JESUS-CHRIST THE REDEEMER

To o u r ve n era ble brethre n the Patriarche, Primâtes, Archbishops, Biskops

and otker ordinaries, ai peace and in communion with the Holy See.

LEO XIII., POPE

Vénérable brethren,

Health and apostolic bénédiction

Although those who direct their gaze towards the future cannot be free from disquietude ; although even the subjects of fear which happen to arise are raany and grave at a time in which so numéro us and se deep-seated evils aflfect society and individuals; however, this close of the century seems by divine grâce to give rise to hopes and consolations. No one, in fact, will think that it is without importance for the comraoD salvation that the thoughts and mind of ail people are renewed, that the zeal of Christian piety and faith has been reaniroa- These virtues* hâve been revived or l'ortihYd in thèse times ainongst a great number, as spécial manifest proofs testify.

In the midst of the séductions of the world, and nbtwithstanding so many attacks directed against piety, we hâve seen at a signal from the Sovereign Pontiflf many

pilgrims hasten frorn every quarter of the world to Rome to the tomb of the holy apostles. We hâve seen the citizens of the Eternal City and strangers accomplish openly works of piety ; trusting entirely in the indulgences which the Church will offer them, seek with an increasing ardor the means of preparing for their eternal salvation. Who, therefore, on the pther hand, would not be moved by this piety more lively than usual, which is manifested towards the Saviour of the human race, and to which ail eyes can testify ? We may easily judge that it is worthy of the most flourishing epochs of Christianity, this zeal of so many thousands of men who with unanimous intentions and sentiments from east to west salute together the name and celébrate together the praises of Jésus- Christ.

May it please God that thèse fiâmes of ancient religion dow bursting forth may be followed by a vast tire, and that the excellent example given by so many may draw on ail the others. What is there, in fact. which is so necessary for this âge as the régénération ot Christian spirit and the ancient virtues in States which extend throughout the world ? What is disastrous is that the others, far too many, remain deaf, and do not listen to the warnings which such an arising of piety offers.

If, however, they knew ' the gift of God, " if they thought that nothing more unfortunate could happen to a man than to be withdrawn from the Liberator of the world, or to hâve abandoned Christian morals and precepts, they would assuredly arouse themselves and hasten to escape their too certain loss bv a change of life.

Now to main tain upon earth, to extend the Empire of the Son of God ; to labor with zeal in order that men may be saved by the participation of the Divine grâces, is the duty of the Church. This duty is so important and clings to the Church so closely that ail its authority and power rest chiefly upon this task. It seems to us that up to this day we hâve applied ourselves according

to ottt stivngth to t'ulfil this mission in the ministry of the Suprême Pontiiieate — a minitry very diilicult and full of câïé. a s l'or y on, vénérable bretliren, in an habituai and even daily manner you consecrate with us fcô this eame task your chief thoughts and labors.

But ail of us, looking to the circumstances which surround us. dught to make still greater efforts. Upon the occasion especiîally of this holy ycar, we must spread more and more the "knowledge and love of Jesus-Christ by our teaching, our counsels, oui* exhortions. If only une voice could he heard, not so much we mean by those who are accustomed to receive with well disposed ears ail Christian maxims, as by ail others, alas, the gréât ma jority of whom préserve the name of Christain, while they lead a life deprived of faith in and love towards Christ. It is concerning tbem, most of ail, we feel pity. We wish that they especially would attentive\y consider what is their conduct, and how far they will vvander away, if they do not recover their good sensé.

Assuredly, not to hâve known Jesus-Christ at any fcime or in any way is a very great misfortune. In such a case, however, obstinacy and ingratitude are not added. But to deny or forget Our Lord after having known Him is a crime so horrible and unfeeling that it seems hardly possible for a man to go so far. Jésus is, in fact. the principle and source of ail good. Just as the hnman race could not hâve been redeemed without tlie grâce of Christ, so the world could not be saved without the virtue of Christ. " Neither is there salvation in any other. For there is no other name under Heaven given to man whereby we must be saved." (Acts iv., 12.)

