ENCYCLICAL OF OUR HOLY FATHER, PIUS X., BY DIVINE PROVIDENCE POPE
To the Patriarchs, Primates, Archbishops, Bishops and other Ordinaries in Peace and Communion with the
Apostolic See.
PIUS X., POPE
Venerable Brothers,
Health and the Apostolic Blessing.
Addressing for the first time from the Chair of the Supreme Apostolate to which we have, by the inserutable disposition of God. been elevated, it is not necessary to remind you with what tears and warm entreaties we exerted ourself to remove from us this formidable burden of the Pontificate. Unequal in merit though we be with St Anselm, 1t seems to us that we may with truth make our own the words in which he lamented when constrained against his will and in spite of his struggles to receive the honor of the episcopate. For to show the dispositions of mind and will with which we subjected ourself to the most serious charge of feeding the flock of Christ we can well adduce those same proofs of grief which he invokes in his own behalf. “My tears are witnesses,” he wrote, “and the sounds and moanings issuing from the anguish of my heart, such as I never remember to have come from me for any sorrow, before that day on which there seemed to fall upon me that great mis-
fortune of the archbishopric of Canterbury. And those who fixed their gaze on my face on that day could not fail to see it. I, in color more like a dead than a living man, Was | for amazement and alarm. Hitherto I have, with true reasons, resisted, as far as I could, my
lenee done me. But now I am
constrained to confess, whether I will or no, that the judements of ( ppose greater and greater resistance tomy cfi it 1 see. no way of escaping them.
Wherefore, vanquished as lam by the violence not so much of men : God, against which there is no providing t nothing is left for me, after having | ld, and. striven that this chalice me without my drinking it, s and my will and resign
rand the will of God. "
election (
merous and most weighty
his resist nee of ours. Mor
deemed ourself altogether un-
WoO! h our littl ss, of the honor of the Pontificate, who would not have been disturbed at seeing himself designated to succeed him, who, ruling the Chureh with su me Wisdom for nearly twenty-six years B | with such sublimity of mind,
ue, as to attract to himslf the
ysaries and to leave his memory
us achievements ?
o omit other motives, we were terribv the disastrous state of human can fail to see that society is we, suffering from a terri-
lady which, developing every day ing, is dragging it to destruction derstand, venerable brothers, what this di postusy from God, than which in truth ith rain, according to the word
hold they that yo far from Thee
We saw, therefore,
And those v could not an à living Hitherto I [ could, my t now lam , that the r resistance ping them.
ence not so is no provfter having this chalice lrinking it, and resign God. ”
st weighty ours. Mor ogether unof the Pon- | at seeing ruling. the Ly -S1X years ty of mind, | himslf the his memory
were terriof. human ut society is om a terri- » every day c it to deshers, what ieh 1n truth to the word ‘from Thee
therefore,
was to be intrusted to us, we must has to fi a renedy for this pereat evil, considering’ is tl Divine command : “Lo, E have set the hi y over the nations and over kingdoms, to root up, | pull down and to waste, and to destroy, a d to | Id | b (Jerem, i, 10). But, cognizant « our we
recoiled in terror from a tas!
Since however, it has been pl ino | Divine Will to raise our lowliness to such suDiitn power we take courage in Him Who strenethens 1 d, setting ourself to work, relying on the} rot God, we proclaim that we have no o! the Supreme Pontiliente but that mos 1n
Christ,’ (Ephes, i15) ao that and in all” (Coloss, iH, : Some \ in be found who, measuring divine i na
ards, will seek to discover secret à tortine them to an cart] ly scope and l'o eliminate all vain delusion fo the.n with emphasis that we do not wi h the divine assistance never shall be au unan society but the minister of Gor wl rity we are the depositary. The interests | l | | our
interests, and for these we are r strength and our very life, Hen isk i for a symbol as the expressi | 01 Ww] | "HN this and no other : For in ( In undertaking this quickened by the cert unt vou. venerable brotict
we doubt it we should he E TS either unconscious or heedless ol ur
which is now, almost ever: re, stii uj nented against God. Forin truth l raged and the peopl 3 1H rained vial | 1! 1)
against their Creator, so Irequi mies of God: Depa l | | And as might be ex] ted -v-e 1 | iu l Là
the matority of men all resnect for the Eternal God, and
no regard paid in the manifestations of publie and private life to the Supreme Will—nay, every effort and every artifice is used to destroy utterly the memory and the knowledge of God.
