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where there is a scarcity of priests, will find valuable helpers for catechetieal instruction in pious lay persons who will lend their aid to this holy and salutary work, both from a zeal for the glory of Gol and as a means of gaining the numerous indulgences granted by the Sovereigu Poatifis.

V. In large towns, and especially in those which contain universities, college and grammar schools, let religious classes be founded to instruct in the truths of faith and in the practice of Christian life the young people who frequent the public schools, from which all ieligious teaching is banned.

VI. In consideration of the fact that in these da adults not less than the young stand in need of religious instruction, all parish priests and others having the care of souls, shall, in addition to the usual homily on the Gospel to be delivered at the Parochial Mass on all days of obligation, explain the atechism for the faithful in an easy style, suited to the intelligence of their hearers, at such time of the day as they may deem most convenient for the people, but not during the hour in which the children are taught. In this instruetion they are to make use of the Catechism of the Couneil of Trent ; and they are to devide the matter in such a way as within the space of four or five years to treat of the Apostles Creed, the Sacraments, the Decalogue, the Lord's Prayer and the Precepts cf the Church.

This, Venerable Brothers, we do preseribe and command by virtue of the Apostolic authority. 1t now “sts with you to put it into prompt and complete execution in your dioceses, and by all the force of your power see to it that these prescriptions of ours be not neglected, or what comes to the same thing, that they be not earried out superficially. That this may be avoided, you must not cease to recommend and to require that your parish priests do not impart this instruction earelessly, but that they diligently prepare themselves for it; let them not speak words of human wisdom,

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but “with simplicity of heart and in the sincerity of

God" (2d. Cor. i, 12), imitating the example of Jesus Christ, Who, though * He revealed mysteries hidden from the beginning of the world" (Matt. xiii, 35), yet spoke “always to the multitudes in parables, and without parables did not speak to them" (Ibid, 34). The same thing was done also by the Apostles taught by our Lord, of whom the Pontiff Gregory the Great said : “They took supreme care to preach to the ignorant things easy and intelligible, not sublime and arduous" (Moral, 2, xvii., ch. 25). In matters of religion the majority of men in our times must be considered as ignorant

We would not, however, have it supposed that this studied simplicity of preaching does not require labor and meditation, on the contrary, 1t requires both more than does rv other kind of preaching. It is much easier to {ind a preacher capable of delivering an eloquent an elabors'e discourse than a catechist who is able to import ins:cuction entirely worthy of praise. It must, therofore, bs carefully born in mind that a person whatever f^ iiity of ideas and language he may have inherited from nature, will never he able to teach the catechism to the young and the adult without preparing himself thoughtfully for it. They are mistaken who suppose that in consequence of the intellectual inferiority of the common people they can perform this office in a eareless manner. On the contrary, the more uncultured the hearers, the greater is the necessity for study and diligenee in order to bring home to their minds those most sublime truths which areso far beyond the natural understanding of the multitude, and which must yet be known by all the learned as well as the unlettered, in order that they may attain eternal salvation.

And now, Venerable Brothers, permit us to close this letter by addressing to you these words of Moses : * If any man be on the Lord's side, let him join with me" (Ex. xxxii. 26.) We pray and conjure you to reflect on the ruin of the souls whieh is wrought solely by

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ignorance of divine things. Doubtless you have done many useful and certainly praiseworthy things in your dioceses for the benefit of the flock entrusted to you, but before all else, and with all the diligence, all the zeal, all the assiduity that is possible for you to employ, see to it that the knowledge of Christian doctrine penetrate and pervade through and through the minds of ail : * Let everyone " ( these are the words of the Apostle St. Peter) “as he has received grace, minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter, iv., 10).

Through the intercession of the Most Blessed Immaculate Virgin, may your diligence and» your energy be fructified by the Apostolic blessing, which, in token of our affection and as an earnest of divine favors, we impart to you and to the clergy and the people entrusted to each one of you.

Given at Rome, at St. Peter's on the 15th day of April, 1905, in the second year of our Pontificate.

PIUS X., POPE

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