Joseph Cardijn
Encyclopedia
Joseph Leo Cardijn was a Belgian priest and cardinal
and the founder of the Young Christian Workers
.
, the eldest son of Henri Cardijn and Louise Cardijn, née Van Daelen. He lived with his grandparents in Halle
until his parents quit their job as caretakers and his father started business as a coal merchant, while his mother opened a café. Both deeply Christian, they agreed to let Joseph continue his studies to become a priest instead of going to work in the factory.
After studying at the College of Our Lady in Halle, Joseph went in 1903 to the Mechelen
seminary
. On 22 September 1906, he was ordained priest. By then, influenced by his parents and by his fellow priest Adolf Daens
, he had decided to spend his life bringing Christianity back to the working class.
He became a teacher in Wavre
, and travelled abroad in the holidays, meeting people like Baden Powell
and Ben Tillett
. In 1912, after being ill, he was appointed to the parish of Laeken near Brussels
, where he started creating and improving workers' organizations in earnest. Twice imprisoned during World War I
for so-called patriotic activities, he left Laeken in 1919 and devoted his time solely to social work from then on. The same year, he started the "Young Trade Unionists". At first these met resistance from within the Catholic Church, but after a while the organization and Cardijn became accepted, and in fact Cardijn received a blessing from Pope Pius XI in 1925.
In 1924, the name of the organization was changed to "Jeunesse Ouvrière Chrétienne", the Young Christian Workers. JOC grew rapidly throughout the world; its members were often known as "Jocists" (the movement was often called "Jocism"). By 1938, there were 500,000 members throughout Europe; in 1967, this had increased to 2,000,000 members in 69 countries.
On 12 February 1965 Pope Paul VI
announced that he would create Cardijn a cardinal;on the 15th Cardijn was appointed a bishop in anticipation of his elevation to the cardinate. Leo Joseph Cardinal Suenens
consecrated him as the Titular Archbishop of Tusuros on 22 February 1965, and the next day Cardijn was elevated to the cardinate with the title of Cardinal Deacon of St. Michele Arcangelo.
, Paulian Association
, Young People for Development and Palms Australia
.
In North America during the 20th Century, Cardijn's approach was applied in Catholic Action
movements including the Young Christian Workers
, the Christian Family Movement
, and Friendship House
by such leading Roman Catholic chaplains as Louis J. Putz and Reynold Henry Hillenbrand
.
The model has been popularly adopted in South America as a practical tool compatible with Liberation Theology
, being used higher up the Catholic hierarchy than in other regions.
In Noarlunga Downs, South Australia, Cardijn College which is a Catholic Secondary School has been named in his honour. The school's motto is adopted from Cardijn's model.
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
and the founder of the Young Christian Workers
Young Christian Workers
The Young Christian Workers 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, JOC, gave rise to the then widely-used terms Jocism and Jocist...
.
Biography
Joseph Cardijn was born in 1882 in Schaerbeek, BelgiumBelgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, the eldest son of Henri Cardijn and Louise Cardijn, née Van Daelen. He lived with his grandparents in Halle
Halle, Belgium
Halle , is a Belgian city and municipality in the district Halle-Vilvoorde of the province Flemish Brabant. The city is located on the Brussels-Charleroi Canal and on the Flemish side of the language border that separates Flanders and Wallonia...
until his parents quit their job as caretakers and his father started business as a coal merchant, while his mother opened a café. Both deeply Christian, they agreed to let Joseph continue his studies to become a priest instead of going to work in the factory.
After studying at the College of Our Lady in Halle, Joseph went in 1903 to the Mechelen
Mechelen
Mechelen Footnote: Mechelen became known in English as 'Mechlin' from which the adjective 'Mechlinian' is derived...
seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
. On 22 September 1906, he was ordained priest. By then, influenced by his parents and by his fellow priest Adolf Daens
Adolf Daens
Adolf Daens was a Flemish priest from Aalst. Daens was a Jesuit from 1859 to 1871 but is especially known for his socio-political involvement after he joined the diocesan clergy. He created the Daensist movement from which originated in 1893 the Christene Volkspartij inspired by Leo XIII's...
, he had decided to spend his life bringing Christianity back to the working class.
He became a teacher in Wavre
Wavre
Wavre is a town and municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant, of which it is the capital.Wavre is located in the Dyle valley. Most of its inhabitants speak French as mother tongue and are called "Wavriens" and "Wavriennes"...
