The feast of St. Francis of Sales being a day on

which a plenary indulgence may be gained by the members of the society bearing this Saint's name, the members should be encouraged to offer a communion of réparation on that day.

Believe me,

Very sincerely,

Yours devotedly,

.T. O. Routhier, V. G-.,

Administrator

2nd Séries— No. 34.

PASTORAL LETTER

His Lordsbip JOSEPH THOMAS DUHAMEL,

BISHOP OF OTTAWA

On the occasion of his return from Rome.

To announce : lo. The division of the diocèse of Ottawa and the érection of the Apostolic Vicariate : 2o. The affiliation of the Basilica ot Ottawa to the Liberian Patriarchal Basilica ; and 3o. to remind Catholics of their dnty in vievv of the présent trying situation of the Chureh and the Sovereign Pontiff.

JOSEPH THOMAS DUHAMEL

Hfl thf grâce of God and thefavor of the Holy Apostolic

Se?) Bishop of Ottawa, Assistant ai the Pontificat

Throne, Roman Count.

To the Clergy, Religions Communities and Faithful of our diocèse, Health and Bénédiction in oui* Lord.

Ijkarly Beloved Brkthren,

< h\ the 23rd of this month, we sang a solemn " Te Deum with the Catholic people of our Episcopal city to thank Ood, who is iniinitely good, l'or having been propitions to Us on our way to the Eternal city, during Our sojourn there, and l'or h a vin g

brought us back saie and sound to Dur diocèse. We addressed our hymn of gratitude to Mary Immaculate, the guardian and patroness of this diocèse, by whose intercession we received so many grâces and favors during the months we were retained far away from yon, Dearly Beloved Brethren, entirely occupied with your dearest interests, We also gave thanks to the Holy Guardian Angels and to ail the Saints whom we had particularly invoked, and whose prayers doubtless obtained, that hearts and Avilis were favorable to us.

As we to-day résume the administration of this diocèse, it is fit we shouid address yon to make known to you what has been ordained by the Holy See at Our solicitation, some favors which hâve been obtained, and to acquaint you with the sentiments of our heart. It is not part of the plan We hâve traced out for ourselves to describe to you the places through which We hâve passed, the profane and religious mouuments which We had the privilège of once more admiring, or even of the holy Sanctuaries where, in prayers which We tried to render fervent, We asked for ail of you, Dearly Beloved Brethren, the most abundant blessings and especially the grâce of persévérance in good, that not one of you may perish, and that every souî confided to Us may be saved by this persévérance, according to the words of the Saviour " Qvi aident persevefaverit usque infinem, hic sa/vus eritP (Matt. X 22.)

We wish to speak to you, Dearly Beloved Brethren, on questions more interesting to you, namely : lo. the division of ihe diocèse of Ottawa ; 2o. of the indulgences, privilèges and spiritual favors granted to Our Cathedral Basilica ; 3o. of the situation of the Church and of the duties consequently incumbent on Catholics.

Considering, lo. the immense extent of territory in the diocèse oi' Ottawa, 2o. the necessity oi' providing for the more fréquent visiting of the Indian missions, thereby to second more efiicaciously the zeal of the devoted Oblate mission aries who hâve for a number of years been charged with them ; 3o. the obligation under which the Bishop is of often visiting the parishes already established and the new missions which a great colonization movement, so well-directed by an able and zealous priest Révérend A. Labelle, must necessarily multiply ère long, the Archbishop and the Bishops of the ecclesiastical province of Qnebec, believed, as we did, that the timc had corne for Us to make new solieitations to obtain the division of this too large diocèse. For this reason, they requested the Sovereign Pontiff to separate from the diocèse of Ottawa, a considérable part and to erect therewith an Apostolic Vicariate, and We accordingly made another journey to Rome. It is now Our duty to announce to you that the Holy See has deigned to create this Apostolic Vicariate under the naine of Pontiac and has confided the administration thereof to the Yery Révérend N. Z. Lorrain, presently Vicar General of llis Lordship the Bishop of Montréal. We deem it annecessary for Us to speak to you of the precious qualifies that render this worthy priest eminently lit for the ministry confided to him by the Vicar of Jesus-Christ for the clergy and fait h fui henceforth placed under his care will soon appreciate his worth and will not tarry in extolling his merits.

This division being made, the diocèse of( Ottawa will comprise in the Province of Ontario, the following Counties only : Prescott, Rnssell, Carleton & North Lanark, and in the Province of Québec, the vefy

large County of Ottawa and Argenteuil. The remainder of what formerly constituted the diocèse shall henceforth belong to the Apostolic Vicariate af Pontiac.

