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You are here:Home / Family News / NEF 2017 / Family News - September 14th, 2017 / Life of the Congregation
Sep 14, 2017

Life of the Congregation

The possessions of Bétharram – A long chapter is closed

Life of the Congregation

When history comes in the way, you have to arm yourself with patience. On July 25, 2017, the word “End” was written under a long chapter that had started at the beginning of the 19th century and had deprived the congregation of the property of its real estate.

The happy conclusion of this story, recounted by Fr Beñat Oyhénart scj, leads us to pay a tribute to all those lay people who have shown, on this occasion and throughout all these years, their fond attachment to our congregation. This also reminds us of the need to reflect on the methods to be used to protect the assets of our religious family here and elsewhere.

The history of France is very complicated. And so too is the French separation of Church and State.

At the end of the 19th Century in France, the governments showed themselves to be anticlerical. A number of Catholics, many Bishops, stuck to the archaic motto « God and King ! » However, Léo XIII wished for all decent and reasonable French people, not just the Catholics, to recognise the legitimacy of the Republic ; that is the meaning of the encyclical «Inter innumeras sollicitudines», published on 16th February 1892.

In a context of increased conflict, even if more than 90% of French people were practising Catholics, anticlerical laws succeeded one another. In 1903, several congregations were expelled, following the Act of 1st July 1901 on associations. Article 13 of this law states : « No religious congregation can be formed without authorisation given by a law which determines the conditions of its function. It can only found a new establishment by virtue of a decree made in the Council of State. The dissolution of the congregation or the closure of any establishment could be pronounced by decree by the Cabinet. » Well, in 1901, more than 900 feminine congregations were authorised ; for the men, only five ! Article 18 granted a period of three months to settle the situation. But almost all were refused and congregations dissolved, their possessions confiscated !

From 30th October 1902, Father Victor Bourdenne, Superior General, prepared the religious brothers and fathers – almost all French – for expulsion. There were communities in the Holy Land and in America ; a base in Paraguay was prepared. But could all the religious brothers and fathers go abroad ?

At the beginning of 1903, a house was planned in Irún, in Guipuzcoa ; a property was acquired in Belgium.

On 4th April 1903, the Civil Tribunal of First Instance in Pau dissolved the Congregation of Fathers of the Sacred Heart of Betharram. Their possessions were confiscated. The fathers and brothers had to leave. Before the 1st August !

28th July 1903 : At Betharram, it was not at that time the feast of Our Lady - that resulted from the coronation of 28th July 1912 - but, rather, that of the Superior General, Father Victor Bourdenne: the feast of St Victor I, pope from 189 to 199, was celebrated on the 28th July. An unhappy feast day as he would soon have to take the train for Irún …

On 10th August 1903, the General Chapter opened in Irún. An urgent question had to be answered : how could the estate be saved ? Firstly, that situated at Betharram (municipality of Lestelle and Montaut). It was decided to establish a Civil Society with shareholders – to protect individuals – « with the support of, and with the influential aid of, the Congregation. » And of course with the economic help of all the communities, in particular those in America. If they were for sale, all the property would be acquired ; it was difficult to separate what came from the diocese and what had been purchased by Fathers Garicoits and Etchécopar ….

On 9th November 1906, the tribunal authorised Mr Château, a solicitor in Pau, to have all the possessions sold which had belonged to the dissolved congregation. Fifty-four lots were offered to bidders.

In 1907, the sale of possessions took place :

* Since 16th February, all the lots had found takers.

* The bidders registered and the tribunal set the 9th and 16th March as the sale by auction.

* The 15th March, « La Pyrénéenne Anonymous Real Estate and Property Society » was established. It was made up of doctors, nobles, lawyers, priests – all very attached to Betharram – who gave themselves the aim of « friendly acquisition or bidding of all our land and buildings » and « the creation of all philanthropic works and bursarships ».

* On 16th March, at the auctions, La Pyrénéenne acquired twenty-two of the largest lots.

* Between 16th April and 14th May 1907, La Pyrénéenne bought at « cost price » the lots awarded to seven people; without a doubt, these were the nominees eager to protect the property of Betharram.

* On 13th July 1907, the Board of Directors, « after a lot of research and negotiation » rented to Mr Croharé, Diocesan Priest, the old school and all the furniture. Teaching continued.

Throughout the following years,   La Pyrénéenne managed the property, bought, sold, rented etc. It also happened that certain members brought property – just as the Simonet House, close to the Sanctuaries, was given by Dr Flavien Lacq in 1911.

After the 1914-1918 war, due perhaps to the patriotism shown by many religious, the French State was less rigorous in its application of these laws. Little by little, the religious came back.

Even if  La Pyrénéenne was able to legally manage the property belonging to it, the Congregation had to face another trial. The Diocese of Bayonne was said to divest itself of its property to Betharram ; the matter was taken to an ecclesiastical tribunal. Although recognised as being within its rights, the Congregation was made to pay a good sum to the Diocese for the buildings already bought back from the State… (Due to the law of separation of Church and State, the Sanctuary of Our Lady belonged to the municipality of Lestelle.)

In 1953, La Pyrénéenne was at the origin of a new association : The Friends of Michael Garicoits. What was situated at Ibarre was returned to this association – notably the birthplace and church.

In 1992, the efforts of Father Firmin Bourguinat, provincial Superior, led to a decree by the Prime Minister, recognising « the Province of France of the Congregation of Fathers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Betharram » as a Congregation.

From 2000, the Province of France, then the Vicariate of France-Spain, wished to be a lawful member of the associations of owners. Finally, with the support of Father Gaspar Fernández Pérez, Superior General, it was envisaged that all the property would return to the Congregation.

Following the change in the Rules of Life, the statutes of the Province – known as the Vicariate – were updated, and the modification was approved by the Prime Minister on 14th January 2016.

25th July 2017: with the authorisation of the Commissioner of the Pyrenees-Atlantique region, La Pyrénéenne and the association “The Friends of Michael Garicoits” handed over to the Congregation all of their possessions and property rights, constructed and not constructed (see picture above). That way, a long work, which mobilised energy and forged amicable connections, came to a successful conclusion.

In a way, after a break of more than 100 years, the situation is getting back to normal !

Beñat Oyhénart scj

 

Basque Pilgrimage on the footsteps of Saint Michael Garicoits

« Obra handiek ez dituzte hastapenak handiak. »
that is... : Nothing big has necessarily great beginnings

Garacotchea, birthplace of Michael Garicoits, and the little church of Ibarre belong now again to the Congregation

 

On August 30th, as well as every last Wednesday of August, pilgrims wanted to honor Saint Michael Garicoïts from 7 am, with the first Eucharistic celebration of the day concelebrated by fathers Jean-Dominique Delgue scj (Vicar General) and Laurent Bacho scj (Regional Vicar of the Vicariate of France-Spain).

The urn of relics, brought from Betharram, allowed pilgrims to show their attachment to our Founder. Then the Eucharist, celebrated by Fr Jean Eliçagaray, collected about 600 people; the religious of Betharram were a lot and happy to see Fr Gaspar Fernández Pérez scj (former Superior General), who came to Ibarre with the religious of the Mendelu community. In the afternoon, they said the Rosary, Vespers and they walked the Via Crucis towards Garacoetchea (home of Saint Michael Garicoïts).

A pilgrimage was performed in Basque both in singing and praying in a friendly way. The association «The Friends of Michael Garicoïts» also helped to organize this beautiful day. We are pleased to see how the Congregation opened its wings, even starting from such a narrow place!

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