Yves Congar
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Yves Marie-Joseph Congar (; 13 April 1904 – 22 June 1995) was a French Dominican
friar A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders founded in the twelfth or thirteenth century; the term distinguishes the mendicants' itinerant apostolic character, exercised broadly under the jurisdiction of a superior general, from the ol ...
,
priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
, and
theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
. He is perhaps best known for his influence at the
Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st Catholic ecumenical councils, ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions) ...
and for reviving theological interest in the
Holy Spirit In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is the divine force, quality, and influence of God over the Universe or over his creatures. In Nicene Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is the third person of the Trinity. In Islam, the Holy Spirit acts as ...
for the life of individuals and of the church. He was created a
cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
of the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
in 1994.


Early life

Congar was born in Sedan in northeast France in 1904. His father Georges Congar was a bank manager. Congar's hometown was occupied by the Germans for much of
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, and his father was among the men deported by the Germans to
Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
. Upon the urging of his mother, Lucie Congar née Desoye (called "Tere" by Yves throughout his life), Congar recorded the
occupation Occupation commonly refers to: *Occupation (human activity), or job, one's role in society, often a regular activity performed for payment *Occupation (protest), political demonstration by holding public or symbolic spaces *Military occupation, th ...
in an extensive series of illustrated
diaries Diaries may refer to: * the plural of diary *''Diaries: 1971-1976'', a 1981 documentary by Ed Pincus *'' Diaries 1969–1979: The Python Years'', a 2006 book by Michael Palin *''OFW Diaries ''OFW Diaries'' is a Philippine television documentary ...
which were later published. They provide a unique historical insight into the war from a child's point of view. Encouraged by a local priest Daniel Lallement, Congar entered the diocesan
seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...
. Moving to Paris in 1921, he had
Jacques Maritain Jacques Maritain (; 18 November 1882 – 28 April 1973) was a French Catholic philosopher. Raised Protestant, he was agnostic before converting to Catholicism in 1906. An author of more than 60 books, he helped to revive Thomas Aquinas fo ...
among his philosophy teachers and the Dominican theologian
Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange Reginald is a masculine given name in the English language. Etymology and history The meaning of Reginald is “King". The name is derived from the Latin ''Reginaldus'', which has been influenced by the Latin word ''regina'', meaning "queen". Th ...
as a retreat master.