What is the way of mortals when Jésus, '" the power of God and the wisdom of God, " is banished from tht m, what their morals, their misery, is too clearly taught us by the example of nations deprived of Christian light. Any one who reflécts for a short time upon tlie spiritual blindness of thèse people already sketchcd by St. Paul (Rô'm. I.) or remembera their depiavity,

their superstitions and their monstrous passions will surely feel his soûl carried away by pity and horror.

Surely the masses are aware of the facts we hère recall, nevertheless, the generality of people neither reflect or trouble about them. As far as that goes pride would not mislead, nor idleness weaken so many people if everywhere the remembrance was kept of Divine favors, if people recollected oftener from what condition Christ lias taken man, and to what He h as raised him. Mankind, disinherited and exiled for so many centuries, was drawn daily towards death, plunged into thèse terrible evils, and into others also, in conséquence of the fault of our first parents. And thèse evils could not be cured by any human help vvhen Our Lord Jesus-Christ appeared

God Himself, at the beginning of the world had solemnîy promised that His Son would overcome and strike down the serpent : the resuit of this promise was that the world waited with a burning désire for the coming of Christ. The révélations of the Holy Prophets had for some time clearly announced that ail h ope rested on Him. Still more, the vorious destinies, sayings and doings, the institutions, laws, cérémonies and sacrifices of particular people whom God had chosen had shown in an exact and distinct manner that the perfect and absolute salvation of mankind rested in Christ.

He was announced throughout the âges as* the future Priest, the Expiatory Victim, as the One who should restore human liberty, the Prince of Peace, the Doctor of ail Nations, the Founder of a Kingdom which should last forever. Thèse titles, images and prophecies differing in appearance», but in reality agreeing, pointed to that One alone as He who should one day give Himself for our salvation on account of the extrême love which He bore us.

When the time appointed by Divine Wisdom had arrived, the only Son of God made Man, in shedding His blood, satisfied for men in a perfect and most fruit-

t'ul manner fche outraged majesty of His Father. And He claimed mankind which was redeemed at such a price, " knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as gold or silver, but with the Precious Blood of Jesus-Christ, as of a lamb unspotted and undefiled " (I Pet. I, 18-19). Thus He placed anew under His authority, in truly redeeming them as His very own, ail those who had already submitted to His power and dominion, because He had created them and owned them ail. " You are not your own, for you are bought with a great price " (I. Cor., iv., 19, 20). Thus ail has been restored by God through Jesus-Christ. " That He might make known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure, which He hath purposed in Him, in the dispensation of the fulness of times to re-establish ail things in Christ" (Eph., L, 9, 10).

When Jésus, in fastening himself to the Cross, had destroyed the decree which was unfavorable for us, the Divine angers were directly appeased. The bonds of the Ancient Servitude were broken in favor of afflicted and erring mankind ; the goodwill of God was reconciled again for us, the interdicted access to eternal blessedness was reopened for us, and the right to gain it and the necessary means to reach there were given to us. Then, when aroused from a long and deadly lethargy, man distinguished that light of truth on which his mind had been bent, and for which he had looked in vain through so many centuries.

He recognized in the first place that he was born to a happiness much higher and more jnagnificent than that which his sensés perceived, this fragile and transitory happiness, to the acquisition of which he had at first limited his through ts and attentions. He understood that the constitutive principle of human life, the suprême laws to which ail our deeds must be brought as their end, is that which is left to us from God and which we are called upon to return one day to God.

We see the conscience of the human dignity revive, which had renewed its life from this source and on this

basis. Ail hearès hâve opened themselves-to a feeling of brotherhood, and conseqaently our duties and our rights were the ones brought to perfection, the others macle up of ail pièces. At the same time were raised up in différent directions such virtues that none of the ancîent philophers were able even to suspect them.

But then the designs of men, the conduct of their life and their habits took another course. And when the knowledge of the Redeemer was spread far away, when virtue, destructive of ignorance and of ancient vices had penetrated the deepest veins of go\ernments, then there followed this révolution which, thanks to Christian c:vilization, renewed the face of the earth.

Vénérable brothers, assuredly one relishes the endless charm of recalling thèse facts. In them is found moreover a great and powerful lesson ; that is that we should give thanks from our whole soûl to the Divine Saviour and labour foi this that He may be thanked as much as it is possible.

