Selected Letters of St. Anthony Mary Claret

504 Pages·2008·2.05 MB·English

Volume I: Letters of 1832-1857
Translated from the Original Languages
with Notes and Comments
by
Joseph C. Daries,
CMF
Los Angeles - 1995
Claretian PubliCations
Bangalore-560 055, India
seleCteD letters
FroM tHe CorresPonDenCe oF
saint antHonY MarY Claret
Copyright 2007 by Claretian Publications
Published in India, 2007 by Claretian Publications
Claretian Publications
P.O. Box 5577, Malleswaram West
Bangalore-560 055, India
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Claretian Publications is a pastoral activity of the Claretians in
India. It aims at the promotion of the Word of God through the
media.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying
without prior permission in writing from the publisher.
ISBN 81-89851-08-X
Table of Contents
General InTroduCTIon 9
BIoGraphICal BaCkGround (1807-1831) 29
1. Infancy and Childhood (1807-1818) 29
2. apprentice and Worker (1819-1829) 34
3. Seminarian (1829-32) 40
I. leTTerS oF a SeMInarIan and parISh prIeST: 1832-1840 44
1. [1] To Bishop Corcuera (EC I, 57-59) 44
2. [2] To Bishop Corcuera (EC I, 60-63) 45
3. [3] To Bishop Corcuera (EC I, 64-65) 47
4. [4] To Bishop Corcuera (EC I, 66-68) 47
5. [5] To Bishop Corcuera (EC I, 69-70) 49
6. [6] To Bishop Corcuera (EC I, 71-73) 50
7. [7/1460] To dr. Melchior Solá (EC I, 74-75; EC III, 10-11) 51
8. [8] To the Mayor of Sallent (EC I, 76-77) 52
9. [9] To the Town Council of Sallent (EC I, 78-79) 54
10. [10] To the hon. Francis riera (EC I, 80-82) 55
11. [11] To the Town Council of Sallent (EC I, 83-86) 57
12. [12] To the diocesan Board of Vic (EC I, 87-88) 61
13. [13] To Mr. Joseph Camps (EC I, 89) 62
14. [14] To the Jesuit Superior General (In Latin: EC I, 90-93) 63
15. [15] To the Spanish ambassador in rome (EC I, 95-96) 66
16. [16] To Mrs. angela pons (EC I, 97-99) 67
17. [17] To don lucian Casdevall, Vicar Capitular of Vic (EC I, 100-101) 69
18. [18/1466] To Miss lucy dordal (EC I, 102; EC III, 20) 70
II. leTTerS oF an ITIneranT MISSIonarY: 1841-1849 72
19. [19] To Mossèn pere Cruells
(Claret’s first extant letter in Catalan: EC I, 103-105) 72
20. [20] To the Cardinal prefect of propaganda Fide (In Italian: EC I, 106-107) 73
21. [21] To don Francisco Vila i Galí (In Catalan: EC I, 108-109) 75
22. [22] pastoral annotations (In Catalan: EC I, 110-111) 76
23. [23] To Canon Jaume Soler (In Catalan: EC I, 112-116) 77
24. [24/1744] To the Mother prioress of St. Teresa
(EC I, 117-121; EC III, 573-578) 81
Table of Contents 
25. [25] To Sister Mary dolores (EC I, 122-123) 89
26. [26] To Fr. Casadevall (In Catalan: EC I, 124-128) 90
27. [27] To Fr. peter Cruells (In Catalan: EC I, 129-131) 94
28. [28] To Fr. peter Cruells (In Catalan: EC I, 132-133) 97
29. [29] To the Bishop of plasencia (EC I, 134-137) 98
30. [30] To Fr. peter Cruells (In Catalan: EC I, 138-139) 100
31. [31] To Fr. peter Cruells (In Catalan: EC I, 140-141) 102
32. [32] To Fr. peter Cruells (In Catalan: EC I, 142-144) 103
33. [33] To pope Gregory XVI (In Italian: EC I, 145-46) 105
34. [34] To pope Gregory XVI (In Italian: EC I, 147-150) 107
35. [35/1470] To Fr. John Tuñí (In Catalan: EC I, 151-153; EC III, 27-28) 108
36. [36] To Canon anthony palau (EC I, 154-157) 110
37. [37] To Canon anthony palau (EC I, 158-159) 113
38. [39] To Canon Joseph Caixal (In Catalan: EC I, 162-164) 115
39. [46] To Some priest Friends (EC I, 176-178) 117
40. [49] To Canon Joseph Caixal (In Catalan: EC I, 184-87) 119
41. [52] To don lucian Casadevall (EC I, 193-196) 122