Priest and prisoner-of-war

After a year of
compulsory military service Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...
(1924–1925), which Congar spent in the
Rhineland The Rhineland (german: Rheinland; french: Rhénanie; nl, Rijnland; ksh, Rhingland; Latinised name: ''Rhenania'') is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly its middle section. Term Historically, the Rhinelands ...
, in 1925 he joined the
Dominican Order The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of Cal ...
at
Amiens Amiens (English: or ; ; pcd, Anmien, or ) is a city and commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in the region of Hauts-de-France. In 2021, the population of ...
, where he took ''Marie-Joseph'' as his name in religion. Towards the end of his
theological Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
studies from 1926 to 1931 at
Le Saulchoir Le Saulchoir is a Dominican school of theology in the order's province of France, established 1904. After the expulsion from France in 1880, French Dominican friars went into exile in Spain and Austria; they were allowed to return in 1895, estab ...
, the Dominican theologate which was then located in Kain-la-Tombe, Belgium, and focused on historical theology, Congar was
ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...
a priest on 25 July 1930 by
Luigi Maglione Luigi Maglione (2 March 1877 – 22 August 1944) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He was elevated to the cardinalate in 1935 and served as the Vatican Secretary of State under Pope Pius XII from 1939 until his death. Pius X ...
,
nuncio An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international or ...
in Paris. In 1931 Congar defended his doctoral dissertation written at Le Saulchoir, on the unity of the Church. Congar was a faculty member at Le Saulchoir from 1931 to 1939, moving with the Institution in 1937 from Kain-la-Tombe to
Étiolles Étiolles () is a commune in the Essonne department in Île-de-France in northern France, twenty-seven kilometers southeast of Paris. Inhabitants of Étiolles are known as ''Étiollais''. See also *Communes of the Essonne department The foll ...
near Paris. In 1932 he began his teaching career as Professor of Fundamental Theology, conducting a course on
ecclesiology In Christian theology, ecclesiology is the study of the Church, the origins of Christianity, its relationship to Jesus, its role in salvation, its polity, its discipline, its eschatology, and its leadership. In its early history, one of the ...
. Congar was influenced by the Dominicans Ambroise Gardeil and
Marie-Dominique Chenu Marie-Dominique Chenu (; 7 January 1895, Soisy-sur-Seine, Essonne – 11 February 1990, Paris) was a progressive Catholic theologian and one of the founders of the reformist journal '' Concilium''. Early life Chenu was born on 7 January 1895 at ...
, by the writings of
Johann Adam Möhler Johann Adam Möhler (6 May 1796 – 12 April 1838) was a German Roman Catholic theologian. He was born at Igersheim in the Bailiwick of Franconia of the Teutonic Order (from 1809 on part of Württemberg), and after studying philosophy and theolo ...
, and by his ecumenical contacts with
Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
and
Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism. Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or "canonical") ...
theologians. Congar concluded that the mission of the church was impeded by what he and Chenu termed "baroque theology." In 1937 Congar founded the ''Unam Sanctam'' series, addressing historical themes in
Catholic ecclesiology Catholic ecclesiology is the theological study of the Catholic Church, its nature and organization, as described in revelation or in philosophy. Such study shows a progressive development over time. Here the focus is on the time leading into an ...
. These books called for a "return to the sources" to set theological foundations for ecumenism, and the series would eventually run to 77 volumes. He wrote for a wide variety of scholarly and popular journals, and published numerous books. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
Congar was drafted into the French army as a
chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a Minister (Christianity), minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a laity, lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secularity, secular institution (such as a hosp ...
with the rank of Lieutenant. He was captured and held from 1940 to 1945 as a
prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of wa ...
by the Germans in
Colditz Colditz () is a small town in the district of Leipzig, in Saxony, Germany. It is best known for Colditz Castle, the site of the Oflag IV-C POW camp for officers in World War II. Geography Colditz is situated in the Leipzig Bay, southeast of the c ...
and Lübeck's Oflag, after repeated attempts to escape. Later he was made a Knight (Chevalier) of the French
Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...
, and awarded the
Croix de Guerre The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...
. In addition he was awarded the
Médaille des Évadés The Escapees' Medal (french: Médaille des Évadés) is a military award bestowed by the government of France to individuals who were prisoners of war and who successfully escaped internment or died as a result of their escape attempt. The "Escap ...
for his numerous escape attempts.


