| Titre | La chute de la pratique catholique en France autour de 1965 : le précepte dominical malmené | |
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| Auteur | Pierre-Marie Berthe | |
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Revue | Revue historique |
| Numéro | no 701, janvier 2022 | |
| Résumé |
Si les travaux de Guillaume Cuchet montrent que la pratique religieuse baisse fortement en France autour de 1965, avant même la crise de 1968, les raisons qui ont poussé les catholiques à s'affranchir du précepte dominical restent à approfondir. Sans revenir sur les causes sociales, politiques et culturelles, souvent étudiées, qui concourent à expliquer sur le long terme ce mouvement de désaffection pour la messe, cet article examine dans quelle mesure le précepte dominical a pu être fragilisé par certaines orientations du concile Vatican II (1962-1965). S'appuyant sur des documents romains, des ordonnances épiscopales et des sources internes à l'Église catholique, de nature canonique, catéchétique et pastorale, trop peu explorées en ce sens par la recherche historique, cette contribution entend évaluer les effets collatéraux, sur le plan de la pratique cultuelle dominicale, des discours et réformes qui ont prévalu dans les paroisses et les diocèses de France, au moment du Concile. Sept problématiques sont étudiées : la conversion pastorale de l'Église, la dynamique d'adaptation au monde, l'appel à la liberté et à la diversité, la priorité sociale et caritative, la simplification des rites, la participation active des fidèles, l'indulgence à l'égard des pécheurs et des non-catholiques. L'examen attentif des sources met en évidence que la baisse de la pratique ne doit pas être attribuée à une réforme, un événement ou un texte en particulier, mais plutôt à une atmosphère nouvelle, assez déstabilisante, résultant d'inflexions doctrinales et disciplinaires, impliquant des aspects fondamentaux du précepte dominical. Source : Éditeur (via Cairn.info) |
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| Résumé anglais |
Though Guillaume Cuchet's essays show that religious practice strongly regressed in France around 1965, even before the 1968 crisis, the motives which prompted Catholics to ignore the Sunday precept remain to be elucidated. Without looking back at the frequently examined social, political and cultural motives which contribute to explaining the disaffection for the Mass in the long run, this article aims at establishing to what point the Sunday precept may have been weakened by certain orientations of Vatican II Council (1962-1965). Based on pontifical documents, Episcopal orders and the Catholic Church's internal sources of canonical, catechetical and pastoral nature (insufficiently explored in this context by historical research), the purpose of this contribution is to evaluate the collateral effects produced on the Sunday practice of the cult by problems which prevailed in French parishes and dioceses at the time of the Council. Seven sets of problems, very fashionable in the clerical speech of this period, are examined: the Church pastoral conversion, the dynamics of adaptation to the world, the call for freedom and diversity, the priority given to social relationship and charity, the simplification of the rites, the active participation of parishioners and the indulgence towards sinners and non-Catholics.A close examination of sources reveals that this decline in the practice of Catholicism cannot be attributed to a definite reform, event or text, but rather to a new atmosphere somewhat unsettling due to doctrinal and disciplinary inflections bearing on fundamental aspects of the Sunday precept. While seeking to enhance the participation of parishioners in the Sunday Mass, the Fathers of Vatican II display priorities which, paradoxically enough are not in favour of assiduity to the Cult. The insistence on pastoral care relegates to a secondary role the legal sequencing which regulates the baptized life. The desired adaptation to the world accredits the theory according to which all customs, laws and institutions are bound to evolve. The emphasis on the diversity of ways of expressing and living one's faith deemphasizes the importance of common ritual practices. The desire to reconcile with the world is an encouragement to place the virtues of social and charitable actions over the majesty of the Divine cult. The liturgical reforms modifying the Mass arouse disputes which divide parish assemblies. The active participation of parishioners in the ceremonies is a cause of uneasiness for Catholics whose links to the Church are already weak. The leniency of authorities toward non-practicing and non-Catholics leads one to believe that being present at Mass is not absolutely essential for salvation. These much-commented evolutions which started at different points of the Council process overshadow the more classical preoccupations of Vatican II, including the exhortation to sanctify the day of the Lord. Moreover, the official texts lead to profound reforms – liturgical changes, rewriting the catechism, the introduction of the Saturday night Mass – all of which impresses but obscures the permanent character of long-standing Church laws, including the Sunday precept. Finally, the implementation of these measures in a creative atmosphere tends to favour the advent of a more liberal Catholicism freed from landmarks of the religion of yesteryear. Source : Éditeur (via Cairn.info) |
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| Article en ligne | http://www.cairn.info/article.php?ID_ARTICLE=RHIS_221_0171 (accès réservé) |
