I. VOYAGES DE PLAISIK, ETC

Me<^ chers Colfabora/eurs,

Vous n'êtes pas sans connaître les dangers, que rencontre la morale chrétienne, dans les excursions et voyages déplaisir. Plus d'une fois, sans nul doute, vous les avez déplorés et vous avez fortement exhortés les fidèles confiés à vos soins de se tenir en garde contre ces réunions. La jeunesse surtout y est exposée à la tenlation et à l'occasion prochaine de pécher

ble Incyclical of oui Holy Father Léo XIII. Casting a glance over the Christian world, he sees ail the evils that afilict the Church of Grod at the présent moment ; his vision even extends beyond the horizon of the présent and he foresees the terrible calamities that the mischievous doctrines of the day shall give birth to, — calamities that, like a mighty tempest, shall rage around the bark of Peter and shall threaten to submerge the whole Christian world His enemies hâve not only had the andacity to despoil Him of His temporal power, allowing Him only a semblance of liberty that is left to thi» mercy of scheming statesmen and an unfriendly parliament ; bnt they hâve gone iarther : they are attacking and trying to demolish In;:, itutions which, until the présent moment, hâve reniained intact. There is no institution that deserves more of Christian countries than the Propaganda, that home of Apostolic zeal and missionary enterprise and yet we see this glorious institution, which in the divest persécutions of the past was left untouched, exposed to the most virulent attacks. And even error and heresy under the fostering care of the same enemies are allowed to take root in the eternal city, whilst catholic worship and catholic truth are incessantly exposed to CA^ery mode of persécution, and it is the woeful sight that floods the soûl of the great and magnanimous Léo XIII with such bitter sorrow. There is one evil that adds a spécial poignancy to his grief ; it is the diabolical attempt that is made to poison the innocent and unwary heart of children and youth with the most pernicious and deadly drachings. This interesting portion of the Church's flock has ever preoccupied her heart and filled her with an especial hope

and consolation. And iiow our holy Father, notwithstanding' the untold sacrifices that He has imposod on Himself to shield the Eoman yoiith against the lures of thèse godless enemies, is doomed to see his work frustrated and checked by the evily machinations and seductive prosélytisme of his opponents. The revolutionary and immoral éducation so landed for its unsectarian spirit is only developing the présent génération of Roman children into a race of matricides breathing endless hâte against that Holy Roman Church that so jealously watched over their infancy.

Would that the evil, great as it is, rested hère. There are still darker shadows in this lugubrious picture.

" By the practices that are in vogue in its very " clear, says our Holy Father, meanwhile, that the " plague is creeping more and more through the

" rest of the body of the Christian commonwealth

" And so the commerce of human society, though " already it has received very rude shocks, stands in " dread ; looking out for yet greater périls."

Is it not terrifying to hear such mournful and such impressive words escape the lips of Christ Vicar on earth. From his elevated position on the Chair of Peter, he possesses a spécial right and authority to forewarn the nations of the périls that menace them ; for, like the eagie soaring in the upper skies, who in one single glance embraces the world beneath him, our Holy Father sees society as none else ; He sees it in its varied combination of light and shade, He sees it devoid of that glamer that ^1zzles and blinds the ordinary eye ; He sees it with its hideous ruins and its migJîty wrecks ; He sees its undermined in ail its

de ceux qui veram et gravem cibos esuriales edendi difficultatem experiuntur . Cette décision ne regarde pas le jeune, qui est sôparable de cette abstinence, et qui peut être commué pour toute autre raison suffisante.

m. LITANIES.

Par un décret en date du 16 juin 1880, le Saint- Siège ordonne aux Evêques de ne point permettre dans leurs diocèses la récitation publique des litanies non ax:>prouvées par le Saint-Siège lui-même et de refuser leur approbation aux livres renfermant ces litanies non approuvées.

Pour me conformer à cet ordre, je défends dès ce jour de réciter publiquement, et, à plus forte raison, de chanter des litanies non approuvées. Par conséquent, il ne sera pas permis dans ce diocèse de réciter jyabliquemeut ou de chanter d'autres litanies que celles du Saint Nom de Jésus, de la Sainte Vierge dites de Lorette, et des Saints, parce que ce sont les seules approuvées.