Scholar and ecumenist

After the war, Congar continued to teach at Le Saulchoir, which had been returned to France, and to write, eventually becoming one of the most influential
theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
s of the 20th century on the topic of the
Catholic Church and ecumenism The Catholic Church has engaged in the modern ecumenical movement especially since the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) and the issuing of the decree '' Unitatis redintegratio'' and the declaration ''Dignitatis humanae''. It was at the Council ...
. Congar was an early advocate of the
ecumenical Ecumenism (), also spelled oecumenism, is the concept and principle that Christians who belong to different Christian denominations should work together to develop closer relationships among their churches and promote Christian unity. The adjec ...
movement, encouraging openness to ideas stemming from the
Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops via ...
and
Protestant Christianity Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
. He promoted the concept of a "collegial" papacy and criticised the Roman Curia,
ultramontanism Ultramontanism is a clerical political conception within the Catholic Church that places strong emphasis on the prerogatives and powers of the Pope. It contrasts with Gallicanism, the belief that popular civil authority—often represented by th ...
, and the clerical pomp that he observed at the
Vatican Vatican may refer to: Vatican City, the city-state ruled by the pope in Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum The Holy See * The Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church and sovereign entity recognized ...
. He also promoted the role of lay people in the church. Congar worked closely with the founder of the
Young Christian Workers The Young Christian Workers (YCW; french: Jeunesse ouvrière chrétienne) is an international organization founded by Rev. Joseph Cardijn in Belgium as the Young Trade Unionists; the organization adopted its present name in 1924. Its French acronym ...
,
Joseph Cardijn Joseph Leo Cardijn (; 13 November 1882 – 24 July 1967) was a Belgian Roman Catholic cardinal and the founder of the Jeunesse ouvrière chrétienne (JOC) oung Christian Workers Cardijn was best known for his lifelong dedication to social ...
, for decades. From 1947 to 1956 Congar's controversial writing was restricted by the Vatican. One of his most important books ''True and False Reform in the Church'' (1950) and all of its translations were forbidden by Rome in 1952. Congar was prevented from teaching or publishing after 1954, during the pontificate of
Pope Pius XII Pope Pius XII ( it, Pio XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (; 2 March 18769 October 1958), was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death in October 1958. Before his e ...
, following publication of an article in support of the "worker-priest" movement in France. He was subsequently assigned to minor posts in Jerusalem, Rome,
Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...
and
Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...
. Eventually, in 1956,
Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
Jean Julien Weber of
Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...
assisted Congar in returning to France. Congar's reputation recovered in 1960 when
Pope John XXIII Pope John XXIII ( la, Ioannes XXIII; it, Giovanni XXIII; born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, ; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death in June 19 ...
invited him to serve on the preparatory theological commission of the
Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st Catholic ecumenical councils, ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions) ...
. Although Congar had little influence on the preparatory schemas, as the council progressed his expertise was recognized and some would regard him as the single most formative influence on Vatican II. He was a member of several committees that drafted conciliar texts, an experience that he documented in great detail in his daily journal. The journal extended from mid-1960 to December 1965. Following his direction, his journal was not released until 2000, and was first published in 2002 as ''Mon Journal du Concile I-II, présenté et annoté par Éric Mahieu'' (two volumes). A one-volume English translation appeared in 2012. Congar also wrote a diary during his years of trouble with the Holy Office entitled "Journal d'un théologien 1946-1956, édité et presenté par Étienne Fouilloux." An English translation appeared in 2015; there is a prior Spanish translation. After the council, Congar said "respecting many questions, the council remained incomplete. It began a work which is not finished, whether it is a matter of collegiality, of the role of the laity, of missions and even of ecumenism." Congar's work focused increasingly on the theology of the Holy Spirit, and his 3-volume work on the Spirit has become a classic. He was also a member of the International Theological Commission from 1969 to 1985. Congar continued to lecture and write, publishing work on wide-ranging topics including
Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...
, the
Eucharist The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...
, lay ministry and the
Holy Spirit In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is the divine force, quality, and influence of God over the Universe or over his creatures. In Nicene Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is the third person of the Trinity. In Islam, the Holy Spirit acts as ...
, as well as his diaries. His works include ''The Meaning of Tradition'' and ''After Nine Hundred Years'' which addresses the
East-West Schism East West (or East and West) may refer to: *East–West dichotomy, the contrast between Eastern and Western society or culture Arts and entertainment Books, journals and magazines *'' East, West'', an anthology of short stories written by Salm ...
. In 1963, Congar was diagnosed with a "diffuse disease of the nervous system" which caused weakness and numbness in his extremities. In 1985, the diagnosis was changed to a form of sclerosis which increasingly affected his mobility and writing ability, and made his scholarly research difficult. He became a resident at the Military Hôpital des Invalides in Paris from 1986.


Cardinal and death

In November 1994 he was named a
cardinal deacon A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. Col ...
by Pope
John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
, shortly before his death on 22 June the following year. His remains were buried in
Montparnasse Cemetery Montparnasse Cemetery (french: link=no, Cimetière du Montparnasse) is a cemetery in the Montparnasse quarter of Paris, in the city's 14th arrondissement. The cemetery is roughly 47 acres and is the second largest cemetery in Paris. The cemetery ...
.


Media portrayal

* Yves Congar is one of the 14 main characters of the series '' 14 - Diaries of the Great War''. He is played by actor Antoine de Prekel. * Featured in the documentary series ''The First World War'' (2003), Part 2, "Under The Eagle" from the 37-minute mark to the 39-minute mark.