Your spirit of faith, dearly beloved Brethren, will inspire you with the sentiments by which you shûïild be animated on this occasion. You will receive with an entire and humble submission, the décision of the Holy See. Those who are to be ol the flock of the new Pastor should join to their obédience a lively gratitude to Dur Lord and to the Pope who for their greater benefît, has given them a Bishop according to the heart of Ood.

We profit by this occasion to thank the Pàrish priests, the missionaries and the religions of the newly erected Vicariate, for the intelligent and willing assistance they hâve ever gi\ren Us. We certainly regret deeply the change that severs the close relations existing between Us and thèse devoted co-operators. Our request is that while We shall no longer be their Bishop, they will always consider Us their warm friend. We would also exprès* to the faithful, who are no longer to be under our jurisdiction, ail the gratitude We feel for the devotedness and generosity of which they hâve given Us so m an y proofs. To the Catholics of Pembroke who always rival in love for the Churclt and in liberality for good works, we présent our congratulations, since in their young and ilourishing town is placed the résidence of the new Bishop.

To the soûls, of whom We still retain the care. We can, We believe, relying on Grod's grâce, promise to labor more efflcaciously in the work of their salvation.

Our Holy Pather the Pope, Léo XIII how much soever occupied with the gênerai interests of the

Church, labors to increase Christian piety in the hearts of the faithful,

Wherefore, it is to vivify yours, dearly beloved brethren, and to augment your dévotion towards I lie Immaculate Mother of Grod, that he permitted ctot Basilica of Ottawa to be affiliated to that of St. Mary Major of the Eternal City, with communication of the indulgences, spiritual favors and privilèges granted by the Sovereign Pontifîs to the very holy patriarchal Liberian Basilica.

(3ur Cathedra], Mother ol ail the Churches of the diocèse, even before being decorated with the title of Basilica, enjoyed two precious indulgences, namely : the daily plenary indulgence Pro vïvis ef defunctis and that called of the Porliuncu/e. By the above mention ed affiliation, the following indulgences may be gained by ail those who havinir iulfilled the ordinary conditions will visit it with the requisite dispositions. Ist. A plenary indulgence on the feasts of the Immaculate Conception, the Nativity, the Annunciation, the Assumption ol the Most Blessed Virgin Mary.

2o. Partial indulgences : of 25 years and 25 quarantines on the feast of the Purification of the B. V. M. ; 4 years and 4 quarantines on the feast of the Présentation : 3 years and 3 quarantines on the feast of the Exaltation ot the Holy Cross ; 2 years and 2 quarantines upon the feast of the Dedication ol' St. Michael the Archangel.

3o. Stational Indulgences : Upon the first Sundav of Ad vent; the Wednesday of the December Quarter Tenses, Christmas Eve, Christmas day, the Wednesday ol the Quarter Tenses of Lent, the 2nd S un day ol Lent; the Wednesday of Holy Week. Ëaster Sunday, the second ferial of the Rogations, the Wednesday of Pentecost Quarter Tenses ; the feast of the Dedication of 9t. Mary ad Nives ; the Wednesday ol* September Quarter tenses.

T hère now remains, dearly beloved brethreii, ta speak to y ou of the situation of the Church and of the Holy See and of the duties incumbent on Uatholics during the présent days. We would be happy to describe to you the religious cérémonies of the capital of the Christian world ; but alas ! you are aware they are no longer performed as in bygone days. Those of the canonization of the month of December 1881, of the béatification in the month of January of this year, had to be celebrated in a hall above the portico of St. Peter's and conséquent 1\\ they could not bear the usual seal of grandeur which a popular démonstration formerly made so beautiful, so edifying and consoiing, but which is now rendered impossible.

On days of great solemnity, when impious revolutionists had not yet by their entrance into the Holy City, frozen everything with their cold breath. the incomparable basilicas of St. Peter, St. Mary Major, St .John of Lateran and the three hundred and sixty and more churches, vied wTith each other in displaying their magnificence. Catholics of the two hemispheres coming in large numbers to satisfy their ])iety in liome, intermingled with the Roman people and lilled the sacred dwellings...But now, ail has changed and it is with deep ielt sorrow we speak of it. The loftiest as well as the most beautiful temple of Rome, St. Peter's, the Papal church, is without its imposing cérémonies, and why not say it, without worshippers ; ail entrances to the Vatican, the Pope's résidence, are guarded by soldiers placed there by a usurpatory power, that is jealous and i'ears even pions pilgrims who go to visit Peter in his prison. The city of popes no longer resounds with the joyful canticles of priests invoking the

