To: The People and Government of Occitania
CC: The Frankish States of Poitou, Dauphine, Franco-Burgundy, Normandy and Orleans
From: The Holy See
The Holy See has noticed Occitania's government has promoted a French identity for the nation, with many people being opposed in favour of an occitanian identity. We would note however that such identities are not at all opposed to each other. An ideal towards united Frankish solidarity and unity fundamentally would be co-substantive with Occitan identity, with the Occitan nation being an essential (and indeed defining) part of any united French identity along with all its customs and traditions. Ergo Occitanians should consider "Frenchness" not to be opposed to Occitanian culture, but rather as an opportunity to deepen its own influence and culture through an inter-relationship with the cultures of the northern frankish states, with both influences effecting eachother in establishing a truly french identity where all parts are distinct, yet united together.
However this, the Holy See adds, would be quite impossible if an ontological criterion is not established in common amongst the various frankish states. Any culture, in order to prosper, has rested upon common assumptions and objective ideals which inform that cultures development and socio-political life. As it stands Occitania and the frankish states at large are like leaves in a stream, floating about every which way without any objective grounding. This is clear by the very attempt to find an identity in your own nation, something that shows precisely that Occitania is not certain of itself and is not rooted to a common ideal. It is also clear in the troubles caused by anarchists in Poitou, who being divorced conceptually from an ideal of the common good turn to destructive individualism. Ergo as these situations amongst others show, unity amongst the french states is impossible at present, precisely because there is no common ontological understanding amongst the political class or in society at large that rests on anything objective. Without a common concord, your society cannot hope to secure itself in stability, or see its political life proceed serenely and with any constancy. This of course brings us to the crucial role of the Church in forming the foundations and guarantees of culture and in providing precisely the ontological and ideational foundation of which we speak.
Catholicism, both in terms of the historical context of the region and in terms of its conceptual framework is the only sure ground for unity amongst the french states. This is so because it alone (as compared to all the novel modern ideologies that have sought to replace christianity in the way people live) provides an objective unifying truth, that orients mind and will towards constructive ends and subsists primarily in a framework that sees society as a collective and holistic totality who's members must work together towards the idea of the common good based on the virtues of charity and humility. This is quite distinct from the idea of society as a collection of competing classes, as proposed by the proletarists, or as an atomistic collection of individuals who exist without reference to the common society as liberalism does.
As such, should the Occitanian government seek to genuinely promote unity amongst the frankish states, the Holy See, in this letter and as the guardian of the Catholic faith directs you towards the need for principled unity founded on a sure foundatino that in and of itself is confident of what it is! In the absence of a sure conception, division is the only outcome, and as is self evident that which begins in division never ends well, and indeed is likely to end in ruin. Furthermore history (and the present) makes clear the problems for any society which is turned in on itself as a "closed circle", by which we mean it is self-referential, and pitted against itself through ideological conflicts and seeing everything as conflicting, rather than as being parts of a greater whole. Something the government (and for that matter workers and all civilians of any state) should consider with regards to other policy as well.
Therefore the Holy See, urges Occitania to, if it desires unity not only with regards to the Frankish states but also with regards to itself, to jettison firstly its egregious and immoral prohibition on political activity formed upon religious values, which has only led to a reductionistic mode taking hold in your nations politics. Secondly it should move to take steps towards establishing an ideational consensus within itself and amongst certain french states amenable to the unity of which we speak based upon the mutually consitutive cultures of the various frankish states, occitania included (we again note the division between french and occitan is a false dichotomy) based upon the only order upon which the unity you seek can be truly built, the Divine and Catholic faith.
~ Sec. For Relations with States.
