Albert I & the Sacred Heart

I have already posted on the piety of Albert I, King of the Belgians. There is a remarkable account of Albert's meeting with Father Mateo Crawley-Boevey, the famous preacher of devotion and reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, during the priest's visit to Belgium in 1922. This is how Father Mateo describes his audience with the King in Brussels: 

'Sur le seuil de son bureau de travail, S.M. le Roi Albert, souriant, me dit en me tendant la main:

"Quelle joie vous me procurez, Révérend Père, en venant jusqu'à moi, merci de cette visite."

Et sans me laisser le temps de placer une parole:

"Je sais que vous avez quelque chose de bon à me dire; asseyez-vous ici dans ce fauteuil."

Et ce disant, lui-même place ce fauteuil en face du sien, près du son bureau. 

"Sire," dis-je alors, "Votre Majesté change les rôles et me confond en me remerciant d'avoir osé venir. C'est moi qui, du fond du coeur, remercie Votre Majesté de l'honneur immérité de cet entretien."

"Oh!" replique le Roi. "Je sais que, depuis quelque temps, vous prêchez en Belgique, et qu'on accourt à vos sermons ... J'ai appris que souvent vous entraînez les foules qui vous écoutent à prier pour le Roi, vous l'avez fait recemment, ici, à Sainte-Gudule,  et je vous en suis très reconnaissant. Et maintenant, dites-moi un peu quelle est vôtre mission et ce que vous prêchez partout."'  

'On the doorstep of his office, H.M. King Albert, smiling, said as he offered me his hand: 

 

"What joy you bring me, Reverend Father, by coming all the way to me. Thank you for this visit." 

And, without giving me the time to utter a word: 

"I know you have something good to say to me; sit down here in this armchair."

And as he said this, he himself placed the chair opposite his own, near his desk. 

"Sire," I said. "Your Majesty is reversing the roles, and overwhelms me by thanking me for having been so bold as to come. It is I who, from the depths of my heart, thank Your Majesty for the undeserved honor of this meeting." 

"Oh!" replied the King, "I know that, for some time now, you have been preaching in Belgium, and that people have been crowding to hear your sermons ... I have learned that you often lead the crowds, who come to hear you, in prayer for the King. You did it recently, here, at St. Gudule, and I am very grateful to you. And now, tell me a bit about your mission and what you are preaching everywhere."'

Father Mateo began by offering the King a medal of the Sacred Heart, which Albert accepted and admired. Then the priest asked: 

"Et si ce n'est pas indiscret, puis-je demander à Votre Majesté de prier avec moi pour la Belgique et la Famille royale?"

"Oh! très volontiers," réplique le Roi. "Commencez, mon Père, je m'unirai à vous de grand coeur." 

"And, if it is not indiscreet, may I ask Your Majesty to pray with me for Belgium and the royal family?"

"Oh! Very willingly," replied the King. "Begin, Father, I will unite myself to you with all my heart." 

The priest blessed the medal, which had been placed on the King's desk, and knelt, before the image, on the ground. The King knelt at his side and joined his hands in prayer. The priest explained: 

"Sire, je vais réciter une prière au Coeur de Jésus Roi, et je demande très respectueusement à Votre Majesté de la répéter avec une grande foi."

"Sire, I will recite a prayer to the Heart of Jesus the King, and I ask, very respectfully, that Your Majesty repeat it with great faith."

Father Mateo then began: 

"Coeur de Jésus, vous êtes le Seigneur des seigneurs et le Roi des rois, je vous adore ... "

"Heart of Jesus, You are the Lord of lords and the King of kings, I adore You ... "

The King, his head bowed, repeated after the priest. In deep meditation, they prayed for about ten minutes: 

"Coeur de Jésus, la Belgique est à vous; sauvez-la!"

"Coeur de Jésus, la Famille royale est à vous; bénissez-la!"

"Pardon, oh Roi des rois, pour les gouvernants qui vous outragent!"

"Pardon, oh Roi des nations, pour les peuples qui vous renient!"

"Heart of Jesus, Belgium belongs to You, save it!"

"Heart of Jesus, the royal family belongs to You, bless it!"

"Mercy, oh King of kings, for the rulers who outrage You!"

"Mercy, oh King of nations, for the peoples who deny You!"

After the prayer was finished, Albert took the priest's hands and told him:

"Merci, merci, je n'oublierai jamais l'émotion de cette heure." 

"Thank you, thank you, I shall never forget the emotion of this hour." 

Father Mateo assumed he would now be taking his leave of the King. But Albert was not ready to let him go: 

"Asseyez-vous, Révérend Père, car vous n'avez pas encore dit ce que vous aviez à me dire ... Parlez." 

"Sit down, Reverend Father, for you have not yet said what you had to say to me... Speak."

The King was determined to hear a little sermon. So Father Mateo offered him some pious thoughts. Albert listened intently. 

When, after three quarters of an hour, the priest rose to take his leave, the King said: 

"Je vous laisse partir, Père, mais vous me promettrez deux choses: revenez me voir quand vous repasserez en Belgique, et priez pour moi, pour ma famille, pour la Belgique." 

"I will let you go, Father, but you must promise me two things: come back to see me when you return to Belgium, and pray for me, for my family, and for Belgium."  

Even on the doorstep, the King was still insisting: 

"Priez pour moi, et revenez." 

"Pray for me, and come back." 

( Recorded in Albert 1er, insolite, 1984, a dossier compiled by Jo and Hervé Gérard, pp. 244-245)

I think that this account illustrates admirably, not only Albert's deep piety, but also his courtesy, warmth, simplicity, and kindness. It is easy to see why he was so loved, both in Belgium and abroad. 

May his soul rest in peace.