metoprolol Al saines
When all this is considered there is good reason to fear lest this great perversity may be as it were a foretaste, and perhaps the beginning of those evils which are reserved for the last days : and that there may be already in the world the “Son ot Perdition” of whom the Apostle speaks (IL Thess. ii, 3) Such, in truth is the audacity and the wrath employed everywhere in personating religion, in combating the doginas of the faith, in brazen effort to uproot and destroy all relations between man and the Divinity ! While, on the other hand, and this, according to the same Apostle, is the distinguishing mark of Antichrist, man has with infinite temerity, put himself in the place of God, raising himself above all that is called God; in such wise that
eg aE AMEN id TS ENTAILS. RE omen Emm et em
Pot Bia
although he cannot utterly extinguish in himself all knowledge of God, he has condemned God’s Majesty, and, as it were, made of the universe a temple wherein he himself is to be adored. “ He sitteth in the temple of God, showing limself as if he were God.” (IL. Thess. ii, 2).
Verily no one of sound mind can doubt the issue of this contest beween man and the Most High. Man, abusing his liberty, ean violate the right and the majesty of the Creator of the universe ; but the victory will ever be with God—nay, defeat is nearest at the very moment when man, under the delusion of his triumph, rises up with most audacity. Of this we are assured, in the Holy Books by God Himself. Unmindfull, as it were, of His strength and greatness, He “overlooks the sins of men " (Sap. xi, 24) — but swiftly, after these apparent retreats, “awaked like a mighty man that hath been surfeited with wine" (10, Ps. Ixxvii., 65) “He shall break the heads of His enemies" (Ps. ixvii, 22)—that all may know "that God is the king of all the earth ”
ice and prieffort and 1emory and
d reason to were a foreevils which re may be ” of whom h,in truth rywhere in mas of the ill relations | the other stle, is the vith infinite ising him-
wise that himself all ls Majesty, ple wherein e temple of
God." (II.
the issue of Man, abus- | majest y of will ever be ry moment oh, rises up in the Holy vere, of His ns of men ” > apparent hath been “He shall , £2)——that the earth ”
(Ps. Ixvi., 8)— “ that the Gentiles may know themselves to be men" (Ps. ix., 20).
All this, venerabie brothers, we believe and expec with unshakable faith. But this does not prevent us also, according to the measure given to each, from exenting ourself to hasten the work of God—and not merely by praying assiduously : “Arise, O Lord, let not man be strengthened” (Ps. ix., 19)—but, more importauf, still, by affirming both by word and. deed and in the light of day, God’s supreme Jominion over man and all things, so that His right to command and His authority may be fully realized and respected. This is imposed upon us not only as à natural duty, but by the common interest of mankind. For, venerable brothers, who ean help being appalled and afflicted when be beholds, in the midst of a progress in civilization justly extolled, the greater part of mankind fight; among themselves so savagely as to make it seem as though atvife were universal ? The desire for peace is certainly harbored in every breast, and there is no one who does not artently invoke it. But to want peace without God
an ulaurdity, seeing that when God is absent, thence too. justice flies, and when justice is taken away it is
in to cherish the hope of peace “Peace is the work of justice" (Is. xxxii, 17) There are many, we are well aware, who, in their yearning for peace, that is, for the tranquillity of order, band themselves into societies and parties, which they style parties of order. Hope and labor lost | For there is but one party of order capable of restoring peace in the midst of all this turmoil, and that is the party of God. It is this party, therefore, that we must advance, and to it attract as many as possible if we are really urged by the love of peace.
But, venerable brothers, we shall never, however much we exert ourselves, succeed in calling men back to the majesty and empire of God, except by means of Jesus Christ. “No one", the Apostle admonishes us, “can lay other foundation than that whieh has been laid, which is Jesus Christ" (I, Cor. iii., II) It is Christ alone,
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“whom the Father sanctified and sent into this world"
(John x., 36)—‘the splendor of the Father and the image of His subtanee,” (Hebr. 1, 3) - true God and true man, without whom nobody can know God for salvation—
“neither doth any one know the Father but the Son, and
he to whom it shall please the Son to reve al him" (Matt. xi. 27), Henee it follows that to restore all things in Christ and to lead us back to submission to God is one and the same aim. To this, then, it behooves us to devote our careto lead back mankind under the dominion of Christ : this done, we shall have brought it back to God. When we say to God we do not mean to that inert being heedless of all things human which the dreams of materialists have imagined, but to the true and living God, one in nature, triple in person, Creator of the world, most wise Ordainer of all things, Lawgiver most just, who punishes the wicked and has reward in store for virtue.