, and travelled abroad in the holidays, meeting people like Baden Powell
Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell
Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, Bt, OM, GCMG, GCVO, KCB , also known as B-P or Lord Baden-Powell, was a lieutenant-general in the British Army, writer, and founder of the Scout Movement....
and Ben Tillett
Ben Tillett
Benjamin Tillett was a British socialist, trade union leader and politician. He was born in Bristol and began his working life as a sailor, before travelling to London and taking up work as a docker....
. In 1912, after being ill, he was appointed to the parish of Laeken near Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, where he started creating and improving workers' organizations in earnest. Twice imprisoned during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
for so-called patriotic activities, he left Laeken in 1919 and devoted his time solely to social work from then on. The same year, he started the "Young Trade Unionists". At first these met resistance from within the Catholic Church, but after a while the organization and Cardijn became accepted, and in fact Cardijn received a blessing from Pope Pius XI in 1925.
In 1924, the name of the organization was changed to "Jeunesse Ouvrière Chrétienne", the Young Christian Workers. JOC grew rapidly throughout the world; its members were often known as "Jocists" (the movement was often called "Jocism"). By 1938, there were 500,000 members throughout Europe; in 1967, this had increased to 2,000,000 members in 69 countries.
On 12 February 1965 Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
announced that he would create Cardijn a cardinal;on the 15th Cardijn was appointed a bishop in anticipation of his elevation to the cardinate. Leo Joseph Cardinal Suenens
Leo Joseph Suenens
Leo Jozef Suenens was a Belgian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussel from 1961 to 1979, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1962....
consecrated him as the Titular Archbishop of Tusuros on 22 February 1965, and the next day Cardijn was elevated to the cardinate with the title of Cardinal Deacon of St. Michele Arcangelo.
Broader influence
In addition to Young Christian Workers, Joseph Cardijn's See, Judge, Act model influenced a number of lay movements around the world, including Young Christian Students, Student Catholic ActionStudent Catholic Action
The Student Catholic Action is a religious student organization in the Philippines. Its affiliation overseas is the , also known as that follows the methodology of Cardinal Joseph Cardijn, the see-judge-act methodology...
, Paulian Association
Paulian association
The Paulian Association is a Roman Catholic organisation founded in 1956 by Roy Boylan in Sydney. Roy was influenced by Joseph Cardijn, the founder of Young Christian Workers and his model of "see, judge, act"....
, Young People for Development and Palms Australia
Palms Australia
Palms Australia is an international aid and development agency that sends skilled volunteers to share their skills with requesting communities around the world....
.
In North America during the 20th Century, Cardijn's approach was applied in Catholic Action
Catholic Action
Catholic Action was the name of many groups of lay Catholics who were attempting to encourage a Catholic influence on society.They were especially active in the nineteenth century in historically Catholic countries that fell under anti-clerical regimes such as Spain, Italy, Bavaria, France, and...
movements including the Young Christian Workers
Young Christian Workers
The Young Christian Workers 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, JOC, gave rise to the then widely-used terms Jocism and Jocist...
, the Christian Family Movement
Christian Family Movement
The Christian Family Movement is a national movement of parish small groups of families that meet in one another’s homes to reinforce Christian values and actively encourage other fellow Christian parents through active involvement with others...
, and Friendship House
Friendship House
Friendship House is a missionary movement founded in the early 1930s by Catholic social justice activist Catherine de Hueck Doherty, one of the leading proponents of interracial justice in pre-Martin Luther King, Jr...
by such leading Roman Catholic chaplains as Louis J. Putz and Reynold Henry Hillenbrand
Reynold Henry Hillenbrand
Reynold Henry Hillenbrand was a seminal American Roman Catholic Church leader in the Liturgical Movement, Chicago priest and seminary rector,...
.
The model has been popularly adopted in South America as a practical tool compatible with Liberation Theology
Liberation theology
Liberation theology is a Christian movement in political theology which interprets the teachings of Jesus Christ in terms of a liberation from unjust economic, political, or social conditions...
, being used higher up the Catholic hierarchy than in other regions.
In Noarlunga Downs, South Australia, Cardijn College which is a Catholic Secondary School has been named in his honour. The school's motto is adopted from Cardijn's model.