BIRTH OF AFORMULA: PREVENTIVE SYSTEM, REPRESSIVE SYSTEM
7. Antoine Monfat, educator and pedagogue (1820-1898)
With exceptional educators and animators like Poullet and Magne, the St Vincent de Senlis College enjoyed a prosperous developm ent follow ed by years o f decline during which the num ber o f students decreased considerably. The school was handed over to the Fathers o f the Society o f Mary. Its first director w as A ntoine M onfat (1820-1898), Provincial, from Lyons, and a man o f great culture and prestige. Monfat was open to the ideas o f the school. He had come to know and understand its methods during the years 1857-1867 at the M inor Sem inary o f M axim ieux w here he taught Latin and rhetoric before he professed his vows as a m em ber o f the Society o f Mary in 1867.
In the first speech delivered at Senlis, A ntoine M onfat declared he was willing to follow its founder Poullet’s programme, and also retain his style. One could really have more reasonably said o f him what was written later about one o f his confreres, Fr Terrade: “His direction was a combination o f gentleness and strictness. One could easily have applied to him the m otto o f St V incent de Senlis College: Suaviter et fo rtite r (gently, but strictly).61
His activity as St Vincent’s was limited, however, because o f the occupation of the school by the G erm an troops in 1870 and because o f his short term in office. In
1872 he left the school and during the following years was taken up with assignments which required his commitment to the direction o f his own religious society. However, this did not prevent him from putting the richness o f his experience and o f his vast readings into num erous and various w ritings, som e o f a pedagogical nature. They found echoes abroad, including in Italy. Les vraisprincipes de I 'education chretienne (The true prin ciples o f Christian education)',68 Pratique d e l ’education chretienne;
practique de I ’enseignem entchretien (Christian education in practice; Christian teaching in p ra ctice) in two volum es.
67 Le révérend Père Terrade de la Société de Marie,(Paris: Imprimiere de J. Demoulin 1910), 23. Indicates not only a personal trait but something o f the entire Society o f Mary. The following features o f Monfat’s physical and spiritual characteristics are highlighted: “his height, calm seriousness and recollectedness, a certain austerity softened by his exquisite kindness, natural dignity o f bearing, simplicity, tact, the appropriateness and measuredness o f his speech, his modest approachability" [A. S.-B.J, Le Rév. Monfat ancien supérieur de l ’institution Saint-Vincent à Senlis(Oise). (Senlis: Institution Saint-Vincent 1898),.4.
68 Les vrais principes de l ’éducation chrétienne rappelés auz maîtres et aux familles.
Dispositions requises pour en fa ire une heureuse application et devoirs qui en décourlent par le P.A. Monfat de la Société de Marie. (Paris: Bray et Retaux 1875), 8-366.
The first volum e was entitled Grammaire et Literature, the second Histoire et Philosphie,69 The first two were translated into Italian70 and The Practice o f Christian Education even found an echo at the Valdocco Oratory, the M other House o f all o f Don B osco’s Institutions. In the m inutes o f the conference held N ovem berl 6,1882 with all the Salesians involved in youth work, we find recorded w hat dealt with the duties o f educators. “A paragraph from A ntoine M ofat was then read out which gave rise to several remarks, especially that o f being united and to be o f one accord, which should be made evident to the young being educated by us ”.71
The general structure dealing specifically with the education carried out in a boarding school is clearly inspired by and directed tow ards a Christian view o f life.
A gainst the danger o f secularism it is strongly stated that without any exception, it is absolutely essential that faith should hold the most prom inent and sovereign place in education, “that the young man be turned into a Christian first o f all” ; 72 “the first duty is that o f directing the entire school’s discipline towards faith, subjecting and referring all that is being taught to faith” .73 “ It is on this solid base that the two essential dim ensions o f an integral hum an form ation depend; the form ation o f the heart and will, the form ation o f the m ind are the main objectives o f all teaching,™
69 “La réputation des ouvrages du P. Monfat a passé la frontière: chez les étrangers que la forme du langage préoccupe moins que le fond des idées, ils font autorité” Le R.P Antoine Monfat religieux de la Socieété de Marie, (Bar-le-duc:, Imprimerie C. Laguerre 1898), 15.