Now the way to reach Christ is not hard to find ; it is the Church, Rightly does Christendom inculeate : ‘The Chureh is thy hope, the Church is thy salvation, the Church is thy refuge”, (Hom. gle capto Eutropio, n. 6). It was for this that Christ “founded it, at the price of His blood, and made it the depositary ot His doctrine and His laws, bestowing upon it at the same time an inexhaustible treasury of graces for the sanctification and salvation of men,
You see, then, venerable brothers, the duty that has been imposed alike upon us and upon you of bringing baek to the diseipline of the Chureh human society, now estranged from the wisdom of Christ ; th: Church will subject it to Christ, and Christ to God. If we, through the goodness of God Himself, bring this task to a happy issue, we shall be rejoiced to see. evil giving plaee to good, end hair, for our gladness, “a loud voice from heaven saying: Now is come salvation, and strength, and the king dom of our God, and the power of His Christ ( A poc, dl. 10, But 11 our desire to obtain this is to. be fulfilled, we must use every means and exert all our energy to bring about the utter disap-
pearance of that enormous and detestab le wiekedness, so characteristie of our time the substitution of man for God : this done, it remains to restore to their ancient place of honor the most holy laws and counsels of the Gospel ; to proclaim aloud the truths taught by the Church, and her teachings on the sanctity of marriage, on the education and discipline of youth, on the possesgion and use of property, the duties that men owe to those who rule the State and lastly to restore equilibrium between the different elasses of society according to ( ‘hristian precept and custom. Such is what we, in submitting ourse If to the manifestations of the Divine will, purpose to aim at during our pontificate, and we will use all our industry to nituin it. It is
| rts by
for you, venerable bro ES ; to second our el your holiness, k :nowlede ea i { <perience, and above all, by your zeal for the elo de of Gol, with no other aim than that Christ may be form | in all.
As to the means to be employed in securing this great end, it seems supe rfluous to name them, for the, are obvi ious to themselves. Let yo first care be to form
Christ in those who are destined bon the duty of their vocation, to form Him in others. We sp: ak of the priests, venerable brothers. For all who hear the seal of the priesthood must know that they have the same mission to the people in the midst of whom they live as that which Paul in thes se tender words proclaimed that he himself received : “My little ehildre of whom Tam in gg again until Christ b: debt in vou" (Gal, 10) ut how will th wey be able to pe riori this duty if they be not first clothe ] with Christ themselves ? und clothed with Christ in such a way as to be able to say with the Apostle : #2 live, yet not I, but Christ lives d i me" (Ibid. ii, 20). "For me to live is Christ Philip. i. 21. Henee, although all are ineluded in the exhortation “to advance toward the perfect man, in the measure of the age of the fullness of Christ” (Ephes. iv, 9), it is addressed before all others to those who exercise the sacer lotal ministry ; thus these
A tin | vast citati eren itia
are called another Christ, not merely by the communication of power, but by reason of the imitation of His works, and they should therefore bear stamped upon themselves the image of Christ.
This being so, venerable brothers, of what nature and magnitude is the care that must be taken by you in forming the clergy to holiness! All other tasks must yield to this one. W herefore the chief part of your dili-
+ vence will be directed to governing and ordering your
seminaries aright so that they may flourish equally in
sound teaching and in the spotless morality. Regard your seminary as the delight of your hearts, and neglect on its behalf none of those provisions which the Council of Trent has, with admirable forethought, prescribed, And when the time comes for promoting the youthful candidates to holy orders, ah ! do not forget what Paul wrote to Timothy : ' reponse not hands light ly upon any man" (IL Tim. v, 22) bearing carefully in mind that asa general rule the faithful will be such as are those whom you call to the priesthood, Do not, then, pay heed to private interests of any kind, but have at heart only God and the Chureh and the eternal welfare of souls so that, as the Apostle admonishes, “you may not Le partakers of the sins of others”. Then, again, be not lacking in solicitude for young priests who have just left the seminary, From the ‘bottom of our heart we urge you to bring them often close to your breast, which should burn: with celestial fire, kindle them, inflame them so that they may aspire solely after God and the salvation of souls. Rest assured, venerable brothers, that we on our side will use the greatest diligenee to prevent the members of the clergy from being drawn into the snares of a certain new and fallacious science, which savoreth not of Christ, but with masked and cunning arguments strives to open the door to the errors of rationalism and semi-rationalism, against which the Apostle warned
Timothy to be on his guard, when he wrote : “Koop that
which is committed to thy trust, avoiding the profane
novelties of words, and opposition of knowledge falsely
Pye ee ea E.
so called which some promising have erred in tho faith" (Tim, vi., 20).