42. [53] To don lucian Casadevall (EC I, 197-199) 125
43. [54] To don lucian Casadevall (EC I, 200-201) 127
44. [58] To Fr. peter Cruells (In Catalan: EC I, 208-210) 128
45. [63] To Canon Joseph Caixal (In Catalan: EC I, 218-222) 130
46. [66] To Canon Joseph Caixal (In Catalan: EC I, 226-228) 134
47. [70] To Canon Caixal (In Catalan: EC I, 238-240) 136
48. [73] To Fr. peter Cruells (In Catalan: EC I, 248-249) 138
49. [74] To Canon Joseph Caixal (EC I, 250-251) 139
50. [76] To Fr. James Sitja (EC I, 255-256) 142
51. [78] To the Jesuit Superior General (EC I, 258-259) 143
52. [79] To Canon Joseph Caixal (EC I, 260-261) 145
53. [80] To don lucian Casadevall (In Catalan: EC I, 262-263) 146
54. [81] To Canon Joseph Caixal (EC I, 264-266) 148
55. [82] To Bishop-elect lucian Casadevall (EC I, 267-269) 150
56. [1474] To Bishop Codina (EC III, 36-39) 152
57. [83] To Bishop Codina (EC I, 270-272) 155
58. [84] To Canon Joseph Caixal (EC I, 273-276) 156
59. [85] To Bishop Casadevall (EC I, 277-280) 159
60. [86] To Bishop Casadevall (EC I, 281-283) 163
 Table of Contents
61. [87] To Canon Joseph Caixal (EC I, 284-287) 164
62. [88] To Fr. Manuel Batlle (EC I, 288-290) 168
III. leTTerS oF an orGanIZer,
Founder and arChBIShop: 1849-1850 170
63. [89] To Canon Joseph Caixal (EC I, 291-292) 170
64. [90] To Canon Joseph Caixal (EC I, 293-295) 171
65. [91] To Canon Joseph Caixal (EC I, 296-297) 173
66. [94] To Fr. Joachim Masmitjá (In Catalan: EC I, 302-303) 175
67. [95/1475] To the apostolic nuncio (EC I, 304-305; EC III, 40-43 [original]) 176
68. [98] To Canon Joseph Caixal (EC I, 310-313) 180
69. [99] To Canon Joseph Caixal (EC I, 314-317) 183
70. [100] To Canon Joseph Caixal. (In Catalan: EC I, 318-320) 186
71. [101/1476] To the apostolic nuncio (EC I, 321-322; EC III, 44-45 [original]) 188
72. [102] To the attorney General of Spain. (EC I, 323-324) 190
73. [103] To Bishop Casadevall (EC I, 325-326) 191
74. [104] To Bishop Casadevall (EC I, 327-328) 192
75. [105] To the Cathedral Chapter of Santiago, Cuba (EC I, 329-330) 193
76. [109/1479] To the apostolic nuncio (EC I, 335-336; EC III, 51-53) 195
77. [113] To don Juan oliveres (EC I, 342-343) 198
78. [115] To Bishop Casadevall (EC I, 347-348) 199
79. [117] To Bishop Casadevall (EC I, 351-352) 200
80. [118] To Canon Joseph Caixal (EC I, 353-354) 201
81. [120] To Canon Joseph Caixal (EC I, 357-358) 205
82. [121] To Fr. Stephen Sala, C.M.F. (In Catalan and Castilian: EC I, 359-363) 207
83. [122] To Canon Joseph Caixal (EC I, 364-367) 211
84. [123] To Mossèn pere naudó (In Catalan: EC I, 368-369) 214
85. [126] To Fr. John n. lobo (EC I, 374-376) 215
86. [129] To Canon Caixal (EC I, 380-381) 219
87. [135] To the Cathedral Chapter of Santiago, Cuba (EC I, 390-392) 221
88. [141] To the Jesuit Superior General (EC I, 403-404) 222
89. [142] To Canon Caixal (EC I, 405-406) 224
90. [145/145a] To Sister dolores Sánchez (EC I, 411-414) 225
91. [1481] To pope pius IX (In Latin: EC III, 56-58) 227
92. [147] To the apostolic nuncio (EC I, 417-418) 229
93. [148] To Canon Joseph Caixal (EC I, 419-420) 230
94. [149] To Canon Joseph Caixal (EC I, 421-422) 231
Table of Contents 
95. [150] To Fr. Fortian Bres (EC I, 423-425) 233
96. [155] To Canon Joseph Caixal (EC I, 434-435) 234
97. [156] To Canon Joseph Caixal (EC I, 436-437) 236
98. [157] To Bishop Casadevall (EC I, 438-439) 237
99. [158] To Canon Caixal (EC I, 440-441) 238
100. [159] To Fr. Stephen Sala, C.M.F. (EC I, 442-444) 239
IV. leTTerS oF a MISSIonarY arChBIShop: 1851-1857 242
