His apostolate among the marginalized, among the “lost brothers,” was so extensive that he forgot to be mindful of the possible consequences. His friends therefore called him “the imprudent one.” In 1962, Pope John XXIII appointed him a theological expert at the Second Vatican Council. Seven years later, Pope Paul VI would make him a cardinal. Jean Guitton maintained that he was chosen for his scholarly expertise and ardent zeal for the apostolate. Let us learn more about this great Jesuit.

A man of dialogue

The son of Charles Daniélou, a French minister, and Madeleine Clamorgan, a prominent Catholic educator, he was a friend of Emmanuel Mounier and a university classmate of Jean Paul Sartre. He knew the Maritains, founded journals, and frequented cultural circles until he eventually entered the seminary as a Jesuit.

Ordained a priest on August 24, 1938, he moved to Paris three years later as an editor of the journal «Études». Chaplain at the École Normale Supérieur de Sèvres, in 1943 he obtained the chair of the history of Christian origins at the Catholic Institute of Paris. In 1961 he became Dean of the theology faculty at the same Institute. He was a pioneer of ecumenical and interreligious dialogue and inspired many missionary vocations and laypeople committed to this cause.

A figure overshadowed by a controversial end

A figure, Cardinal Daniélou was partly overshadowed by the circumstances of his death. On May 20, 1974, he died of cardiac arrest in the apartment of a prostitute, giving rise to various theories. In reality, it is known with certainty that he had gone to this woman intending to bring her money to pay the lawyer for her husband, who was in prison. Every malicious hypothesis is ruled out by the reconstruction of the facts. For several years, dressed like an elderly bookseller, Cardinal Daniélou had gone to the existential peripheries of that time: Maoists, hippies, drug addicts, prostitutes. As chaplain at the École normale in Sèvres, he was deeply concerned that some girls were tempted by a certain kind of life, even going so far as prostitution. He wondered why. After his death, testimonies were collected from several prostitutes, who reported that he approached them to try to understand their situation, without ever having physical contact with or interest in them.

A forgotten theological and spiritual legacy, the one left to us by Cardinal Daniélou. We ought to rediscover him. Benedict XVI, who met him during the Second Vatican Council, wrote in 2006: «How can we fail to remember this theologian of the Society of Jesus […] His attention to the truth and his missionary dynamism invite our contemporaries to proclaim the Gospel in the world of culture and science, drawing on all the resources of reason and intelligence while remaining focused on Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life».

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