Warning to Boaters

In the Palau de la Generalitat, Giancarlo Cesana discusses the theme proposed to the whole city by the Charles Péguy Cultural Association: “Our Only Chance: Educating Free Men”

BY JAVIER RESTÁN

“They taught me not to be afraid of anything, much less of man’s desire.” Certainly, the majestic setting of the auditorium of the Autonomous Government of Catalonia had never heard words like these before. They were pronounced by an Italian doctor, Giancarlo Cesana, introduced to the group as a CL leader.

The official invitations bore the stamp of the Catalan government, and the Secretary of the President’s Office, Carlos Duarte, introduced the meeting, provocatively entitled, “Our Only Chance: Educating Free Men.” The proposal had come from the Charles Péguy Cultural Association. More than 250 people crowded into the auditorium of the Palau Sant Jaume, in the heart of the Barrio Gotico of Barcelona. It was a diverse audience, with young people, a good number of leaders of Catalan social and political life, friends, and people who came out of curiosity.

If truth were known, our presence there that evening was due largely to our sincere friendship with Josep Miró, a Convergencia y Unió city councilor in the Barcelona municipal administration.

The meeting began with the words of Carlos Duarte, who recalled that the Catalan President Jordi Pujol has always admired Charles Péguy. However, despite the cultural affinities, even more remarkable is the fact that a government decided to promote, in its presidential headquarters, a meeting with one of the international leaders of Communion and Liberation.

After a brief introduction by Giorgio Chevallard, President of the association, Cesana started right in: “I agree with the title of this meeting, and I shall try to explain why, by drawing on my own experience.” This he did, beginning by observing that today, education is conceived reductively, as “psychological technique” or as a “minor form of psychology.” On the contrary, education addresses itself to freedom, to this “absolutely original aspect of the person,” the foundation which enables man, faced with something that is true, to recognize and accept it–or, paradoxically, to refuse it.

Thus, we cannot speak of freedom without speaking of truth. “The question of truth, the question, properly speaking, of God, of Someone who holds everything together, of Someone who holds all of life together, good things and bad, is not a problem that can be eluded when we deal with the question of education. This word, truth, which we lack the courage to utter or even to think, even though it is what we most desire.”

Thus, the “warning to boaters” launched by Cesana can be readily understood. He went on, “Catholic schools are not in themselves a guarantee of education,” because the truth is not the result of a program, nor can the factor of freedom be easily eluded. What is needed in order for education to exist is a definite, clear, engaging proposal. “Come and try: there is nothing better than making a definite proposal if you believe in it, if you have confidence in the other, if you have confidence in his reason and his freedom.” Just as Jesus did, Cesana explains.

It is impressive to hear the name of Jesus in this completely secular environment. We are not used to hearing the name of the Truth, much less in the heart of public life. At the least, it makes us uncomfortable. Nonetheless, when Giancarlo says this name, it is evident that he is referring to a reality that is radically pertinent to man and his needs.

Without doubt, the meeting has been the most important public gesture in the history of CL in Barcelona, a sort of “long-term bet.” Merely organizing it required great effort, with more than 500 invitations; the public convocation; the Spanish edition of a booklet, distributed at the entrance, with various excerpts from Giussani’s L’io, il potere, le opere (The I, Power, Works); and, in short, attention to all the details to make that gesture as expressive as possible.

During the cocktail reception afterwards, I asked around, and I realized that no one was untouched by this encounter. Frankly, it would have been hard to remain unmoved, since, as an old friend of the Movement in Barcelona commented excitedly, “Cesana’s certitude dismantles any a priori schemes.” The last question posed by the moderator was, “How can we keep alive this desire of which you speak?” “What is needed is a friendship, a locus where the truth is perceived, a companionship where we help each other to keep alive the desire and the certainty that it will be answered. And this locus exists, to be sure. I know it.”