101. [1488] To Fr Fortian Bres (?) (EC III, 68-71) 242
102. [160] To Bishop Casadevall (EC I, 445-449) 244
103. [162] To Fr. Fortian Bres (EC I, 451-456) 247
104. [164] To the attorney General of Spain (EC I, 458-459) 249
105. [165] To the ursulines of puerto príncipe (EC I, 460-465) 251
106. [1489] To Sister anastasia Conget (EC III, 72-74) 254
107. [169] To the Captain General of Cuba (EC I, 473-485) 255
108. [171] To the Captain General of Cuba (EC I, 488-494) 266
109. [178] To Fr. paladio Currius (EC I, 509-511) 271
110. [188] To Fr. paladio Currius (EC I, pp. 546-547) 273
111. [196] To the Governor of the province (EC I, pp. 571-576) 275
112. [198] To the Captain General of Cuba (EC I, 578-581) 280
113. [199] To the diocesan Clergy (EC I, 582-584) 283
114. [200] To the Captain General of Cuba (EC I, 585-588) 285
115. [201] To the Faithful of his archdiocese (EC I, 589-590) 288
116. [208] To Bishop Casadevall (EC I, 607-610) 290
117. [209] To the attorney General of Spain (EC I, 611-614) 292
118. [1491] To the Faithful of his diocese (EC III, 78-80) 295
119. [211] To Fr. Fortian Bres (EC I, 619-621) 297
120. [215] To the Majordomo of the palace (EC I, 628-629) 299
121. [216] To Bishop Casadevall (EC I, 630-631) 300
122. [222] To her Majesty the Queen (EC I, 646-652) 302
123. [224] To Mother antonia parís (EC I, 655) 306
124. [231] To the Captain General of Cuba (EC I, 669-672) 307
125. [234] To Fr. Fortian Bres (EC I, 678-679) 310
126. [238] To the Governor of the province (EC I, 688-689) 312
127. [240] To the regent of the royal high Court (EC I, 692-693) 313
128. [242] To Fr. John n. lobo (EC I, 696) 315
129. [243] To the Governor General of Cuba (EC I, 697-699) 316
 Table of Contents
130. [1505] To her Majesty the Queen (EC III, 101-110) 318
131. [247] To Fr. Stephen Sala, C.M.F. (EC I, 704-707) 326
132. [248] To Mr. peter Vilaró (EC I, 708-709) 328
133. [1507] To the Captain General (EC III, 114-115) 330
134. [264] To The Captain General of Cuba (EC I, 750-767) 332
135. [270] To the Bishop of havana (EC I, 776-777) 346
136. [1516] To the apostolic nuncio (EC III, 129-130) 347
137. [271] To the Governor of the province (EC I, 778-779) 349
138. [280/1519] To Canon Joseph Caixal (EC I, 791-792; EC III, 137-138) 350
139. [286] To the General of the piarists (EC I, 809-811) 352
140. [288] To the Viscountess of Jorbalán (EC I, 815-816) 354
141. [294] To don lorenzo arrazola (EC I, 829-832) 356
142. [316] To Bishop Caixal (EC I, 891-892) 359
143. [325] To his pope pius IX (In Latin. EC I, 909-912) 361
144. [330] To the Bishop Caixal (EC I, 920-921) 364
145. [331] To the Governor of Santiago (EC I, 922-924) 365
146. [332] To the Captain General of Cuba (EC I, 925-926) 367
147. [333] To the new Captain General of Cuba (EC I, 927-928) 369
148. [339] To the Captain General of Cuba (EC I, 939-956) 370
149. [340] To the Governor of Santiago (EC I, 957) 384
150. [345] To the Faithful of his diocese (EC I, 963-971) 384
151. [347] To the Governor of the province (EC I, 973) 391
152. [353] To the Captain General of Cuba (EC I, 986-989) 392
153. [356] To the Captain General of Cuba (EC I, 1001-1003) 395
154. [357] To the Captain General of Cuba (EC I, 1004-1005) 397
155. [361] To the Captain General of Cuba (EC I, 1011) 398
156. [362] To the Captain General of Cuba (EC I, 1012-1013) 399
157. [380] To pope pius IX (in Latin: EC I, 1043-1045) 400
158. [381] To the Faithful of his diocese (EC I, 1046-1048) 402
159. [1568] To the dean and Chapter (EC III, 205) 404
160. [392] To Fr. anthony Barjau (EC I, 1068-1070) 405