powerftil intercession of the much loved Virgin and holy protectors. The ministers of the Lord scarcely dare appear in mourning vestments and chant the De Profundis, while àccompanying the mortal remains of the dead and even then they must submit to the injuries of a depraved press which clamors, let us rather say, vociférâtes when the pastors hâve succeeded in bringing back to the fold, beibre death, some of their ilock who had unfort un a tel y taken sides with the revolutionists who had assailed the holy city in order to destroy ail that might be a reminder of the reign of the Grood vShepherd, as if such a thing could be accomplished. [s it necessary for Us, Dearly Beloved Brethren. to portray the sentiments with which our soûl was overcome ? We might say u our sorrow was vast as the océan " (Lam. II, 13.) The révolution is mistress of Rome. After having deprived the church of her states, her most precious possessions hâve also been taken away. The pope is a prisoner. We can aiïirm it for We visited him in his prison and it is in this prison that we received (both for you and for Ourself) the blessing of Léo XIII. Is there anything more lamentable, Dearly Beloved Brethren, than the condition of the Vicar of Jesus- Christ ? Still, he is a Sovereign : it cannot be doubted. Bistory proves his incontestable right to the crown, to the three-fold crovvn and the throne. Re is nol a Sovereign like any other, for none is s*1» august as he — he has two powers, of which tht* spiritual cornes directly from Grod and renders necessary the most absolute indépendance, and this indépendance can only be enjoyed without hindrance, if he has temporal dominion. The Governtnents themselves are obliged t<> recognize the rereignty of the Roman Pontiff, as is pToved by tfic cortège of ambassadors which surronnd the illustrions prisoneT of the Vatican. It is nearh

fwelve years since the révolution, with the desigii ot annihilating the work ot' Jesus-Christ, forced the Pope to confine himself in his palace. ïhere. he déclares himself oppressed.

Léo XIII lives in captivity for he cannot leave his dwelling without exposing himself to the insults of thèse same men who insulted the vénérable relies of the immortal Pius IX. Those who voted for the plebiscitum of September 20th 1870, are always there ; those who on July 13th 1881, on Saint Ange bridge, cried : " Down with the Clericals " ! " The body of the tyrant to the watér " î when the body of Mary's Pontiff was carried to St. Lawrence extra murps. Léo XIII remains a captive, because if he went out in the streets of Rome, his jailers hâve declared he would acknowledge the victory of the révolution and would bow before the sceptre of a King who dares not return to his Kingdom, nor slacken the reins of a government, whose aim is the destruction of the divine plan for the management of society.

Could auy thing be more surprising than this captivity imposed upon the soveieingn of more than fcwo hundred millions of soûls ? Do not catholics désire that the Head of the Church exercise fully his spiritual power ? and if they désire it, ought they not begin by proclaming the necessity of his temporal indépendance ? Christian nations hâve the right of reclaming this suprême and necessary liberty ; it is the duty of Italy to respect the form of this liberty and to restore temporal power to the Pope.

At every favorable opportunity Léo XIII déplores the situation of the Holy See ; he reclaims the temporal power which no Pope, said he to Us, will or can forego. Is it necessary to add that thèse demands are above ail personal interest and ail ambition ? Justice requires that the Pope maintain the rights of the Roman PontifTs on the temporal possessions of

the Chuvch, of which the meek and peaceful Pins IX was deprived. In reclaiming royal power, the Pope does but fullil the rigorous obligation he is under, of guarding the rights of the Church. as an inheritance to be transmitted to his successors. When he wishes to receive the sceptre of the Pontiff King, he obeys the neeessity of his mission, which caunot be freeJy accomplished in the actual state of affaire; nor, can il ever be so, as long as the temporal possessions do not constitute a sovereign independency. St range to say ! the least blinded among the revolutionists hâve acknbwledged the rights of the Sovereign Pontiff. Listen to this one : ^ " Every one feels that the llead of the Church should be indépendant of the will of another prince and sheltered irom the tumults of a popular state."

" Sovereignty has been given to the Pope that he might be indépendant, and considèred from this point of view, his sovereignty should be held to be, not only just, but necessary, and it appears in history as most legitimate in its origin and as bëing founded on the consent of the people, more than an y other temporal power in existence."

Hère is vvhat another f has said : " Tefnporal sovereignty guarantees indépendance to the Pope, in the same manner as the possession of goods and revenues of its own, guarantees liberty to the church. Sovereignty guarantees indépendance, as it takes the hee power of the Pope, from under rlei sway of the evil influence of political discussions and because it also exempts the pontifical decrees from suspicion of an offence to ifhereciprocaldignity of Christian nations." Is not this admitting dearly beloved brethren, that the only means the Pope has of being independent, is his sovereignty ?