70 I veriprincipii della educazione del P.A. Monfat translated and annotated by the priest Francesco Bricolo former Director o f the Male Mazza Institute in Verona and Corretta, (Turin:
Libreria Salesiana 1892), 479 pages.; La pratica della educazione cristiana del PA. Monfat della Società di Maria, (Rome: Tipografia dei Fratelli Monaldi 1879), 208 pages.; F. Bricolo, La pratica d ell’educazione cristiana del P. A. Monfat maris ta. A notably larger free version.
(Ala: Tipografia Editrice dei Figli di Maria 1891), 205 pages. “Free version ofthe recent work:
La pratica della educazione cristiana del padre A. Monfat Marista, who authorised me not only to translate it but to shorten it so as to make it more accessible to a greater number o f readers”, (pp 5-6). This second edition also has the second part o f the original work L 'educazionepropriamente detta, i.e. religious and moral,
71 J.M. Prellezo, Valdocco nell'Ottocento tra reale e ideale (1866-1889). Documenti e testimonianze, (Home, LAS 1992), 254-255. It is possible that not only this time he does not recall a book that was somewhat familiar.
72 A. Monfat, Les vrais principes, 8.
73 Ibid., 6. The pivot for “theology o f education” by Monfat, illustrated in two basic considerations from the first part o f the work: “ 1st L ’educazione ha come scopo di formare la fanciullezza secondo il vangelo. Grandezza dell ’infanzia cristiana (19-52); 2nd L'educazione si propone come risultato di attuare le speranze della Chiesa circa l'avvenire dei fanciulli.
Sollecitudine che la Chiesa prodiga oggi in loro favore (53-67).
74 A. Monfat, La pratica della educazione cristiana (1879), 7-23 (Considerazione 1) and 24-41 (Considerazione II).
The prime mover is discipline, understood as education, namely instruction, and the proper direction o f m orals, and as the set o f m eans needed to achieve both.75
Preventive and constructive educational action is the m eeting o f two positive conditions. The first condition is provided by the m arvellous resources found within the natural dispositions o f the soul o f a child, a soul that is new, simple, open to confidence, tender and easily m oulded. The child, once the hazards and obstacles o f the child’s age are overcom e successfully, will m ove along the path already undertaken:
Adulescens ju x ta viam suam etiam cum senuerit non recedet ab ea (a child will never leave the path he has undertaken in his youth even when he grows old).76 This is w hat the author adds as the Christian, optim ist and hum anist that he was.
The second condition is the ed u cato r’s authority. He presents h im selfto his pupils with the prestige o f a father, teacher and priest who alw ays refers to reason and to the heart with unlimited patience. Authority comes from the verb augere which means to increase, to protect the vitality already possessed by the body, mind, family, society and country.77 M onfat attributed a definite m ethodological function to the exercise o f authority, to the point o f placing it ahead o f virtue and the knowledge o f the educator. For this reason: “with a prestige that rules without compelling, and leads a soul to heartily accept the yoke o f submission, a tiny bit o f good teaching and good example will elicit more fruit for souls which will allow themselves to be entered into m ore easily than w ith a great am ount o f know ledge and a high degree o f sanctity, which m ight be imposed upon their trust and which m ight find them impenetrable”.78 Besides indicating the religious sources o f authority,79 the author also points the educator to the natural m eans he should have recourse to. H e reduces them to three:
“M aking oneself feared, respected and esteemed, and loved” .80 The third resource is particularly stressed: m aking o neself loved! In fact, “fear should not be servile but filial, reverential, affectionate, the end result o f zeal mixed with strictness and gentleness:
Suaviter etF ort/ter, a happy blend where strictness remains hidden and allows itself to be hinted at “ in ready support o f gentleness” .81 However, this does not exclude, but rather dem ands the restraint and seriousness w hich com bines respect, silence and attention.82
75 Ibid., 41-42.
76 A. Monfat, Les vrais principes,68-79.
77 Ibid., 79-80,83,85.
78 Ibid., 201.
79 They are humility, prayer, devotion to the Sacred Heart o f Jesus, respect for ones superiors: Les vrais principes.202-207.
