Page 267 - 聖母軍團員手冊（英文版，2014年5月-2022年1月更新版）

Legion HANDBOOK D10944_1 26/02/2014 15:53 Page 262

262 THE PATRICIANS CHAPTER 38
not listen. But the real truth is that the Catholics will not
speak.” It seems to be the case that the average Catholic will
not help another in the domain of religion. Sincere enquirers
are not given the information which they seek, and the
incorrect impression is created that Catholics are indifferent
about conversions.
This extensive failure seems to menace the Christian
character itself, for Christianity is not selfishness. But the
position is not as bad as it looks. In the main, that silence and
apparent unconcern proceed from lack of confidence:
(a) Those persons are excessively conscious of the defects in
their religious knowledge. As a consequence they will avoid
any occasion which would expose that weakness to the light
of day.
(b) Even where knowledge is substantial, the items are
separate, like the answers in the catechism. The mind has not
performed the further operation of joining them properly
together as the parts would be in, say, an automobile or the
human body. There is the further complication that many
items are missing and that others are not in proportion to
each other. Even if assembled, the product would be similar to
a machine in which the parts are misfits, and which will not
function.
(c) In many cases there is such ignorance that faith has
insuffi cient knowledge to rest upon. A state of half-belief
exists. This has but to meet an irreligious environment to
suffer disintegration.
Such is the problem.
The Patricians is a society controlled by the Legion. Each
branch must be affiliated to a praesidium, and the chairperson
must be an active legionary. A praesidium may have charge of
several branches. A branch must have a Spiritual Director
approved by the Spiritual Director of the praesidium. A
Religious may act as Spiritual Director, and (where
ecclesiastical authority permits) a lay person.
The term Patricians, like most of the other Legion names, is
derived from the terminology of ancient Rome. The Patricians
were the upper of the three grades of society, that is, the
Patricians, the Plebs, the Slaves. But our Patricians aspire to
bind all social grades into one spiritual nobility. Moreover the
Patricians were supposed to be full of love of their country and