AU SACRÉ-CŒUR DE JÉSUS
Très doux Jésus, Rédempteur du genre humain, jutez un regard favorable sur nous, qui très humblement sommes prosternés aux pieds de votre autel. Nous sommes et nous voulons être vôtres ; mais pour que nous puissions vous être unis par des liens plus solides, voici qu'en ce jour chacun de nous se consacre spontanément à votre très sacré Cœur.
Beaucoup d'hommes ne vous ont jamais connu, beaucoup vous ont méprisé en transgressant vos ordres ; ayez pitié des uns et des autres, ô très bon Jésus, et entraînezles tous vers votre saint C^eur. Soyez, ô Seigeur, le roi non seulement des fidèles qui ne se sont jamais éloignés de vous, mais aussi des enfants prodigues qui vous abandonnèrent. Faites que ceux-ci regagnent vite la maison paternelle, pour ne pas périr de misère et de faim.
Soyez le roi de ceux que des opinions erronées ont trompés ou qui se sont séparés de l'Eglise à la suite d'un désaccord ; ramenez-les au port de la vérité et à l'unité de la foi, afin qu'il n'y ait bientôt qu'un troupeau et qu'un pasteur.
Soyez enfin le roi de tous ceux qui sont plongés dans les antiques superstitions des gentils, et ne refusez pas de les arracher aux ténèbres pour les ramener dans la lumière et le règne de Dieu. Donnez, Seigneur, à votre Eglise, le salut, le calme et la liberté. Accordez à toutes les nations la paix et l'ordre, et faites que, d'une extrémité à l'autre de la terre, résonne une seule parole : Louange au divin C eur qui nous a donné le salut ; à Lui soit honneur et gloire dans tous les siècles. Ainsi soit-il.
ENCYCLICAL LETTER
Of His Eoliness Léo XIII, Pope, On tîie Consecraten of Mankind to the Most Sacred Heart of Jésus.
Ta Our VenerMe Brothers, the Patriarchs, Primates, Archbishops, Bishops, and other Ordinaries in Peace and Communion with the Apostolic See,
LEO XIII, POPE
Vénérable Brothers, Health and Apostolic Bénédiction.
We hâve, as you are aware, lately promulgated by apostolic letters the Holy Year, which is shortîy to be celebrated hère in this city according to the customs of our forefathers. And to-day, as a hopeful augury for the more perfect accomplishment of this most religious of Solemnities, we propose and recommend a very important step from which, if ail carry it out with fervor and with unanimous and spontaneous readiness, We expect, not without reason, great and lasting fruit for Christianity and for the whole human family.
Following the example of Our predecessors, Innocent XII, Benedict XIIL, Clément XIII., Pins VI., Pius VIL, and Pius IX., We hâve more than once already striven to maintain faithfully and bring into greater prominence that most approved form of piety which consists in dévotion to the most Sacred Heart of Jésus— especi al ly when by a decree of June 28, 1888, We raised this feast to a Double of the first cUiss. And novv We are thinking of a still more striking form of homage, which We regard as the crown and completion of ail the honora hitherto paid to the Sacred Heart, and which We trust will prove most pleasing to Our Redeemer, Jesus-Christ. Not indeed that this is now proposed for the first time.
Twenty-five years ago, on the occasion of the second centenary of Blessed Margaret Mary Alacoque's receiving miraculously the command to propagate dévotion to the Divine Heart, pétitions were sent to Pius IX. from ail parts, not only by private individuals, but by Bishops praying liim to consecrate a]l mankind to the most august Heart of Jésus. It was decided at the time that the project should be deferred until it had matured, and in the meantime such diocèses as desired to do so be privileged to consecrate themselves after a formula expressly prescribed for the purpose. Now We hâve judged that new conditions hâve ripeued the time for putting the design into eifect.
Assuredly this most far-reaching and suprême act of homage and dévotion is eminently due to Jesus-Christ as Prince and Lord of ail. His sway extends not only over Catholic peoples, or such as having been duly regenerated in holy baptism belong at least by right to the Church, although following a false doctrine or disjoined from the bonds of charity, but embraces besides ail those who live outside the Christian faith, so that on the divine povver of Jésus Christ the whole human race dépends. For He necessarily possesses ail things in common with the Father, and therefore lias suprême dominion over ail things, being the Only Begotten of the Father, and having one substance with Him, " the splendor of His glory and the figure of His substance " (Hebr. I, 3).
