Halevy recently

aid

that it

was

a

greatdifficulty

or

him:

Christ

aid

he

wouldreturn-and

yet

he

has not

returned.And

so nations

have tired

of

waiting

and

have

turned

o other

guides.

But Christalso

said

that

beforeHis

return

511


11/12

THE REVIEW

OF

POLITICS

His

gospel

had

to be

preached

o

the

ends

of

the

earth. The

delay

of

the Parousia9s

that

which

he

evangelization

f the

wholeworld

requires.

That is

why

the

patience

skedof individualsnd

peoples

who

were

he first

baptized

s

essentially

ased

on

charity.

They

are

waiting

or

everyone

o

be there

before

entering.

The

Mass

is

the

form

of fulfillmentf the

human ocation

ppropriate

o

the

time

of

expectation

hich

s,

as

Pascal ells

us,

the order

of

charity.

Marxist

history,

acramental

istory-we

have

contrasted

hemas

representing

wo levels

of

reality

and

we

have

tried

to show that

Sacramentalistoryalone embraceshe totalityof human xistence

and reaches he

extremities

f

it.

Does

this

meanthat there s no

communication

etween hem? Is

this movement

f

history,

his

dialecticof

infrastructures

nd

suprastructures

hich

Marxism

de-

scribes

or

us,

completely

oreign

o the

movement

f

Sacred

history?

The

Marxist

interpretation

ertainly

s

foreign

n

so

far

as

it

pretends

to

be

a

total

explanation.

But

it

is not

foreign

n

so

far as the

elements

of

reality

t

uses

constitute

certain

humandatum.

In

other

words,

f

we

consider

hat the

dialectic

f economic

istory

ought

to

bring

a

total

response

o

the

human

problem,

e

say

and

hope

to

have

shownthat

it

is

an illusion. There

is

no

salvation

outside

of

Christ

and

His

sacramental

ork.

Man

is

radically

n-

capable

of

saving

himself. No

invention,

o

revolution

an solve

the

essential

rama

f

his

destiny.

But

if

profanehistory

does

not

itself

save,

t

is

part

of

what

s

destinedo besaved. Christ idnot come o substitutenotheruman-

ity

for

the one he has

created.l'0

He

came to

liberate his

hu-

manity

rom ts

spiritual

ervitude.

Hence,

vain

as

is

the

pretension

of

human

history

o achieve he

salvation

f

man,

absurd s

it

is

to

think hat in

participating

n scientificesearch

r

political

ctionwe

help

the salvation

f the

world

and

are

agents

of

it,

it

is,

neverthe-

less,

legitimate

o

thinkthat

we are

cooperating

o

build

what

will

be

saved. It is

quite

clear

hat

the manwho will be transfiguredn

glory

will

be

the

one that we

make

here

below. It

is as

trueto

say

that we

constitute

what

will

be

transfigured

s

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.

512


12/12

MARXIST

HISTORY

AND

SACRED

HISTORY

that

we

work

or its

transfiguration.

hat

is

true

on

the

individual

plane s alsotrueon thetotalplane. Profane istory,hehistory f

civilization

nd

culture,

ome

nto

the

realmof

Sacred

history

n

so

far as

through

acred

history,

rofane istory

onstituteshe

human-

ity

which he

sacramentseal

of

spiritual

miseries nd

bear

nto the

kingdom

f

the Son.

Thus

profane

history

s

assumed

nto

Sacred

history

and

the

Church

n

this sense

participates

n

its

assumption.

ut

profane

is-

tory always

emains

f

secondary

mportance.

his is

what

Mounier

doesnot recognize henhe seems o make he sacralizationf the

new

figures

of the

world

he

constitutivelementof

the

Church,lT

and whenhe

charges

hosewho

oppose

he

liturgical

osmos

o

the

scientific

osmos

with

confusing

utmoded

ormsof

representation

with

the

eternal ssence

f the

religious

ct.

No

one

is

less

attached

thanourselves

o

outmoded

tructures.12 hat s

why

we

denounce

he

illusion

which

sacralizes,

nduly,momentary

nd

dead

structures

in order o see in them heveryfinality f thehistory f our time.

This is

also the

point

on

which

we

disagree

withFather

Montuclard

when

he

writes:

We

realize hat the

progress

f the Church annot

be in

the

hands

of

purely piritual

men.

3

If we

understand

y

the

progress

f

the

Church

ts

adaptation

o

changes

f

socialstructures

it is

quite

clear

hat this is not

properly

he

workof

saints. But

this

conception

f the

progress

f

the Church

emains

n

the surface

f

history,

n

the

very

zone in

which

Marxism

movesand

where

he

transformationf the economicnfrastructuresonstitutes progress

in

which

he Church

merely

becomes

ncarnate.

But

the

real

story

of

the Church

s

not

to

be

found

there. The

real

progress

f

the

Church

s

in the

liberationf

captive

ouls

by Baptism

nd

in the

extension

f the

glory

of God

by

the

Eucharist.The real

protagon-

ists

of this

history

rethe saints.

11

RmrnanatelMounier,

La

petite peur

du

XXe

siecle, p.

103.

12

Christianisme

t histoire,

Etudes,

Sept.,

1947,

p.

166.

13

Je

batirai

mon

Eglise,

Jeunesse

de

I'Eglise,

VIII,

p.

25.

513

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