Joseph Cardinal Cardijn

Joseph Cardijn lui-même nous a proposé une méthode pour faire l'histoire de la JOC : « On peut la concevoir comme l'histoire de quelques dates : événements, faits saillants, privés ou publics, qui sont comme les jalons, les étapes de cette histoire. C'est l'histoire extérieure, publique, officielle. On peut la concevoir aussi comme l'histoire de la vie journalière, croissante, active, intérieure et extérieure, avec ses influences, son esprit, ses crises et ses développements. Cela, c'est l'histoire vraie, continue, qui se déroule comme un film, qui coule sans arrêt comme un fleuve.

Interdisciplinary dialogues find researchers seeking better understandings of theories and concepts, such colonialism and capitalism, and the means through which these concepts impact both local and global cultures. The results of explorations such as these raise the question of how to translate the theories that are created by these dialogues into practice. Moreover, they ask where we can take these conversations, how can we focus them toward specific aims, and how can we effectively enact them as one collective group. This article introduces and proposes Joseph Cardinal Cardijn's See–Judge–Act method as a possible framework to better enable these discussions to move from theory to praxis. It proposes that such a theory may also allow the theoretical portions of these interdisciplinary dialogues to happen without any discipline ceding or 'shaving away' the core principles that respectively identify each discipline. The article begins by exploring Cardinal Cardijn's original articulation of the method. Then, it describes how the liberation theologians Leonardo Boff and Clodovis Boff employed the method in their development of a theological framework. Finally, this article explores how the See–Judge–Act method might be useful for other disciplines, such as African thought and philosophy, and critical theory. The issues of economic, social, and political inequality clearly span across writing genres and academic discourses. This is seen throughout this special issue, and especially in its subtitle: 'African Thought, Critical Theory, and Liberation Theology in Dialogue'. Indeed, each of these disciplines approach the concept of inequality from specific and important angles: African thought/philosophy employs a critical deconstruction that decolonizes prevailing socioeconomic systems that persist in controlling how Africans should think and live. Critical theory's socioeconomic analysis likewise attempts to uncover the presumed structures of society that promote and legitimize the hegemonies targeted by African thought's decolonizing efforts. Liberation theology, in turn, takes these critiques and analyses, and employs them through a praxis-based theology in pursuit of not just material liberation, but a spiritual one as well. The scope of this special issue is to bring these disciplines together to create an encounter from which future discussions may arise. This encounter was premised by the notion that each discipline focuses upon oppression and possible liberation: oppression resulting from a myriad of events that become conceptualized through colonialism, capitalism, and social hegemony. Furthermore, it was also premised by the idea that we need to bring together these disciplines because these issues cannot be solved by a lone theory or discourse; we need to band together ideas and concepts from various discourses to address these mammoth problems. Yet this banding together, as it were, raises a new problem: how should we proceed as an interdisciplinary group without talking past each other? Where can we take these conversations, how

Yves Congar and the priesthood of the faithful: Educating, serving and representing Twenty-five years this week since the death of the Dominican theologian, Yves Congar on 24 June 1995! Although I was studying canon law in Paris at that time, I unfortunately could not go to his funeral. Just a few months earlier, however, I did attend the ceremony at which, seated in a wheelchair, he received his red cardinal's hat from Dutch Cardinal Jan Willebrands. Unusually, the service took place not in Rome but at the St Louis des Invalides Cathedral in Paris since Congar was too frail to travel. A former World War II prisoner of war who was then 90, he had already been ill for many years and was living at the Military Hospital near the cathedral. Afterwards, I made enquiries about meeting Congar but by that time he was unable to receive visitors. Nearly, 20 years later, however, while researching my PhD thesis, I was finally able to "meet" him and learn more about his links to Cardijn and the JOC through his archives located at the Dominican convent in Paris known as Le Saulchoir. As a young friar, Congar had in fact studied and taught at Le Saulchoir, which was then located at Kain across the border from Lille and not far from Tournai in Belgium.

This thesis studies the contribution of Joseph Cardijn and other bishops and theologians from the YCW (JOC) movement in helping develop the Vatican II vision of lay apostolate, and in the Council’s adoption of the jocist see-judge-act methodology and vision of a Church deeply concerned with the present world.