We are separated by many centuries from the sources and first fruits of the rédemption, but what matter, since the power of this rédemption perpétuâtes itself, since its benefits remain lasting and immortal ? He who once saved mankind lost by sin, saves it anew and will save it always : " Who gave himself a rédemption for ail. " (I. Tim., ii 6). !■ Ail shall be made alive in Jesus-Christ. " (I. Cor., xv, 22,) " And of His Kingdom there shall be no end. " (St.-Luke, i, 33).

Therefore, according to God's eternal designs, the salvation of ail men and of each one rest entirely in Jesus- Christ. Those who abandon Christ, by that very act doom themselves with a blind fury to their own ruin. At the same time. inasmuch as it is in them, they act in such a way that human society, tossed by a violent tempest, may be drawn towards this mass of scourges and misfortunes which the Redeemer in His goodness has scattered.

In fact, ail those who fall into thèse out-of-the-way roads are led by their vagrant course a good distance

t'rom the goal which they desired to reach. In the same way if thèy repuise the genuine and sincère liglit of truth, bheir intellects are fatally usurped by dark- Dess and their minds are misled everyvvhere by erroneous and calainitous ideas. What hope can remain to those who abandon the principle and source of life But, Christ alone is the way, the truth and the life ; "I ani the way, the truth and the life." (John, xiv, 6J) In such a nianner, if man forsakes Jésus, thèse three chief necessaries for the salvation of ail men disappear at the saine time.

It is necessary to enlarge on a fact of which expérience constantly remincis us, and of which, even in the midst of a vast abundance of perishable goods each one feels the reality in the very depths of liis being ? Thus it is that there is nothing, outside of God, on which the hnman will can absolutely and in ail things iînd content men t.

The final end of man is God. And ail this life spent hère on earth most truly bears the aspect and image of a journe}^ to a strange land. Moreover Christ is the way for us because the end of this course is so parti eu larly difïîcult and dangerous, that we cannot, in any way, reach the suprême and absolute good, which is God, if we hâve not had Him, Christ, for our master and our guide. " No one cornes to the Father, but through Ma" (St.-John, xiv, 16).

In what sensé is it said : " If this is not done through Christ ? " In the first place and above ail thèse words mean : " If it is not done by His grâce. " This nevertheless would remain useless to man if he neglected to accomplish the commands and laws of Christ. Jésus, in fact, after having secured our salvation, accomplished that which was of so much conséquence to perform. He lias left us His law to protect and direct mankind in His name, in order that guided by His rule, men might hâve the strength to give up a perverse life and march in a confident pace towards God. " Going therefore teach ye ail nations teaching them to observe

ail things whatsoever I hâve commanded you. " (Matt, xxviii, 19, 20). ' Keep my commandments. " (John xiv, 13).

One must understand in conséquence that l'or him who professes to be a Christian, the main point, the condition absolutety necessary, is to show himself obedient to the commanda of Jesus-Christ, to bring to Him, as his Master and Suprême King, an entirely submissive and f'aithf'ul will.

That is a grand work and one which often demands great pains by energetic and constant efforts. In fact, though the grâce of the Redeemer may hâve renewed mankind, there exists, nevertheleess, in each of us, like a certain state of disease, weakness and vice. On ail sides various desires allure man. And the séductions of outside objects easily drive tlie soûl to look for what pleases it, rather than follow the orders of Christ. And yet, it is necessary, on the contrary that wè should make ail our efforts and resist our passions with ail our power " in obédience to Christ". Thèse inclinations, if they are not submitted to reason, rule man, and after havmg destroyed ail he h as done for Christ, they make him their slave. " The men whose minds are corrupfced and who hâve repudiated the faith, do not any longer try to serve. They are slaves, in fact, of a triple passion : Which may be called voluptuousness, ambition and a désire to display." (S. Augustin, de la Vraie Religion.)

In such a battle each one ought to be inclined to face even sorrows and difriculties for the sake of Christ. It is diffioult to repuise objects which, in the midst of so great a work, fascinate and amuse us : it is hard and painfull to despise those things they call temporal favours and riches, so that one may comply with the will and commandments of Christ, our Master. But it is necessary that the Christian should carry out his duty to the end with a perfect patience and valour, if he wishes to pass in a Christian manner the time allotted for life on earth.

