APeriod of Transition 107

Gallant from Rustico was next to enter the priesthood. It should be pointed out that during this period several priests of Scottish origin, usually perfectly bilingual, were posted in predominantly Acadian parishes".

Many of these priests made outstanding contributions to the development of the Acadian communities. They played a crucial role in the Acadian revival, thanks to their privileged position in society, their energy and their organizational and leadership skills.

We have already mentioned that for a long time the priest was the only person in the community with a formal education. As a result, the Acadians regarded him as a person they could trust and who would protect them from any hostile element. Looked upon as an earthly representative of God, the priest was the symbol of authority and justice. In 1868, an Acadian wrote in The Summerside Progress:

The Acadians are peaceable in character, and strongly attached to the religion of their forefathers—which is the Roman Catholic. They have great reverence for their clergy, in whom they place an almost unbounded confidence."

For a long time the Church praised this unlimited respect for the priest. Indeed, this period of Acadian renewal coincides with the rise of ultramontanism in the Catholic Church of French Canada. This was a very conservative doctrine that extolled the submission of the faithful to all forms of authority, including the clergy. According to this doctrine, the Church, through its divine mission, had authority not only over spiritual matters but also over all earthly matters in life. Ultramontanism favoured traditional rural life, as opposed to urbanization and industrialization which were seen as threats to reli- gion. Thus, ultramontanism stressed the merits of farming and coloni- zation. The proponents of this doctrine made a strong connection between French-Canadian culture and the Catholic religion, hence the expression “he who loses his language, loses his faith” (TR).

The ultramontane ideology had a profound influence on the Acadians since they were served by a clergy trained in this school of thought. Given his special status in the community, the priest could exercise tremendous power. Acadians seemed to exhibit almost irre- proachable dedication and obedience to their spiritual leader. Before undertaking any project likely to have an impact on the collective