This paper traces the influence of Gratry's inductive, "signs of the times" approach and integral philosophy on a succession of philosophers and actors, including Léon Ollé-Laprune, Marc Sangnier, Joseph Cardijn and others in the 90 year period between his death in 1872 and the Second Vatican Council from 1962-65.

A Lille, deux théologiens de premier plan, Pierre Tiberghien et Palémon Glorieux, ont grandement contribué au développement de la JOC.
Cet article débute par un survol de l’apport de quelques pionniers et précurseurs du XIXe siècle, Lamennais, Ozanam, Gratry et Ollé-Laprune, ainsi que de celui du mouvement du Sillon de Marc Sangnier, dont les réalisations ont ouvert la voie à l’émergence de la JOC.
Dans une deuxième partie, il montre comment, après quelques premières hésitations, Tiberghien, séduit en particulier par le concept de spécialisation par «milieux» de la JOC, a facilité la transition du Sillon et de son mouvement rival, l’ACJF, vers la JOC.
En troisième partie, il souligne le rôle du professeur de théologie, Palémon Glorieux qui a fondé la première équipe de JOCF en France. Celui-ci a écrit pour les aumôniers jocistes de nombreux articles compilés dans toute une série de livres publiés dans de nombreuses langues et éditions successives. Travaillant en étroite collaboration avec le cardinal Achille Liénart, il a contribué à promouvoir nombre d’idées et de méthodes du mouvement au Concile de Vatican II.


Pierre Tiberghien and Palémon Glorieux were prominent Lille theologians who both contributed greatly to the development of the JOC. This article examines their contribution in three parts. It begins with an overview of the 19th century pioneers and precursors, including Lamennais, Ozanam, Gratry and Ollé-Laprune as well as Marc Sangnier’s Le Sillon movement, whose achievements set the stage for the emergence of the JOC.
Secondly, it shows how, after initial hesitations, Tiberghien, who was particularly impressed by the JOC’s concept of specialisation by “milieu,” aided the transition from the Sillon and its rival movement, the ACJF, towards the JOC.
Thirdly, it highlights the role of theology professor, Palémon Glorieux, who founded the first JOCF team in France. He also wrote many articles for JOC chaplains, which were compiled into a series of books published in several editions and languages. Working closely with Cardinal Achille Liénart, he helped promote many of these ideas and methods at the Second Vatican Council

This article explains the historical sources of the Cardijn method going back to Lamennais, Frédéric Le Play, Alphonse Gratry and Léon Ollé-Laprune.

It shows how it developed from the Sillon's method of democratic education based on Aristotelian virtue ethics.

It shows how Cardijn developed his method on the basis of his Proudhonian Three Truths dialectic of faith, experience and method, his baptismally-based conception of education, service and representation, and his ecclesiological trinomial of Church, laity and clergy.

Georges Guérin, founding chaplain of the French Jeunesse Ouvrière Chrétienne (JOC) movement, worked with Joseph Cardijn for over 40 years, promoting and developing the movement. When Cardijn came into conflict with his own archbishop, Cardinal Suenens, during Vatican II, Guérin came to Cardijn's aid, launching a personal campaign to promote and distribute the latter's book, Laïcs en premières lignes (Lay people into Action), to prominent French bishops and theologians. This occurred at a key moment of the Council when the future of Schema XIII, the future Gaudium et Spes, was at stake.

During an audience with Pope John XXIII in March 1960, Joseph Cardijn proposed that an encyclical be published to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Leo XIII's 1891 encyclical, Rerum Novarum. The pope welcomed the suggestion and asked Cardijn to send him his thoughts on the content, which Cardijn did in April. The outcome was the encyclical Mater et Magistra in May 1961, §236 of which endorsed the Cardijn "see-judge-act" method, setting the stage for its adoption in the drafting of Gaudium et Spes during Vatican II.

Mgr Pierre Haubtmann was the French priest and Vatican II peritus given the task of compiling the final drafts of Schema XIII, the future Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the World of Today, Gaudium et Spes.

