OUR MOST HOLY FATHER LEO XIII

LEO PP. XIII

To our Vénérable Brethren the Palriarchs, Primates, Archbishops, Bishops, and to otlier Ordinaries of Places having Peace and Communion with the Apostolic See.

Vénérable Brethren,

Health and Apostolic Bénédiction :

Although on several occasions already, "We hâve ordered spécial prayers to be made throughout the entire world, and the interests of Catholicity to be recommended to God in greater measure ; let it not, however, seem wonderful to any one if ¥e deem it necessary again to inculcate this same duty on ail minds at the présent time. In adversity, especially when the power of darkness appears to be able to dare everything for the ruin of the Christian name, the Church, indeed, has always been accustomed to invoke God suppliantly, its author and defender, with great earnestness and persévérance, the saints of heaven being also appealed to, and especially the august Virgin Mother of God, by whose patronage strength shall most surely be brought to its affairs. Moreover, the fruit of pious entreaties and of the hope placed in the Divine goodness appears sooner or later.

Now you know the times, Yenerable Brethren, which, indeed, are not much less calamitous in the Christian republic than those which hâve ever been most calamitous. Among many we behold faith, the principal of ail Christian virtues, perishing ; charity becoming cold ; youth growing up depraved in morals and opinion ; the Church of Jésus Christ attacked on ail sides by violence and craft ; furious war carried on with the Pontificate ; the very foundations of religion attacked, with dailyincreased audacity. How low men hâve descended in thèse latter days, and with what projects their minds are further agitated, this is now too well known that it should be necessary to be shown forth in words.

In so dimcult and so misérable a state, since the evils are greater than human remédies, it remains that ail healing of them must be sought from Divine power.

For this reason, We hâve deemed it necessary that "We should excite the piety of the Christian people to implore more zealously and pressingly the help of Almighty Grod. Wherefore, as the month of October is now approaching, which We hâve before decreed should be consecrated to the Virgin Mary of the Rosary, We most eagerly exhort that that whole month be observed with the greatest piety and dévotion, and by the largest number possible — We know that a refuge is prepared in the maternai goodness of the Virgin ; and We hâve the certainty that Our hopes are not placed in it in vain. If a hundred times that goodness has brought succor in great crises of the Christian republic, why should it be doubtful that she will renew the examples of her power and her favor, if humble and constant prayers be everywhere addressed to her ? Nay, we believe that she will bring her aid so much the more wonderfully, the longer she has preferredfthat it should be implored.

But We hâve also another design in which you will co-operate diligently with Us, as, Yene rable Brethren, you are accustomed to do. In order that Grod may show himself more placable to our prayers, and may, intercessors being more numérous, help the Church more quickly and abundantly, We think it to be very expédient that the Christian people should accustom themselves to implore, together with the Yirgin Mother of G-od, her most chaste Spouse, St. Joseph, with spécial piety and with confident mind ; which We judge from undoubted reasons to be the wish of the Virsrin herself and pleasing to her.

On this subject, concerning which We now intend to say something for the first time publicly, We know that not only is popular dévotion inclined thereto, but advancing lorward as if the course had already been prepared ; for we hâve seen the cultus of Joseph, which also in former âges the Roman PontifFs had devoted themselves to developing gradually to a greater extent and to propagating far and wide, finally increase at the présent time everywhere. and that by undoubted growth, especially after Pius IX., of happy memory, Our predecessor, declared the most holy Patriarch, at the request of very many Bishops, Patron of the Catholic Church.

Nevertheless, since it is of so great importance that vénération for him should become thoroughly rooted in Catholic manners and institutions, therefore We wish the Christian people to be particularly moved by Our voice and authority.

Why St. Joseph should be particularly named the Patron of the Church, and why the Church in turn should promise herself great advantages from his protection and patronage, the spécial cause and reason are thèse, that he was the speuse of Mary, and the father, as it was reputed, of Jésus Christ. Hence arise ail his dignity, sanctity and glory, Cer-

tainly the dignity of the Mother of G-od is so exalted that nothing can be created greater. But, however, because the marriage bond united Joseph with the Most Blessed Virgin, it is not doubtful but that he approached nearer than any person to that most excelling dignity, by which the Mother of Grod so far surpasses ail created natures. For marriage is a society and union the gieatest of ail, which has' by its very nature a community of goods of one with the other. Wherefore,if Grod gave Joseph as spouse to the Virgin, He furthermore gave her not only the companion of her life, a witness of her virginity, a guardian of her honor, but also a participator in her exalted dignity, by virtue of the conjugal bond itself.

Similarly Joseph is alone distinguished among ail by the most august dignity inasmuch as he was by divine decree guardian of the Son of Grod, reputed as His lather in the opinon of men. From which circumstance, there was the conséquence that the Word of Grod was modestly submissive to Joseph, was obedient to his command, and rendered him ail the honor which children are bound to render to their parents.

Now from this twofold dignity the duties naturally followed which nature has prescribed for fathers of families, so that he was the lawful and natural guardian, administrator and defender of the Divine house which he governed. He, in fact, exercised thèse duties and fonctions as long as his mortal liie lasted. He devoted himself to protect his spouse and the Divine Child with the greatest love and with daily assiduity. He was accustomed to provide by his own labor the things necessary to both for their support and clothing. He warded off danger to His life, threatened by the jealousy of a king, by providing an escape to a safe shelter. In the hardships of travel and the bitterness of evil he ever stood forth as the companion, helper and consoler of

the Virgin and of Jésus.