• Léopold Galéotti,

And, if the Pope did not stand in need of absoltite liberty in order to exercise his spiritual power, no king could with more ease than he, resign himseli' to be no longer in possession of states.

The condition of modem society shows dailv more and more, the necessity of exercising hi^ spiritual power. That you may hâve a clearer idea of this, listen to one of the most authoritative voices of the great Empire of which Canada is one of the most flourishing colonies. Cardinal Manniug thns speaks : " Formerly, when Isaias prophesied in the streets of Jérusalem, many among the jews led a bad life, but the city was consecrated to Gk>d and to the law. So, when the Vicar of Jesus-Christ reigned in liome, it was catholic fait h that overruled public affairs ; and in days, already long gonc by, the social authority oi' christianity compelled even those who, in their hearts, had prevaricated, to show exterior respect. To-day, this order of things is overthrown. Men may be eatholics, but society has rejected christianity. An increase of faith and Christian life is évident in soûls, but the public life of the world no longer has faith as its lirst élément. The immutable church of Jésus-Christ is forsaken and its children scattered ail over th<> globe, seem isolated in the midst of nations, of which, nevertheless, they are the population and the strength."

An Archbishop of Sardinia ^ afhrming the samc fact, shows us still more clearly the unfortunate state of civil society. " We hâve corne to a point," h<» writes, " at which in the eyes of those who call themselves partisans of liberty and civilization, it is almost a crime to profess the Catholic faith. Ca»lumny, falsehood, violence, spoliations, the most trivial and revolting anecdotes, the most vulg&r

* OUristaiio.

jokes, the most impudent provocations, the most shameless déniais, the most perhdious insinuations, the most wily snares, even the déniai or falsifying oi history and of the most évident tacts — ail this is good, ail is reputed lawful, provided it be to the détriment of the church, of the Pope, of the clergy, in a word, of Catholics."

In view of this desolate situation, the heart of Léo XIII is rent with sorrow. He sees the sad results of this atheism of human society, as they should be seen by emperors, kings and ail those who govern the people, results which every one may judge of for himself by the daily crimes ot every kind, which are committed in the name ol liberty, equality and fraternity. So, he does not cease reminding nations and governments that the salvation of society is inséparable from the liberty of the church. He shows, even from historien 1 facls, that the church havinsc alreadv saved and regfenerated society, can accomplish to-day, whatshe did fifteen centuries ngo. Christianity withdrcw the world l'rom the evils ofpaganism, it hasyet strength enough to gave it from the innumerable evils which are being prepared for it by the spirit of indifférence iind sloth of too many among catholics, by the irréligions spirit of the hnpious and the insensate rage of parties, especially those belonging to secret societies, whose numbers daily increase.

Religion exercises a saiutary influence over ail manifestations of public life. She is the social tic, by excellence, first, between Gk)d and men and then between men themselves. Proclaimed and taughl by those who hâve received the order thereof, from the RegeneratoT ofhumanity, she upholds the state, strengthena and défends it againsl the incursions of its enemies, social sects.

By tlic liufht she offers to every intelligence, by (lie charity she inspires in ail hearts, she trains up

générations in the knowledge of good piineiples, in

the love of virtue, in respect for established power and for the rights oi' individuals. Why then dread the development ol lier inexliaustible résources ? In religion alone, can families find their security, thrones their stability, îaws their vigor, and modem nations trnly eiviiized morals. An humble and generous return to the faith and doctrine ofJesus- Christ in countries where this true lisrht is diminished or no longer saines, is indispensable. And in countries where it is still the rule of men's lives, that faith, must ever be preserved and practised. It must be so, otherwise darkness will become heavier ; it must be so, otherwise men will completely forget the science of God, ol man, oi the past, of the présent. ot the future. The need of faith is the greater, as a greater force ol will is becoming necessary, and that faith alone gives. And indeed, it can corne neither from hum an laws, nor from a feeling of duty, nor from the allurement of honor, nor from the influence of cirilization. Faith is the strength which makes saints, heroes and martyrs by elevating them to divine heights by the example ol the divine Master. the hope of an eternal reward, by prayer and the sacraments and particularly the Eucharist. Faith also gives us patience in suflering, together with the possession of the Sovereign good which is God himself. Faith satislies the undeniable wantsofman Without the splendors of faith, human reason goes astray in its ignorance and weakness ; without the énergies of this virtue, man cannot be upright in his thoughts, noble and pure in his affections. Without faith, that is to say without God as the idéal of beauty, of wisdom, of goodness, of justice, of holiness. what can man do ? Nothing truly beautiful, nothing wise, nothing good. He will not even remain honest, since he begins by refusing to render to God what is due to Him,