He was chosen for this sensitive and demanding role on three main grounds:

a) His long experience as a chaplain to the Young Christian Workers, Workers Catholic Action and other "Specialised Catholic Action" movements

b) His intellectual formation, including doctorates in scholastic philosophy, theology, social science and letters with a focus on the philosophy of Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, which made him the world's leading Proudhon scholar

c) His work for the French bishops during the first sessions of the Council, analysing, summarising and synthesising major conciliar issues in a series of pamphlets entitled "Le point sur le Concile."

Haubtmann was responsible for the final drafting of Gaudium et Spes and its structuring as what he characterised as a bottom up Proudhonian dialectic, which was also modelled on Joseph Cardijn's Three Truths dialectic.

After the Council, Haubtmann was appointed as the rector of the Catholic Institute of Paris, tasked with implementing the Vatican II vision in the university.

Sadly, just a few years into the task, he was killed in a bushwalking accident on the cliffs of Normandy on 6 September 1971.

Fifty years after his tragic, premature death and on the eve of the 60th anniversary of Vatican II, it's time to recognise his contribution.

Pierre Tiberghien and Palémon Glorieux were prominent Lille theologians who both contributed greatly to the development of the JOC. This article examines their contribution in three parts. It begins with an overview of the 19th century pioneers and precursors, including Lamennais, Ozanam, Gratry and Ollé-Laprune as well as Marc Sangnier’s Le Sillon movement, whose achievements set the stage for the emergence of the JOC.
Secondly, it shows how, after initial hesitations, Tiberghien, who was particularly impressed by the JOC’s concept of specialisation by “milieu,” aided the transition from the Sillon and its rival movement, the ACJF, towards the JOC.
Thirdly, it highlights the role of theology professor, Palémon Glorieux, who founded the first JOCF team in France. He also wrote many articles for JOC chaplains, which were compiled into a series of books published in several editions and languages. Working closely with Cardinal Achille Liénart, he helped promote many of these ideas and methods at the Second Vatican Council.

This is the English version of a paper delivered and published in French in Gigacz, Stefan Robert (2020) Deux théologiens de la Jeunesse Ouvrière Chrétienne lilloise: Pierre Tiberghien et Palémon Glorieux. Revue du Nord (38). pp. 95-110. ISSN 979-10-93095-16-5 / 0983-2327

Georges Guérin, founder chaplain of the French JOC, helped form many future bishops and theologians, who later came to play a significant role at Vatican II, where he also came to the aid of Joseph Cardijn who faced conflict with his own bishop, Cardinal Léon-Joseph Suenens.

Along with his Dominican confrere, MD Chenu, young Yves Congar first made contact the JOC during the late 1920s while stationed at the Saulchoir in Belgium.

Soon he was assisting JOC leaders in their weekend recollections and retreats, beginning a lifetime partnership with the movement and with its founder Joseph Cardijn that would last until Vatican II.

At the Council, Congar would encourage Cardijn to deliver his interventions on Schema 13, the draft Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the World of Today, Gaudium et Spes, and the schema on religious liberty, the draft of the Declaration on Religious Liberty, Dignitatis Humanae.

The story of Cardijn's decisive influence at the First World Congress on Lay Apostolate 1951 and his landmark speech, "The World Today and the Lay Apostolate."

This speech foreshadowed and prepared the path for the Vatican II conception of lay apostolate in Lumen Gentium and Apostolicam Actuositatem and the see-judge-act format adopted by Gaudium et Spes.

This article traces the origins of the Young Christian Workers (YCW) movement as a response by Belgian priest Joseph Cardijn to the problems of industrialising Europe in the early 20th century. It explains the virtue ethics basis of the YCW's "see judge act" method, which drew on the "method of democratic education" pioneered by Marc Sangnier's movement, Le Sillon. This "see judge act" method in fact formed part of Cardijn's broader dialectical "Three Truths" framework of faith, experience and method, which sought to form young workers to understand their "specifically lay apostolate" as lay people transforming their lives, milieux  of life and world. The documents of the Second Vatican Council later incorporated many aspects of this vision and method, which also formed the basis for the "new evangelisation" approach adopted by the bishops of Latin America at the CELAM conference in Bogota in 1968. Addressing th...