80 A. Monfat, Les vrais principes,207-209.
81 Ibid., 207-209.
82 Ibid., 209-212.
The counter position leads to three duties educators have towards their pupils.
These duties are taken from the Constitutions o f the Society o f M ary: love, patience, respect.83
Therefore, along with the idea o f fatherliness, the concept o f love is dominant:
a love that is sincere, unselfish, supernatural, ready to grow, ready to forgive, ready to be generous, full o f benevolence and encouragement.84 This is a preventive love which calls the prefect or assistant to task in particular. “As far as the Prefect is concerned, it is true to say that he is expected to be the first to love and prevent, at all times; he is entrusted with the mission not so much o f disposing o f ignorance, but preventing vice from being born or being diffused... W hat solicitude is needed to prevent the onslaught o f so m any dangers! How much vigilance and delicacy are needed to have one accept the removal o f dangerous occasions...! In short, uninterrupted prevention is absolutely necessary, during study periods, recreation, walks, day and night. The great goal is that o f leading the pupils to freely obey. The success o f an educator depends on the attainment ofthis free obedience which distinguishes/fee men from slaves".85 However, any fam iliarity or intimacy which may detract from authority and prestige should be avoided.86
Patience, which holds second place, will help. Patience should take into account the impetuousness o f a youngster, his changing moods and patience will be necessary, most o f all, at the critical point o f repression, in moments o f fear, inflexibility and when medicinal chastisements (not punishments) must be administered.87
Repression is the third stage. It is the stage o f emergency, relationships between pupils and educators. R epression is preceded by two factors m ore authentically preventive and constructive. The first factor is an inner discipline or discipline o f the will directed toward love o f duty in particular, by appealing to reason, the heart and the sense o f honour.88 The second factor is that o f vigilance which im plies a kind o f
83 Ibid., 292-350.
84 Ibid., 293; developments, 293-310.
85 A. Monfat, Les vrais principes, 303-304. Prevention as a method is framed in a wider perspective, theological in its roots, in the prior dilexit o f God (359; cf. 299,301,303); therefore, also giving the child “the certainty that he is loved” (305). In Pratica dell 'educazione cristiana, Monfat returns to the “careful supervision” as a specific competence o f the prefect.
86 A. Monfat, Les vrais principes,329.
87 Ibid., 320-330. (D overi particolareggiati del rispetto verso gli ahinm) and 338-341 (Repression with profit).
88 A. Monfat, La pratica d e ll’educazione cristiana,(1879), 58-138, Monfat recalls the practice o f short familiar conversations by the Director with the pupils, held in the evening before they go to bed: it is the “evening conference” which Dupanloup writes o f and which Don Bosco called the Good Night or Good Evening (91 -92).
continuous, discreet and loyal prevention.89 “All educators know that it is incomparably better to prevent evil rather than to have to fight against it and punish it” .90 Repression is involved when the two more noble ways o f reasoning prove momentarily inadequate, that is when motives o f duty and honour fail, along with supervision.91 For educational activity to be kept open and allow ed to continue, according to M onfat the norm s should be as follows:
1. Do not use (repression) until all other m eans have been exhausted.
2. Know how to choose the appropriate time.
3. Exclude anything which m ight arouse suspicion that you are acting out o f emotion.
4. A ct in such a w ay as to leave the door open for hope, forgiveness.92
On this last, M onfat suggests that punishm ent be just, moderate, proportionate to the fault and useful for im provem ent.93
89 Ibid., 138-155.
90 Ibid., 144.
91 Ibid., 156-193.
92 Ibid., 157. Developments, 157-173. On the influence o f these pages on the letter on punishments attributed to Don Bosco, J, Prellezo has written, D ei castighi da infliggersi delle Case Salesiane. Una lettera circolare attribuita a Don Bosco,RSS 5 (1986) 263-308.
93 A. Monfat, La pratica d e ll’educazione cristiana,(1879), 173-193.