This does not prevent us from esteeming worthy of praise those young priests. who dedicate themselves to useful studies in every branch of learning the better to prepare theiselves to defend the truth and to refute the calumnies of the enemies of the faith. Yet we cannot conceal, nay, we proclaim in the most open manner ossible, that our preference is, and ever shall be, for those who, while cultivating ecclestastical and literary erudition, dedicate themselves more closely to the welfare of souls through the exercise of those ministries proper to a priest zealous of the divine glory. “It IS a great grief and a continual sorrow for our heart’ (Rom. ix., 2) to tind Jeremiah's lamentation applicable to our times : “The littie ones asked for bread and there was none to break it to them” (Lam. iv., 4). l'or there are not laeking among the elergy those who adapt themselves according to their bent to works of more apparent than real solidity —but not se numerous, perhaps, are those who, after the example of Christ, take to themselves the words of the prophet : “The spirit of the Lord hath anointed me, hath sent me to evangelize the poor, to announce freedom to the captive and sight to the blind” (Luke, iv. 18, 19} Yet who can fail to see, venerable brothers, that while nien are led by reason and liberty, the principal way to restore the empire of God in their souls is religious instruction ? How many there are who mimie Christ and abhor the Chureh and the Gospel more through ignorance than through badness of mind, of whom it may well be said : “They blaspheme all that they do not know" (Jud, it, 10). This is found to be the case not only among the people at large and among the lowest classes, who are thus easily led astray, but even among the more eultivat ed and among. those endowed, moreover, with education beyond the common, The result is for à great many the loss of the faith. For it is not true that the progress of knowledge extinguishes the (aith-—rather it is ignorance
Hi D #
and the more ignorence prevails the greater is the havoe wroughe by ineredulity. And this is. why Christ commanded the Apostles : HE teach all nations” (Matth. xxvlil, 19.)
But in order that the desired fruit may be derived from this apostolate and this zeal for teaching, and that Christ may be formed in all, remember, venerable brothers. that no means is more efficacious than charity, “For the Lord is not found in commotion” (UI, Kings xix.. 11)—it is vain to hope to attract souls to God by a bitter zeal. On the contrary, harm is done more often than good by taunting men harshly with their frults, and reproving their vices with asperity. True, the Apostle exhorted Timothy : * Accuse, beseech, rebuke,” but he took care to add: “with all patience” ( IL Tim. iv. 2) Jesus has certainly left us examples of this "Come to me," we find him saying, “come to me all ye that labor and are burthened and 1 will refresh you” (Matth. xi, 28). And by those that labor and are burthened he meant only those who are slaves of sin and error, What gentleness was that shown by the Divine Master! What tenderness, what compassion toward all kinds of misery ! Isaias has marvellously described His heart in the words : “I will set my spirit upon Him: He shall not contend nor cry out ; the bruised reed He will not break, He will not extinguish the smoking flax” ((Is. ixi, I fol). This charity, “ patient and kind" (L Cor xii, 4) will extend itsell also to those who are hostile to us and persecute us, ' We are reviled,” thus did St. Paul protest, "and we bless ; we: are perseeuted and we suffer it; we are blasphemed and we entreat" (I. Cor, iV, 4}
They, perhaps, seem to be worse than they really are. Their associations with others prejudice the counsel, advice and example of others and finally an illadvised icheme has dragged. them to the side ol the impious ; but their wills are not so depraved as they themselves would seek to make people believe, Who will prevent us from hoping that the flame of Christian charity may
ia voc eomatth.
rived | that brot- 13 Q9) Kings | by a often ‘aults, postle ut he Tim.
[ this 16 all | you" r and ves of oy the yssion llously , spirit it: the aguish char-
rill Ga" As and protest, it; we iv, 4)
ly are.
POUTLSE l.
advised npious ; Inseives prevent ity may
not dispel the darkness from their minds and bring to them the light and the peace of God? It may be that the fruit of our labors may be slow in coming, but eharith waiting knowing that God prepares
ity wearies not W for the result, of toil but for the good
His rewards not
will shown in it.
