Page 295 - 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 290

290 CARDINAL POINTS OF THE LEGION APOSTOLATE CHAPTER 39
is essentially a hidden one. It commences in the heart of the
individual legionary, developing therein a spirit of zeal and
charity. By direct personal and persevering contact with
others, the legionaries endeavour to raise the spiritual level of
the whole community. The work is done quietly, un -
obtrusively, delicately. It aims less at the direct suppres sing of
gross evils than at the permeation of the community with
Catholic principles and Catholic feeling, so that the evils die
of themselves through lack of a soil favourable to them. It will
consider its real victory to lie in the steady, if sometimes slow,
development among the people of an intense Catholic life
and outlook.
It is important that the intimate nature of the Legion visita -
tion should be jealously safeguarded. It will not be preserved
if legionaries gain the reputation of seeking out abuses for
public denunciation. The visits of legionaries to people’s
homes, as well as their general movements, would tend to be
looked on with doubt. Instead of being regarded as friends, in
whom complete confidence could be reposed, the suspicion
would attach to them that they were engaged on detective
work for their organisation. Inevitably their presence would
be resented, and this would mark the end of real legionary
useful ness.
Therefore, those in charge of Legion activities will be chary
of associating the name of the Legion with ends which,
though good in themselves, presuppose methods which have
little in common with those of the Legion. Special
organisations exist for the purpose of combating the glaring
abuses of the day. Let the legionaries avail of them when the
need arises, and lend their support in their private capacities,
but let the Legion itself continue to be true to its own
tradition and its own methods of work.

9. HOME TO HOME VISITATION DESIRABLE
The Legion visitation should be as far as possible from
home to home, irrespective of the people living there.
Offence may be taken if persons think they are being singled
out for attention.
Even the homes of those discovered to be non-Catholics
should not — except strong reasons to the contrary exist — be