Charles wishes, as we know, to be "a universal brother", meaning "a brother to each and all". Put more fully, we can say that Charles desires to see each person as a brother or sister, to act towards each person as with a friend, and to work together with everyone for social solidarity and an ultimate common destiny. It"s a limitless ambition, typical of Charles!

To see myself and another person in a brother/sister relationship, is to recognize that other as an equal: as an equal in dignity and worth as myself. When we are similar, and in so far as we are similar, this is, maybe, not too difficult. It was the case, for example, between Charles and the French officers. But when there are wide differences of class and natural capacities, as between Charles and most of the French soldiers, or wide differences of culture, religion and civil status, as between Charles and the various groups of persons in Algeria, then as we have ourselves experienced, it"s far from easy to recognize and acknowledge the"other" as a brother or sister.

"Our people (the French colonists in Algeria) won"t mix with the people he.re (the people of Algeria); they know little or nothing of them, look down upon them, and aim only to profit from them" (from a letter of 1906). Charles soon became aware of this condescending attitude on the part of many of his compatriots. Later he came to realize that this attitude was reciprocated: "The Touaregs regard us as infidels and barbarians. In fact, as he remarked, the majority of the French in Algeria, whether soldiers, traders or administrators, were non-believers, acted out of self interest, and mistreated the local people. It"s in this situation that Charles boldly proclaims: "We must make them our equals... if not, they will reject us, and throw us into the sea" (a prophetic utterance).

For Charles, this "seeing the other as an equal", as a "brother or sister", is both an act of natural justice, giving the other that respect which is due, and is assumed into that "faith-seeing" of one"s neighbor _ equally "an image of God. redeemed like us by Christ", whether the neighbor be of this or that religion or none. Was this just a matter of words? Not at all: Charles was passionately concerned for the slaves in the oases. Soon after arriving in Beni-Abbes, he protests to the civil authorities, he argues with his Bishop, he writes to friends in France to exercise their influence, he buys slaves and has three young ones living with him, and he constantly shows his respect by conversing freely with them and treating them as equals. As he often says, "Acts speak louder than words".

It"s something to recognize another as a brother or sister; it"s more to welcome them as a friend. Friendship supposes respect, the recognition of the other"s existence as an equal; but, building on this, friendship wishes all possible good to the friend, and hopes to form a lasting and mutual relationship, which will be a sharing in this commonly desired good. Of course, this is not possible with the modern more limited notion of friendship as something emotionally experienced and freely chosen. This only allows of a few friends, and maybe not for the best of purposes. Charles, on the contrary, wishes to act towards each and every person as to a friend: his intention is all inclusive, all embracing, going beyond all barriers of natural sympathy and affinity. Is this a hopelessly excessive ambition? Yes, if we look at it in a purely human way; no. if, as Charles, we try to act "as Jesus did" and "with Jesus present among us:

Charles, clearly, had a gift for forming friendships. We can see it in his extensive correspondence: regular and lasting exchanges of letters with such people as the Abbe Huvelin, Henri de Castries, an army officer, Brother Jerome, a Trappist, Susanne Perrette, a kindred spirit, Marie de Bondy, his cousin, and so many others. But these were persons of broadly similar culture and background. What is perhaps more significant is his many friendships with the Touareg people, friendships inscribed in the ordinary exchanges of daily life, and reaching out over wide cultural and religious differences.

It"s worth noting, too, that Charles" vast ambition of universal friendship was always rooted in the simplest acts of shared living: smiling to visitors (something remembered long after his death by many persons), giving time for chatting (sometimes hours of precious time), helping when needed and being ready to receive help in one"s own need (Charles, with his temperament, took some years to learn this), showing interest and giving information on customs and traditions (Charles" study of Touareg culture in all its aspects is well known, but he was equally ready to inform his hearers about French ways, not to impose them but to share). He allowed the higher reaches of friendship to build on the ordinary acts of human intercourse: we could call it the "Nazarene" approach.

"We all have a common destiny: so said Charles to his Touareg friends. It was an unusual attitude at the time, but has been explicitly confirmed by Vatican II (Gaudium et Spes 22). For Charles, brotherhood, friendship and walking together towards a common destiny are like a single three-fold cord: brothers and friends can only have a common purpose. This purpose is on three levels: that of social life in community, seeking the common good, and that of our ultimate destiny in God, whose beginning is in the here-and-now of our ordinary every-day life. So we find Charles interested and concerned for everything, whether small or important, that makes up people"s daily life and helps to improve it. For example, he asks his sister to send knitting needles for the Touareg ladies, and himself teaches them to knit. He also requests hair-dye for them, knowing how much they appreciate its use. To Moussa, the young chief, he offers his advice, as a friend, and passes on Moussa"s wishes to the French authorities. He discusses also the advantages and risks of technical progress (the possibility of a Trans-Saharan railway for example), and of cultural changes (such as the advantages of learning well the French language). Above all, Charles shows a passionate concern for the Touareg language and culture, spending many hours, day and night, to record exactly and in minute detail, the words, the poetry, the customs and the traditions of the Touareg people. The sheer volume and precision of his work is astonishing: a true mark of realistic love.

"May all of us go to heaven"... Charles prayer is for the brothers and friends with whom he has identified himself, for each and all, and on this Nazareth foundation, for all persons in all places. As always, Charles is, in this, imitating, as best he can, the way of Jesus. Identified with a particular people, his prayer for them is inseparable from his life with them; and this life with them culminates in the offering of that life for them, first in the living out of each day, and, then finally, in the complete self-offering of freely accepting death. And, again, with Jesus, Charles wishes to offer his life for all; for "Jesus means "Savior: and he died for all.

All Charles" efforts, particularly in his last years, are directed to express his share in Jesus" love and redemptive "work" for each person in their daily, concrete life.