Note 66 — III The ‘Clerks’—The Great Betrayal

For example in this passage of Bossuet: ‘Since we are obliged to love all men and since in truth no man is a foreigner to a Christian, there is all the more reason for loving our fellow citizens. All the love a man feels for himself, for his family, and for his friends is united in the love he feels for his country....’ (Politique tirée de l’Ecriture Sainte, I, vi. Notice the phrase ‘All the love a man feels for himself....’ It wholly justifies Saint Evremond’s phrase: ‘Love of country is really love of oneself.’) It appears that the Church would prefer to go on presenting patriotism under this one aspect of love (see the inquiry of ‘les Lettres’ on the Church and Nationalism, 1922–3), which would allow her to exalt this passion (as its popularity requires) without violating the principles of Christianity. Unfortunately for the Church, positive men come along and remind her that patriotism is something more than love, and includes ‘hatred for the foreigner’. (Maurras, Dilemme de Marc Sangnier.) Who will deliver us from the truth-tellers?