Do we Forget, then, of what body and of what head we are mëïnbers ? It is with joy He wished that as He lias carried His cross, we also should renounce ourselves. Therefore it :s on thèse dispositions of which we hâve spoken that the dignity of manhood dépends. In fact, as ancient wisdom too bas so often understood it: to rgle oneselr, and to do it in such a way that the inferior part of the soûl may be submissive to the superior part, is by no me ans the work of a depressed and enfeebled will. Rather is it the effort of generous virtue, admirably in accord with reason, and essentially worthy of m an. Moreover our destiny is such that we must bear and suffer many evils. Man can no moremake for himself a life free from sorrows and full of ail joys than he can repeal the designs of his divine Creator, who has willed that the conséquences of the ancient fault may perpetually remain. It is expédient therefore not to look for an end of sorrow on earth, but to strengthen our soûl in order to bear it ; since by tins sorrow we learn to appreciate the tirai hope of more precious blessings. It is not to the rich, or to those of luxurious life, or to those who live for honours or for power, but to the patient and pénitent, to those zealous for justice, and the pure of heart that Christ haspromised the heavenly and eternal blessing.

Lastly ail this shows clearly what must be expected from the error and pride of those who treat with contempt the sovereignty of the Redeemer, who place man at the top of the uni verse, and who déclare that mankind should rule every where and in ail things. Moreover not only are they unable to reach this power, but they are incapable of defining what it would be, The reign of Jesus-Christ draws from divine love its forai and its power. To love holily and according to order, such it is in its depths and such in its height, Hence results, necessarily, for man the obligation to acçomplish his duties without restriction, to injure in no way therights of others, to regard earthly goods as inferior to those of

Heaven, fînally to prefer the love of God before ail things.

As to the power of mau who openly dénies Christ, or who'does not trouble to know Him it relies entïrely on love of itself, it is destitute of charity and ignores dévotion. It is indeed lawful that man should command in the naine of Jesus-Christ, but, on this condition only, that he serves God before ail, that he draws scrupulously, from the Divine law, the rule anii model of his conduct.

From the law of Christ, we not only understand the natural precepts concerning manners, or those which w'ere divinely revealed to the first one — precepts to which without doubt Jesus-Christ lias given their perfect form and which He has raised to a suprême dignity in prescribing, interpreting and sanctioning them — but even the rest of His doctrine, and without exception ail those things which He has instituted. The principle of thèse things assuredly is the Church. Can they mention any institution, having Christ for its author, which may not be fully contained and embraced by the Church ? For the ministry of this Church being solemnly founded by Him, He has wished to perpetuate the mission which He Himself had recèived from His Father, and as, on the one hand, He has collected in it ail that which can ensure the salvation of mankind, on the other hand, He decreed this most important matter, that men must be submissive to the Church exactly in the same degree as to Himself, and carefully take it for a guide during life. " He that heareth y ou, heareth me, and he that despiseth you despiseth me," (Luke 10. 16). It is thenfrom the Church that the law of Christ must be entirely demanded, and behold why the Church is •for man, the " way " as it is the Christ. It is the latter by itself and by its nature ; the former by the mission which has been entrusted to it and by the communication of divine power. It follows that whoever wishes to spread salvation outside of the Church deceives himself in the road and trusts to useless efforts.