Selected works

*''Chrétiens désunis: Principes d'un 'oecuménisme' catholique'', (Paris: Cerf, 1937), translated as ''Divided Christendom: a Catholic Study of the Problem of Reunion'', trans MA Bousfield, (London: Bles, 1939). *''Vraie et fausse réforme dans l’Eglise'', (Paris: Editions du Cerf, 1950). A second edition was issued in 1968. Translated as ''True and False Reform in the Church, ''trans Paul Philibert, (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2011). * ''Jalons pour une théologie du laicat, ''(1953) *''Leur résistance'', 195? Recommended by P. R. Reid in his memoir of
Colditz Castle Castle Colditz (or ''Schloss Colditz'' in German) is a Renaissance castle in the town of Colditz near Leipzig, Dresden and Chemnitz in the state of Saxony in Germany. The castle is between the towns of Hartha and Grimma on a hill spur over the r ...
, ''The Latter Days'',
Hodder & Stoughton Hodder & Stoughton is a British publishing house, now an imprint (trade name), imprint of Hachette (publisher), Hachette. History Early history The firm has its origins in the 1840s, with Matthew Hodder's employment, aged 14, with Messrs ...
, London, 1953, p. 9.
*''La Tradition et les traditions: essai historique'', (Paris, 1960), issued in translation in ''Tradition and Traditions: An historical and a theological essay, ''trans Michael Naseby and Thomas Rainborough, (London, 1966). *''Aspects de l'oecuménisme'', (Bruxelles/Paris, 1962) *''La Foi et la Théologie'', (Tournai, 1962) *''The Mystery of the Temple, or the Manner of God's Presence to His Creatures from Genesis to the Apocalypse'', trans Reginald Frederick Trevett, (London, 1962). *''Pour une Église Servante et Pauvre'' (Paris: Les Editions du Cerf, 1963) *''La Tradition et les traditions: essai théologique'', (Paris, 1963), issued in translation in ''Tradition and Traditions: An historical and a theological essay, ''trans Michael Naseby and Thomas Rainborough, (London, 1966) *''Report from Rome: on the First Session of the Vatican Council'', translated by A. Mason, (London: Chapman, 1963) *''Report from Rome II: The Second Session of the Vatican Council'', (London: Chapman, 1964) *''Lay People in the Church'', translated by
Donald Attwater Donald Attwater by Eric Gill, 1929, private collection. Donald Attwater (24 December 1892 – 30 January 1977) was a British Catholic author, editor and translator, and a visiting lecturer at the University of Notre Dame. Life Attwater was born ...
, (London: Chapman, 1965) *''Dialogue Between Christians: Catholic Contributions to Ecumenism'', trans Philip Loretz, (London: G Chapman, 1966). *''Je crois en l'Esprit Saint, ''3 vols, translated as ''I Believe in the Holy Spirit'', 3 vols (Paris:Cert, 1979) *''Mon Journal du Concile, (1946–1956)'', ed. with notes Éric Mahieu, (Paris: Cerf, 2002). *''My Journal of the Council'', English translation by Mary John Ronayne and Mary Cecily Boulding, Adelaide: (ATF Theology, 2012)


References


Further reading


''Yves Congar: Apostle of Patience''
* Elizabeth Teresa Groppe,
Yves Congar's Theology of the Holy Spirit
'


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Congar, Yves 1905 births 1995 deaths People from Sedan, Ardennes French Dominicans World War II chaplains French military chaplains French Army chaplains World War II prisoners of war held by Germany French military personnel of World War II French prisoners of war in World War II 20th-century French Catholic theologians Dominican theologians Ecclesiologists Participants in the Second Vatican Council Winners of the Prix Broquette-Gonin (literature) Prisoners of war held at Colditz Castle Cardinals created by Pope John Paul II Dominican cardinals French diarists 20th-century French cardinals Deaths from sclerosis Burials at Montparnasse Cemetery French male writers 20th-century diarists