The founders of Amicizia Cristiana had a partial but, nonetheless, very lucid knowledge of the infiltration of revolutionary errors into Catholic circles. Members made frequent trips to other cities. These visits, along with the “missionary” reports probing the suitability of possible cities for the organization’s expansion, enabled them to gradually develop a panorama of the religious situation in the Catholic world.
The outlook was not encouraging. Too many Catholics had sunk into disconcerting inertia. The most zealous churchmen only dimly perceived the errors with which the Revolution was eroding Catholic institutions. None of them realized the gravity of the danger. Discouraged, they did not try to broaden their horizons but limited themselves to distributing the sacraments. They made no serious effort to stop the so-called Enlightenment process that would soon accelerate with the horrors of the French Revolution.
If that was the situation among priests, what about the faithful? The less-educated laity were far less prepared for these dangers. Moreover, they were more exposed to the influence of their environment, being subject to massive and active propaganda efforts. They believed that they lived in a society whose foundations were indestructible. No one warned them against the false principles they unconsciously imbibed. Therefore, the people indulged in a hollow optimism, remaining tranquil and unconcerned.
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This state of mind made Amicizia Cristiana’s apostolate difficult. The overall environment aroused a dangerous apathy, even in Amicizia’s best members. Too many of them expressed a passive but general resistance to any organized work opposing the Revolution’s advance. Amicizia proposed to fight the Revolution in the realm of ideas. However, it could only achieve the indispensable conditions for fruitful work by first seeking to awaken Catholics, inculcating in them the fire of the love of God. That was indispensable for lifting souls out of their apathy and discouragement.
Such action would be more effective if done by priests trusted by the people. The Aa was a first step toward forming priests capable of this task, but that was insufficient. Initially intended for seminarians, at least in Piedmont and Savoy, Aa did not retain its influence over former members after their ordination. The new priests immediately became subject to the action of the general environment after leaving their seminaries. They lost the élan they had acquired in the association. Aware of this problem, Father Nicholas Diessbach and his two disciples, Fathers Virginio and Lanteri, created a new secret association, Amicizia Sacerdotale.
The new organization recruited its members among the clergy. It sought to encourage closer union among young priests desirous of attaining greater spiritual perfection and expanding upon their studies. Churchmen whose financial situations allowed them to decline other responsibilities were particularly invited to join. These men could dedicate themselves entirely to the new apostolate.
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The date the new association was founded is not known. It already existed in Turin by 1783, and Father Lanteri devoted much of his time to it. Amicizia Sacerdotale’s organization was simpler than Amicizia Cristiana’s. Its only officers were a director and a secretary, and its statutes did not rigidly fix the number of members. They met once a week. When member priests arrived at the designated place, they found the leading periodicals at their disposal. They had coffee and talked about the latest events while waiting for latecomers.
The meeting was a school of formation. It taught them to read newspapers carefully and interpret the news from the standpoint of Catholic principles and interests. Venerable Pio Brunone Lanteri attached great importance to this part of the meeting. Many years later, in a document about Amicizia Sacerdotale by Lanteri, published by the postulation for his cause of beatification), he explained why a priest should read newspapers.
“Such reading will make him aware of the moral state of all nations. As befitting a true son and minister of the Holy Catholic Church who cannot be indifferent to anything closely concerning the Sacred Heart of Jesus, he will no longer restrict his field of observation and interest to his region but consider the whole world as his homeland, and all men as brothers. Finally, a well-informed priest can introduce himself to laypeople and speak to them about God more easily.”
Amicizia Sacerdotale was not only a school of formation. Its members were supposed to combat the prevailing state of mind. Father Diessbach saw no better means to reinvigorate their faith than the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius and the popular missions. Before going into action, the priestly friends had to prepare a complete preaching course for the Spiritual Exercises and missions. In Amicizia meetings, these courses were read and discussed and could only be used after approval.
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The organization of a mission was carefully prepared. In addition to their theoretical preparation, priests had to acquire missionary practice by attending the school of a famous missionary. The serious and in-depth study of Catholic doctrine they practiced in the meetings trained them to combat the dominant errors. The well-trained group leaders expounded and refuted common untruths. Under their training, young priests learned to teach others to counter Revolutionary errors with the most convincing arguments.
Amicizia Sacerdotale depended entirely on Amicizia Cristiana, even in financial matters. The Christian Friends paid the expenses. Furthermore, Amicizia Cristiana went wherever there was a need to preach missions or retreats, dealt with bishops, resolved difficulties, and prepared the whole apostolate. They thus saved the priests’ precious time for study and meditation.
Assisted by Aa and Amicizia Sacerdotale, Amicizia Cristiana expanded and benefited other cities by 1783. In the Piedmont, a new period of Church history was beginning.