Hence the Son of God, by the mouth of the Prophet, says this of Himself : " But I hâve been by Him constitutecl king over Sion, His holy mountain. The Lord said to me : Thou art my son : this day hâve I begotten thee. Ask of Me and I will give thee the nations for tby inheri tance and for thy Dominion ail the ends of the eartli " (Ps. II). By tliese words He lets us understandthat He lias received power not merely over the whole Church, which is signified in Mount Sion, but also over the whole earth throughout the length and breadth of its contines. The words " Thou art my son " explain
with sufficient clearness the foundation on which the suprême power rests. The fact that He is the Son of the King of ail things makes Him at the same time the heir of ail His dominion — hence the addition " I will give Thee the nations for Thy inheritance," words which correspond to those of the Apostle Paul : " whom He constituted heir of ail things." (Heb. 1. 2.)
A matter calling for particular attention is Jesus- Christ's affirmation of His dominion, no longer by the mouth of the apostles and prophets, but in His own words. When asked by the roman governor : " Art thou then a king ?" He unhesitatingly replied : " Thou sayest that I am a king." (John xviii., 37). And the magnitude and limitlessness of His kingdom are now clearly shown in His words to His apostles : " Ail power is given to Me in heaven and on earth " (Matt. xxviii., 18). If ail power was given to Christ, it folio ws necessarily that His empire must be suprême, absolute and independent, with nothing equal or similar to it ; and since it was given in heaven and on earth, heaven and earth must obey it. And, in fact, He did exercise this truly singular and spécial power in commanding the Apostles to propagate His teaching, to lead men, thaough baptism, to form one body in the Church, and finally to impose laws from which none may exempt himself without imperilling his eternal ,i al va ti on.
Nor is this ail. Jesus-Christ commands not alone by natural right, as the only begotten of God, but by acquired right also. For He snatched us " from the powers of darkness " (Coloss. I. 13), and likewise " gave Himself in rédemption for ail " (1 Tim. ii., 6). Ail of us, therefore, became for Him " a purchased people " ( 1 Peter ii., 9), Catholics and those who hâve properly received baptism, and ail mankind, individually and collectively. Hence 8t. Augustine very appropriately says : " Do you ask what He lias redeemed ? Think on what He gave and you will ses what he lias redeemed. The price paid was the blood of Christ. Now, what is there which is worth this ? What but the whole world and ail
peoples ? For what He gave He gave for ail ;> ( Tract 120 in Joan).
St. Thomas, discussing this, explains the reason and the manner in which even men without faith came under the power and jurisdiction of Jesus-Christ ; for, examining the question as to whether His power as judge extends over ail men, and laying down the principle that judicial authority is included in royal power, he draws the obvions conclusion that with regard to power, everything is subject to Jesus-Christ, even when this power does not yet de facto extend over ail men " (3a, p. q. 59 a. 4). This authority of Christ is exercised over men by truth, justice, and, above ail, by charity.
In His goodness, however, He leaves it to us, if we are so minded, to add to this double title of authority and lorclship a third title— that of voluntary consécration. True, Jesus-Christ, at the same time our God and our Redeemer, is infinitely rich, for ail things are His ; whilst we are so poor and needy that we hâve nothing which is really our own to ofFer Him. Nevertheless, in His infinité bounty and love He is willing that we présent and cède to Him as if our own — what is really His — nay, not only is he willing, but He actually asks and begs this of us : " Son, give Me thy heart. " We may, then, well do Him favoi* by our goodwill and affection. By making Him an offering of ourselves not only do we openly and freely recognise and accept His sway, but we attest that if the gift were ours to give, we would bestovv it upon Him with ail our heart, and that we humbly ask Him to vouchsafe to accept it from us, even though it already belongs to Him.
This is the sensé of the act of which We speak, and such is the true sensé of Our words. And since the Sacred Heart is recognized as a symbol and clear image of tlie infinité charity of Jesus-Christ which is drawing us to love Him in return, there is an appropriateness in offering ourselves to His inost august Heart. By doing so we dedicate ourselves and draw doser to Jésus Christ, for every act of honor, homage and dévotion to that Di-
vine Heart is, in the true and strict sensé, directed to tîie very person of Jesus-Christ.
We stimulate, therefore, and exhort to the spontaneous fulfillment of this act ail who know and love the Most Divive Heart, and we earnestly désire that this be done by ail on the saine day, so that the outpouring of thousands upon thousands of hearts making the same ofFering may ail ascend together to the throne of God.