It is true, venerable brothers, that in this arduous
ion of the human race in Christ, that should exclude all assistance.
We know that God has commanded every one to have a eare for his neighbor (Eccl. Ixii, 12) For it is not priests alone but all the faithful, without exception, themselves With the interests of God according to their own views, but always under the direction and orders of the Bishops; for to no one in the Chureh except you is it le over, to teach, to govern “the Church
uiven to presid of God which the Holy Ghost has placed you to rule”
(Acts xx, 28) Our predecessors have long since and blessed. those Catholies who have banded together in societies of various kinds, but always reliwious iu their aim. We too, have no hesitation in awardto this great idea, and we earnestly ropagated and (lourish in town and country. But we wish that all such associations aim firstly and chietly at the constant maintenance of Christian life among those who belong to them. For truly. it is of ittle avail to discuss questions with niee sublety, or to discourse eloquently of rights and duties, when all this is unconnected with practice. The times we live in demand action—but action consisting entirely in observing with fidelity and zonl the divine laws and the precepts of ‘rank and open profession of religion, in the exercise of all kinds of charitable works, and, indeof self-interest or worldly advantage. Such
les given by the great army ol soldiers of Christ will be of much greater force in moving and ; men than words and sublime dissertations : and
drawiug it will easily come about that when human respect has
task of the restorat neither you or your clergy
who must concern and souls——not of course,
appr veu
ing our pri T
(desire to. see it
the Church, in the !
pendently luminous exim]
pri eden ee
nz my Cages d
| sere"
moe |
been subdued and prejudices and doubting laid aside, large numbers will be won to Christ, becoming in their turn promoters. of His knowledge and love, whieh ure the road to true and solid happiness. Oh ! when in every city and village the law of the Lord is faithfully observed, when respect is shown for sacred things, when the Sacraments are frequented, and the © rdinauces of Christian life fulfilled, there will certainly be no iore need for us to labor to see all things restored in Chris
Nor is it for the attainment of eternal welfare alone th
this will be of service—it will also contribute largely t
men’s temporal welfare and the advantage of human society. For when these conditions have been secured the upper and wealthy classes will learn to be just and charitable to those below. and the latter will be able to bear with tranquillity and paticnce the trials of their hard lot : the citizens will obey not lust but law : reverence and love will be deemed a duty toward those
at govern, "whose power comes only from God’
Rom. xiii, 1). And then? Then, at last, will be clear to al! that the Church, such as it was instituted by ct, iust enjoy full and entire liberty and independ-
ce of all foreign dominion ; and we, in demanding that Sane liberty, are defending pot only the sacred rights of religion, but are also consulting the common weal and the safety of nations. [ur it continues to be true that “piety is useful for all things" (I. Tim. iv., 8)—-when this is strong and flourishing the people will “truly sit in the fullness of peace” (3, Is. xxxll. 18).
May God, “who is rich in inerey" ( Iiphes, ii, 4), benignly speed this restoration of the human race in Jesus Christ, for “it is not of him that willeth, or of him that runneth, but of God that showeth merey” (Rom. ix., 16). And let us, venerable brothers, * in the spirit of humility” with continuous and urgent prayer ask this of him through the merits of Jesus Christ. Let us turn, too, to the most p »werful intereession of the Divine Mother—to obtain which we, addres sing to you this letter of ours on the day appointed
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their
howe God’ clear
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i., 4), ice 1n ' him rey" Ni the rent Jesus ees.
ldves
inted
a nage
especially for cominem wating the Holy Rosary, ordain and confirm all our predecessor's prescriptions with regard to the dedication of the present month to the august Virgin, by the public reaitation of the Rosary in all churehes : with the further exhortation that we invoke as intereessors with God the most pure Spouse of Mary, the Patron of the Catholie Church, and the holy Prinees of the Apostles Peter and Paul.
And that all this may be realized in fulfillment of our ardent desire, and that everything may be prosperous with you, we invoke upon you the most bountiful gifts of divine grace. And now in testimony of that most tender charity wherewith we embrace you and all the faithful whom Divine Providence has intrusted to us, we impart, with all affection in the Lord, the Apostolic Blessing to you, venerable brothers, to the clergy and to your people.
Given at Rome, at St. Peter's on the 4th day of October, 1903, in the first year of our Pontificate.