161. [399] To the Marquis de la pezuela (EC I, 1084-1085) 408
162. [400] To Fr. paladio Currius (EC I, 1086-1088) 409
163. [403] To Fr. paladio Currius (EC I, 1094-1095) 410
164. [422] To Bishop Caixal (EC I, 1119-1120) 412
165. [424] To the Captain General of Cuba (EC I, 1123-1125) 413
Table of Contents 
166. [432] To the Claretian Missionary Sisters (EC I, 1136-1138) 415
167. [436] To Bishop Caixal (EC I, 1144-1145) 417
168. [439] To the Captain General of Cuba (EC I, 1150-1150) 419
169. [443] To Fr. anthony Barjau (EC I, 1158-1159) 420
170. [444] To Mother antonia parís (EC I, 1160-1161) 422
171. [449] To the Bishop of urgell (EC I, 1167-1169) 423
172. [451/1592] To pope pius IX (EC I, 1172-1176; EC III, 230-236) 425
173. [454] To Bishop Caixal (EC I, 1181-1183) 428
174. [455] To Fr. paladio Currius (EC I, 1184-1186) 430
175. [1594] To Cardinal Brunelli (EC III, 238-239) 432
176. [457] To her Majesty the Queen (EC I, 1189-1190) 433
177. [460] To Fr. paladio Currius (EC I, 1194-1195) 435
178. [466] To his Missionaries in Vic (EC I, 1205-1206) 437
179. [475] To d. Jerónimo M. usera (EC I, 1228-1229) 438
180. [1604] To Fr. Stephen de adoaín, o.F.M.Cap. (EC III, 253-255) 440
181. [1605] To don eduardo Vélez de paredes (EC III, 256-257) 442
182. [483] To Fr. Francis Bofill (EC I, 1252-1253) 443
183. [495] To Bishop Caixal (EC I, 1272-1274) 444
184. [501] To her Majesty the Queen (EC I, 1293-1295) 446
185. [503] To Fr. paladio Currius (EC I, 1299-1301) 448
186. [504] To the Brothers dunigan (EC I, 1302-1303) 450
187. [507] To don dionisio González (EC I, 1306-1307) 451
188. [509] To the authorities of the Island (EC I, 1309-1310) 452
189. [510] To the Metropolitan Chapter (EC I, 1311-1312) 454
190. [512] To don dionisio González (EC I, 1315-1316) 456
191. [513] To Fr. paladio Currius (EC I, 1317-1318) 457
192. [514] To the Minister of overseas affairs (EC I, 1319-1321) 459
193. [515] To Fr. anthony Barjau (EC I, 1322-1324) 460
194. [516] To the Captain General of Cuba (EC I, 1325-1326) 462
195. [517] To don dionisio González (EC I, 1327-1328) 463
196. [519] To don dionisio González (EC I, 1327-1328) 464
proJeCT For SeleCTed leTTerS 466
plaCe IndeX 469
naMe IndeX 481
General InTroduCTIon
Translator’s note
Background of the Present Edition
In December 1975, the translator finished his English version
of the Autobiography of Saint Anthony Claret, based mainly on the
edition of Fr. José María Viñas: San Antonio María Claret: Escritos
autobi­ográficos y espi­ri­tuales (Madrid: Biblioteca de Autores Cris-
tianos [BAC], 1959). Almost fifteen years and many books later, he
completed a translation of the Saint’s Autobiographical Documents,
Retreat Resolutions, Spiritual Notes and Lights and Graces, based
on Fr. Jesús Bermejo’s edition of San Antonio Maria Claret: Escritos
autobi­ográficos, (Madrid: BAC, 1981) and of Claret’s Selected Spiritual
Writings, based on Fr. Bermejo’s edition of San Antonio María Claret:
Escritos espirituales (Madrid: BAC, 1985). The Selected Spiritual Writ-
ings were published by Claretian Publications (Quezon City, Philip-
pines, 1991), who also published the Selected Autobiographical Docu-
ments in 1995. Now, convinced of the need for an English translation
of more Claretian primary sources, and inspired by Fr. J. Bermejo’s
projected one-volume selection, he has tried his hand at translating a
selection of letters considerably longer than that of Fr. Isidro Muñoz
in the 1959 edition of the Saint’s writings, but much shorter than