Thie.which ia the case of individuals is about equally so of States. They too unavoidably get stuck in dangerous roads when bhey tum aaide. from the permanent way. Be who is the Creator and also the Redeemer of mankind, the Son of God, is the Kimg and Master of the universe, and possessee a sovereign power over jnen, whetber taken separately or united in society. " And He gave him power and glory, and a kingdom ; and ail peoples, tribea and tongues shall serve Him " (Dan. VII 14) " But I hâve been appointed King hy Him . . . I will give Thee nations as Tliine inheritance, and the utmost ends of the earth shall be Thy domain. ("Ps. 11.) The law of Christ in society and in liuman groupings ought therefore to hâve such a ^alue that it would serve to direct and to govern not only private life but also public. Since the Divine will lias thus ordained and determined, that no one can resist it with impunity, it follows that it watches evil in the common interest of the matter everywhere where Christian institutions hâve not the place which they ought to hâve. Jésus having been set aside, human reason is left to its weakness, deprived of its greatest support and of its better light. Then the perception of the cause which, throught the work of God lias bred a universal society amongst meny easily gets him. This society exists chiefly so that by the help of social bonds the members of the society may realize unafFected welfare, but in such a fashion as to harmonize completely with the good, perfect and eternal Sovereign. Those who govern and those who are governed, in l'act ail those whose minds are best, by the confusion of things, start away from the right road. Indeed they hâve not an unerring guide whom they can follow, and they do not know where to stop.

It is unfortunate and lamentable to deviate from the permanent way. So also is it, for similar reasons to désert the truth. The first, absolute, essential truth is Christ, that is no say the Word of God, consubstantial and co-eternal with the Father. " I am the way and the truth." This is why, if it seeks the truth, human

reason obeys at once everything from Jesus-Christ, and rests with security, in his magistery, since it is truth itself which speaks from the mouth of Christ. There is a crowd of things in the midst of which, as in a very fertile field which belongs personally to it, the human mind can give free flow to its observations and researches.

Nature doe3 more than allow it. She claims it. That which is evil and contrary to Nature, is to wish that the mind may continue in its narrowness to reject the obligatory reserve and despise the authority of Christ which teaches us. This doctrine to which is attached our salvation in ail things, almost entirely relates to God and matters most divine. This is not the wisdom of some man that it may be lie who has begotten it. It is the Son of God who has received it in its entirety from His Father Himself, and he has taken it to man. M The words which Thou hast given me, I hâve given to them."

In conséquence, this doctrine necessarily includes several things which, without being contrary to reason — for that could not take place in any wTay — -are at such a lofty eminence that human reaaon can no more reach its than it can understand what is in reality the essence of God. Then if there existso many mysterious things, over which even Nature throws a veil, of which no human genius can give the explanation, and which nevertheless no one of good sensé can eall in question, this would be to use liberty in a perverse fashion not to allow that there may be mysteries placed high above Nature, and the existence of which it is not permitted to us to penetrate. Not to suppose that there may be dogmas, is not to suppose that there is a Christian religion. The intellect must therefore submit itself humbly and faithfully "unto the obédience of Christ," to this point at which it linds itself, so to speak, held captive by the power of the Divinity. " And bringing into captivity every understanding unto the obédience of Christ." (II, Cor. x., 5.) Such is the obédience which Christ wills and by good

right, to hâve ofFered to Him inasmuch as He is God, and bas therefore suprême sovereignty over the underitanding equally a-s over the will of mari.

There is Dothing servile in serving Christ our Lord with the understanding, but this is especially consonant to reason and to our native supremacy. For a man does not thus submit bis will to the sovereignty of any fellow man, but to that of God the Creator and First Cause of ail, to whora he is made subject by the law of nature: nor does a man al low himself to be coerced by the imagination of any human teacher, but by the eternal and im mu table truth. He attains at once the natural good of the mind and mental freedom. For truth as proceeding from the magisterium of Christ, sets in a clear light the intrinsic character and relative importance of things, whatever they may be, and thus instructed and obedient to the truth he sees, man will set facts before fancies and not vice versa ; his désire will be conformed to reason, and not the reason of things to his désire ; casting ofF the pernicious slavery of sin and error, he will be made free with the best kind of freedom— " You shall' know the truth, and the truth shall make you free," (John viii., 33). It is plain, therefore, that those whose mind refuses to acknowledge Christ are obstinately striving against God, Having escaped from the divine subjection, they will be no more their own masters for that ; they will come under some human authority ; they will choose, indeed, as men do, some one to listen to, to obey, and to follow as their master. Besides this, debarring themselves from theological studies and confining the exercise of their minds within a more circumscribed sphère they will come less efficiently trained to the considération of subjects with which reason properly deals. There are many things in nature on the investigation or explication of which theology sheds considérable light. And often God, to punish mens pride, suffers them to mistake the truth, and to pay the natural penalty. For one or other of thèse reasons very many men may seem endowed with

grCat intellectuel capacity, and of consummate érudition,' wlio hâve névertheless in their investigations of nature arrived at the most absurd and egrégious blunders.