And can We ever forget ail those hapless beings on whom Christ's doctrine bas not yet shown ? Can We that represent the person of Him who came to save ail who were lost, and who gave His Blood for the salvation of mankind ? Nay. As We unceasingly take care to send the missionaries of Christ as teachers throuo-hout the world in order that they who still ait in the shadow of death may be called to the true life, sonow commiserating their lot, We ofFer them, as far as We may, and We recommend them, with ail Our soûl to. the Sacred Heart of Jésus
In this way the consécration of which We speak will redound to the aid of ail ; because, in carrying out this act, every one who knows and loves Jésus Christ, will easily expérience an increase of faith and love. Some who, although knowing Christ, neglect His precepts and His law, may be enabled to draw fVom that Sacred Heart the fire of charity. Finally, for those who are the most bopeless, in that they are still involved in the darkness of superstition, we shall ail unanimously ask heavenly aid in order that Jefus Christ, who already " holds them potentially subject to Him, " may at least make them so in very deed, and not alone "■ in the next world, when He will fully exécute His will on ail, destining some to reward and others to punishment " ( St. Thom. 1. c ) but even during this mortal life, by the gift of faith and sanctification, so that, illuminated and sanctified, they may duly honor God and advance towards eternal happiness in heaven.
This consécration will, moreover, bring hope of more prosperous life to the nations, in as much as it will con-
duce to the re-establishment or strengthening of those bonds, which by the natural law, unité even States to God. In modem times, unhappily, everything lias been done to raise a wall of division between the Church and civil society. In the organization and government of States no account is taken of the authority of sacred and divine right, under the guilty plea that religious activity must in no way influence civil life. This, when ail is said, means nothing but the supplanting of the faith of Christ, and if this were possible, the very banishment of God from the earth. When. men's minds are so carried away by audacity, little wonder is it that so raany States hâve been involved in such confusion pnd. tempest that none may live without fear and danger. By contempt of religion even the soundest bases of public prosperity are shaken, and the avenging justice of God so far abandons the rebels 10 themselves that they become the slaves of their own lusts and the victims of their own licentiousness.
Hence cornes that mass of evils, long threatening and now more than ever rendering it imperative for us to seek for aid in reinoving tliem. And what other aid can we hâve but in Jésus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God ? For no other name is given to men in heaven or on earth by which we may be saved. (Acts iv., 12). Needs must, then, that we hâve recourse to Him, who is " the Way, the Truth and the Life." Hâve men gone astray ? They must return to the right road. Hâve their minds become darkened ? The darkness must be removed by the light of truth. Does death threaten ? Tlien must we cling to " the life." Then at last will it be given to us to heal ail thèse wounds, then every right may hope to résume its authority ; peace will be restored to its place of honor, the swords will go back to their scabbards and the arms will fall from men's hands, when ail, with one accord, acknowledge the empire of Christ and be obedient to Him and every tongue will confess " that the Lord Jésus Christ is in the Glorv of God the Father. " (Phil. il, 11).
Wliile the nascent Church was being oppressed under the yoke of the Caesars a cross appeared in the heavens — to a young emperor — at once the harbinger and the cause of the splendid victory that immediately followed. Lo ! again before our eyes to-day a niost divine and auspicious sign — the sign of the Sacred Heart of Jésus, surmounted by the cross and shilling forth amid fiâmes of dazzling brightness. Hère must we set ail our hopes, hère mast we ask and wait for salvation.
Finally we shall not be silent about another motive — one that concerns Ourself personally, but none the less just and important — wliich lias moved Us to this act, and this is that God, the author of ail blessings, rescued Us but recently from a dangerous illness. We would that a mémorial and public token of gratitude for this favor be made in the greater glorification of the Sacred Heart now promoted by Us.
Hence We urdain, vénérable brothers, that on the nintb, tenth and eleventh of next June, in the principal church of every city or village a sacred triduum be celebrated, and that on each of thèse days the Litany of the Sacred Heart, approved hy Us, be added to the other prayers, and that on the last of them the formula of consécration, which We send you, together with this encyclical be farther added.
We impart the Apostolic Bénédiction lovingly in the Lord to you and to the clergy and people entrusted to your care as a pleclge of divine favors and in token of Our benevolence.
Given at Rome at St. Peter's, on the 25th of May, 1899, in the twenty-second year of Our Pontificate.