Fr. José María Gil’s three-volume critical edition of the Saint’s cor-
respondence, Epistolario Claretiano (vols. 1-2, Madrid: Coculsa, 1970,
and vol. 3., Madrid: Publicaciones Claretianas, 1987). It is hoped that
the present selection, for all its shortcomings, may be of use to those
who cannot read the Saint’s letters in Castilian or Catalan, and that
it may move other more capable hands to prepare a better edition of
this precious part of the Claretian spiritual heritage.
Brief Historical Background
It is impossible to grasp the full import of Claret’s activities and
writings without at least a rudimentary notion of the turbulent his-
torical milieu into which he was born. For a non-Spaniard, it takes
no little effort to contextualize the Saint adequately -- rather like as-
Selected Letters: Saint Anthony Mary Claret 10
sembling a graduated series of interlocking Chinese boxes or Russian
dolls. To do so one must place Claret’s small-town beginnings within
the larger context of a long-oppressed Catalonia; then one must place
Catalonia within the larger context of a Spain fallen from the glories of
the House of Habsburg into the decline of the House of Bourbon; then
one must place Spain within the still-larger context of a collapsing co-
lonial empire. The American and French Revolutions were in the im-
mediate past, and more revolutions --military and political, industrial
and technological, scientific and religious, social and economic-- were
either in mid-course or yet to come.
When Anthony Claret was born, the Spanish Bourbons were in a
bad way. Carlos III, perhaps the ablest of that family, had died some
twenty years earlier. In 1788, the year before the outbreak of the
French Revolution, he was succeeded by one of the most inept Span-
ish monarchs, his forty-year-old son, Carlos IV, a weak man domi-
nated throughout his reign by others: by his late father’s minister of
state, Count Floridablanca (1728-1808); by his own meddling and
power-hungry wife, Maria Luisa of Parma (1751-1819); and finally, by
the king’s false friend and the false queen’s favorite, Manuel Godoy
(1767-1851).
After the leaders of the French Revolution imprisoned Louis
XVI, Leopold of Austria and Frederick of Prussia agreed to oppose
the Revolution and restore Louis to the throne. Floridablanca wanted
Spain to join them in this endeavor, but Queen Maria Luisa, who
wanted total control, ousted Floridablanca, replaced him for a short
time with the anti-war Aranda, only to replace him in turn with her
own favorite, Godoy, who in December of 1792, at the age of 25, be-
came prime minister and principal spokesman of the pro-war stance
against the French Convention. The Convention (1792-95), led by
Robespierre, Marat and Danton, replaced the National Assembly and
during a reign of terror beheaded Louis XVI on 21 January 1793.
When the French Convention declared war on Spain, Spanish
troops crossed into France and soon conquered most of the once-
Catalan region of Roussillon, except for Perpignan. But the tide soon
turned in favor of the French, who took a number of northern towns
in Catalonia, and even invaded the Navarrese and Basque Provinces,
although they were repulsed. At the Peace of Basel (1795), the French
Republic returned to Spain the northern cities it had occupied, while
Spain ceded to France the Spanish part of the Isle of Santo Domingo.
This treaty was deemed quite favorable to Spain and won for Godoy
the fulsome, almost blasphemous, title of ‘Prince of Peace.’ But mat-
ters soon began to work out poorly for Spain.