Itis certain, tlieref'ore, that in Christianity the understandi ng sbould be wholly and unreservedly resigned to the divine authority. If when reason thus submits, our spiritual pride, which is so strong in us, suffers répression, and feeis pain, that proves ail the more that in a Christian there ought to be patient endurance not merely of the will, but of the mind as well. We would remind of this those who dream of, and would evidently prefer to hâve, some discipline of thought and act in Christian profession, but with principles of less rigor and more indulgent to human nature, requiring from us little endurance or none. They hâve no notion of the spirit of faith and of Christian institutions, they do not see that everywhere the Cross meets us, the standard of life and abiding banner of ail who would follow Christ, not in name only, but in deed and in truth.

It belongs to God alone to be the Life. Ail other beings partake of, but are not Life. But from ail eternity, and by His proper nature, Christ is " the Life " equally as " the Truth " being God of God. From Him, as from its ultimate and most august beginning, ail mundane lifè lias been, and forever will be, imparted ; ail that is, has its being from Him ; ail that lives, lives by Him, for by the Word ail things were made, and without Him was nothing made that was made."

So much for the natural life. But abo/e we alluded to a mùch better and much more désirable life, won for us by the sacrifice of Christ, viz., the life of grâce, the most blessed end of which is the life of glory, to which ail our thoughts and actions should be referred. The whole meaning of Christian doctrine and régulations is that " we being dead to sin, should live to justice," (I, Peter ii. 24), that is to say, to virtue and holiness, in which consists the moral 'life of the soûl with sUre and certain hope of everiasting hàppiness. But justice in

its true and proper sensé, the justice which attains salivation, is upheld by Christian faith, and by that alone. ' The just man liveth by faith." (Gai. iii, 11); " Without faith it is impossible to please God." (Heb. xi, 6). It follows that Jésus- Christ, whe is the authorand parent and npholder of faith, Himsclf main tain s and supports moral life and in especial by the ministry of the Church. To lus administration, according to His bounteous and most provident purpose, He lias committed the appropriate means oi' generating, preserving and reviving, the virtue of which we speak. The force, then, which générâtes and conserves the virtues neccssary to Bal va t ion disappears when morality is divorced from divine faith ; and truly, those who would liave morals directed in the path of virtue by the sole authority of reason, rob man of his highest dignitj , and most injuriously oust him from his upernatural life, and throw him back on the merely natural. Not that man is unable to recognize and observe many natural precepts by the light of reason, but even if he recognize and observe them ail without a stumble for the whole of his life, which without the grâce of our Redeemer helping him he could not do, yet vain would be his confidence of obtaining eternal salvation if destitute of faith.

"If any one abide not in Me, he shall be cast forth as a branch and they shall gather him up and cast him into the tire, and he burneth." (John, xv. 6). " He that beleiveth not shall be condemned." (Mark, xvi. 16). How little that kind of virtue which despises faith avails at the last, and what sort of fruit it brings forth, of this we hâve only too many examples before our eyes. And why, with so much zeal displayed for establishing and augmenting national prosperity, why are States still suffering and almost sick to death in so many important directions more and more every year ? They sa}r that civil society is self-dependent, that it can go on happily without the protection of Christian institutions, that by its own unaided energias it can reach

its goal. Hence they prêter to hâve public affairs conducted on a secular basis so that in civil discipline and public life there are always fewer and fewer traces di>cernible of the old religious spirit. They do not see what they are doing. Take away the supremacy of Gocl, who judges right and wrong, and law of necessity loses its paramount authority, while justice is undermined, thèse two being the strongest and most essential bonds of social union. In the sarae way, when the hope and expectations of immortality are gône, it is only human to seek greedily after perishable things, and every one will try, as he bas the power, to clutch a larger share of-them. Hence corne rivalries, envies, hatreds : the most iniquitous designs follow ; men would fain see ail power overthrown, and plot in ail directions the insanest upsetting. There is no peace abroad, nor security at home ' the gênerai life is disfigured by crimes and outrages.