■ Now the Divine house which Joseph ruled as if with paternal authority, contained the beginnings of the rising Church. The Most Holy Yirgin, as she is the Mother ot Jésus Christ so is the mother of ail Christians, inasmuch as she bore them on Mount Calvary amid the suprême torments of the Redeemer. Moreover, Jésus Christ is, as it were, the firstborn of Christians, who are His brothers by adoption and rédemption.

From thèse facts springs the reason wherefor the most blessed Patriarch regards, as being entrusted to himself in a certain peculiar manner, the multitude of Christians of which the Church is compsed, namely, that innumerable family scattered through ail lands, over which, because he is spouse of Mary and the father of Jésus Christ he exercises an autho- . rity in some sort paternal. It is, therefore, natural and signally worthy of St Joseph, that, as he formerl5r wTas accustomed to défend most sacredly the familly of Nazareth, and relieved ail its wants, so now he should protect and défend the Church of Christ with his heavenly patronage.

Indeed, you easily comprehend, Yenerable Brethren, that thèse things are confirmed from this, that the opinion has prevailed with not a few Fathers of the Church, the sacred liturgy itself there to agreeing that the Joseph of old, son of the patriarch Jacob, typified the person and offices of the new Joseph, and also, by his excellence, foreshadowed the greatness of the future guardian of the Divine Family.

And, indeed, besides that the same name was given to each, and that name is not devoid of significance, to you are perfectly well known other évident similitudes between them ; this one especially, that the first Joseph obtained fron his master favor and singular good will, and when he was placed by the same over his household, prosperity and riches

flowed abundantly into the master's house, thanks to Joseph. Then this other important one, that by order ot the King lie was placed over the whole kingdom with suprerrïe power ; at the time, nioreover, in which a failure of provisions, he provided for the well-being of Egypt and the neighboring countries with such excellent foresight that the king decreed he should be ealled the Sarior of the world.

For this reason it is lawful to recognize in the old patriarch the figure of the new. Just as the one brought prosperity and profit to the domestic interests of his master, and afterward ruled with wonderful snccess over ail the kingdom, so the second, destined for the guardianships of the Christian name, must be supposed to défend and protect the Cfmrch, which is the house of the Lord and the kingdom of G-od upon the earth.

This is, in truth, reason why ail, of whatever condition and place, should commend and confide thernselves to the faith and protection of St. Joseph.

Father of famillies hâve in Joseph a most illustrions example of paternal vigilance and prudence : husbands and wifes hâve a perfect instance of love, concord, and conjugal fidelity : virgins hâve at the same time in him the exemplar and protector of virginal integrity. Let those who spring lrom noble ancestors, placing the image of Joseph before themselves, learn to préserve their dignity even in evil fortune ; let the rich uuderstand what kind of goods they ought most to seek after and acquire with ail their strength,

But the proletarians, the workingmen, whoever are in humbler condition, ought, by a certain motive applying to them specially, to fly to St. Joseph and acquire from him that which they should imitate. For he, of royal blood, united in marriage to the greatest and holiest of ail women, father as he was regarded, of the Son of G-od, yet passed his life in

labor, and sought by the work of his hands and by his trade to provide whatever was necessary for the support of his family.

The condition of the humble, therefore if it is truly examined into, is not abject; and not only is it free from dishonor; but ail labor of workingmen can be immensely ennobied when virtue is united with it. Joseph, content with his own, and that little, bore the hardships necessarily united whith that humble condition of life with serene and lofty mind, after the example of his Son, who, having accepted the form ol a slave, although He is Lord of ail, endured the greatest want and poverty by His own will. By meditating on thèse things the poor and ail who support life by the wages oi their labor ought to raise their courage and think justly ; whileit'is allowed them to nse from poverty and acquire a better position, justice not opposing, however, neither reason nor equity permits them to subvert the order appointed by the Providence of G-od. Still more to descend to violence and attempt any thing of this kind by sédition and revolt, is a foolish plan, generaily rendering those very evils heavier for the relief from which it is undertaken. Let not the poor, therefore, trust to the promises of seditious men, if they are wise, but to the examples and patronage of St. Joseph and to the maternai charity of the Church, which, indeed, takes each day greater care of their condition.

Therefore, having promised very much to Ourselves, Yanerable Brethren, from your authority and episcopalzeal ; nor indeed doubting that the good and pious will do more and greater things spontaneously and voluntarily than those which are ordered, ¥e decree that during the whole of October, at the récitation of the Rosary, concerning which we hâve formerly ordained, a prayer to St. Joseph be added, the formula of which will be transmitted to you

with this letter, and that the same be observed perpetually every year.

To those who piously recite the prayer above mentioned, "We grant an indulgence severally of seven years and the same number of quarantines for each time.

To consecrate the mon th. of March to the honor of of the holy Patriarch by a daily exercise of piety, as has beeu now established in some places is indeed salutary and most laudable. Where this cannot be easily established, it is at least to be wished that before his festival a tridnam of prayers be celebraled in the principal church of the city.

In those places in which the 19th of March, consecrated to St. Joseph, is not comprended in the number of festivals of precept, We exhort ail not f o refuse to spend that day holily,.in private dévotion, as. far as possible, in honor of the heavenly Patron just as if it were of precept.

Meanwhile as omen of the heavenly gifts, and as testimony of Our benevolence, We bestow very lovingly in the Lord on you, Yenerable Brethren, and on your Clergy and people, the Apostolic Bénédiction.

G-iven at Rome, near St. Peter's, on the XV day of August, MDCCCLXXXIX., of Our Pontiflcate the Twelfth.

LEO PP. XIII