In such strife of passions, in such perilous crises, we must either look for utter ruin, or some effective remedy must be found without loss of time. To re?train evildoers, to make people civilized, to deter them from committing crimes by législative intervention, is right and necessary ; but that is by no means ail. The healing of the nations goes deeper ; a mightier influence must be invoked than human endeavor, one that may touch the conscience and reawaken the sensé of duty, the saine influence that has once already delivered from destruction a world oppressed with far greater. evils. Revive and make strong in a State the spirit of Christianity, let the existing barriers be removed ; that will be its restoration. The strife between high and low will at once be appeased, and each observe with mutual respect the rights of the other. If they listen to Christ the prosperous and the unfortunate will both alike remember their duty ; the one will feel that they must keep justice and charit}^ if they would be saved, the other that they must show tempérance and modération. Domestic society will hâve been placed on the best foot-

ing andèr a salutary fear of the divine conimands and prohibitions ; and so likewise in communities at large, the suggestions of nature itself vviil prevail, which tell US that it is right to respect lawful authority, and to obey the Laws, to do no seditious act, nor contrive anytliing by unlawful association. Thus vvhen Christian law présides, without impediment pat in its way, then it résulta natùrally and without effort that the order of sociery is Diaintained as constituted by Divine Providence, and thence prosperity flourishes along with security. The gênerai safety cries aloud that we must be brought back to Him from whom we ouglit never to hâve doparted — to Him who is the way, the truth and the life, not individuals merely, but human society as a whole. Christ our Lord must be reinstated in possession of human society, which belongs to Him, and ail the members, ail parts of the conmionwealth : légal commanda and prohibitions, popular institutions, schools, marriage, home-life, the workshop and the palace, ail must be made to drink of the life that cornes from Him. No one should fail to see that on this greatly dépends the civilization of nations, which is so eagerly sought. and which is increased and nourished not so niuch by bodily corn forts and conveniences as by what belongs to the soûl, praisewortliy conductand the cultivation of virtue.

Most are estranged from Jesus-Christ rather through ignorance than perversity: for there are many to study man and the universe around liim with ail earnestness, but very few to study the Son of God. Let it be the 6rst thing, then, to dispel ignorance by knowledge so that He may not be despised or rejected as unkown. We call npon Christians every where to give diligence to the utmost of their power to know their Redeemer. Any one who regards Him with a sincère and candid mind will clearly perceive that nothing can be more health-giving than His law, or more divine than His doctrine. In this, your authority and co-operation. Vénérable Brethren, will marvelously assist, as will also

the zeal and assiduity of the clergy at large, Think it the chief part of your duty to engrave in the hearts of every people a true notion,, and, We might almost say picture, of Jesus-Christ, and to illustrate in your letters, your speech, your schools and collèges, your public assemblies, whenever occasion serves, His charity, His benefits and institutions. About " the rights of man, " as they are called, the multitude has heard enough ; it is time they should hear of the rights of God. That the présent is a suitable time, is shown by the good impulses of many which hâve already, as we hâve said, been awakened, and in especial by the many évidences which hâve been given of piety towards the Redeemer, a piety which, if please God, we shall hand down to the next century with the promise of a better âge. But as the matter in hand is one in which success can only be looked for from the divine grâce, let us with a common impulse and with earnest prayers invoke the mercy of Almighty God, that He would not suffer tliose to perish whom He has freed by shedding His blood, that He would graciously regard this âge, which has, indeed, been grievously remiss, but has sutfered much and bitterly, too, in expiation of its fault ; and that He would benignantlv embracing ail peoples and classes of men remember the word He spoke : " If I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw ail things to Myself." (John xn.,

In promise of divine gifts, and in witness ot our paternal benevolence, Vénérable Brethren, we impart to your clergy and people in the Lord our apostolic bénédiction.

Given at Rome at St. Peter's, November, 1, 1900, the twenty-third year of our Pontificate.

LEO XIII, POPE

6ième Série — No. 13.

CIRCULAIRE AU CLERGE

Tout à Jésus par Marie, reine des cœurs.

Archevêché d'Ottawa, le 18 février 1901.