HEALTH AND APOSTOLIC BENEDICTION

With a desire worthy of the tender solicitude of a mother, the Church has never ceased to implore the AImighty that the universal Christian people might be united together in the bonds of religious faith and praetical devotion. We likewise, who represent on earth the person of the Divine Pastor of souls, have endeavored to follow that example. We have been unremitting in our efforts to foster a like purpose amongst Catholic nations and we now recommend a similar resolution to those Christian nations whom the Church so long and ardently calls to the true centre of Christian unity. The source from which we have attained so many happy auguries and from which we still await renewed assistance is not hard to discern, for it is from Him who is justly invoked under the title of “ Father of Mercies” and whose especial prerogative it is to illuminate our minds and graciously lend our wills unto salvation. Nor can even Catholics be blind to the grandeur and dignity of our undertakings, for on their success depends the greater glory of God, the honor of the Christian name and the eternal salvation of many souls, And if they sincerely and religiously consider the beneticient results that must inevitably accrue from our efforts they will experience an increased revival of divine love in their hearts which with God's grace, will prompt them to shrink from no obstacle and strain every nerve on behalf of their Christian brethren. And then it will come to pass— a thing devoutly to be wished—that they will readily unite with us, not only in the firm and unwearing hope of a satis-

and fr

factory issue but also in that means which devout and ve humble supplication obtains from the throne of mercy. Chrie For the exereise of this duty of Christian piety there 18 ix Ai no time more appropriate than that in which the Apostles power of old after the Ascension of our Lord into Heaven invatih * vomained together and were persevering with one mind ; A Le at prayer with Mary the Mother of Jesus (Acts L, 14,) ence | awaiting the promised help from on High and the trea compa sures of all the gifts of the Holy Spirit. the CI From that august cenacle of the Parvactete the ( hurch Erica ge coneeived by Christ and brought fcruh 1n His saving hon blood, wafted as it were by the breath of God, went to be | forward on her glorious mission of leading the nations ; be ex] of the earth. to the unity of faith and the newness ol ien 1 Christian life. : harmo Within a short period the most admirable and bounti- Cathol ful results followed where we behold that inimitable of the union of heaxts that can never be too strongly recom- os oa mended for our imitation and example, ^ And the mul- of one titude of believers. had but one heart and soul. (Acts and he iy, 32.) For that reason we have deemed it well both strong bv exhortation and request to excite the devotion of the fostatic Catholic people, that following the example of the \ ing the en Mother and the holy Apostles, they may also, during ie an the nine days preceding the feast of Pentecost, pray God endea\ with unanimity of purpose and fervent devotion, repent- realize ing the self-same prayer: | Send forth thy spirit and in Chri they shall be created and thou shalt renew the face ol ere wit the earth.” joined

‘Truly great and salutary are the blessings which we rity,

hope to obtain from Him, who 18 the Spin of pond tx Truth: who has revealed the hidden mysteries of the in retu God head in the snered Seriptures ; who strengthens the further Chureh by His ever abiding Presence, and from whom ences f as from the living fountain of holiness the souls that are Ther royenerated unto the adoption of the sons of God are before | wonderfully multiplied und perfeetod in the superna publiel

Ghost

tural wifts of eternal life

For it is from the manifold graces of the Holy Spirit

nd is les "en iid En

ed

reh ing ent ONS "m

ntiable ‘Ol nul- Acts hoth the ren ing God one | and MU of

h we it of ii the 8 the vhom nt are «d ure perua

Spirit

and from His perpetual bounty that divine light and love, health and strength, solace and rest, all good Christian purpose and profieieney in Christian operation are derived. In fine the Holy Spirit so acts by his power in the Chureh that as Christ is the head of that mystic body so the Holy Ghost may be appropriately called its heart; for “the heart as a certain secret influence in the body: and therefore the Holy Ghost is compared to the heart because He animates and unites the Church in an invisible manner,” (St. Thomas.) And since above all the Holy Ghost is that divine charity to whom all the works of love are attributed, it is greatly to be hoped that through Him the spirit of error shall be expelled, the spirit of wiekedness restrained, and there shall be affeeted a closer union and more lastine harmony that will be worthy of the children of the Catholic Chureh, who, in accordance with the admonition of the Apostles, “should do nothing through strife,” but “being of one mind, having the same charity, and being of one accord," will thus fill up the measure of our joy and become not merely in manner but in very deed a strong and flourishing community. From such a manifestation of Christian harmony amongst Catholies; from the earnest devotion of prayer to the Holy Ghost, we are confident that the reconeiliation which we have endeavored to effect with our separated brethren may be realized, so that “ the mind may be in them which was in Christ Jesus " (Phil. ii., 5), and being at last partak ers with us of Faith and Hope they may in time be joined. with us in the much desired bonds of perfeet eharity. Besides the blessings which the faithful who respond to our earnest exhortations shall receive from God in return for their active plety and fraternal charity it further pleases us to bestow the reward of Holy Indulg ences from the treasure of the Chureh

Therefore, to all those who for nine consecutive days

before the Feast of Pentecost shall devoutly recite either publicly or privately some special prayers to the Holy Ghost, we grant. on each of those days, an Indulgenee of

ws and seven quarantines ; also a Plenary Indulgence on any one of these days, or on the Feast of Pentecost, or on any day within the following octave, provided that having duly confessed and communicated they pray to God, according to the intentions above specified. We further grant to those who wish to repeat the same conditions of prayer, during the octave following Pentecost, the same Indulgences. Those Indulgences may be apled to the suffering souls in Purgatory; and by our authority we hereby ordain and decree that they shall be available each year for the future, those conditions being observed whieh are required by law and custom. Given at Rome, at St. Peter's, under the Fisherman's seal, in the year one thousand eight hundred and ninetyfive, on the fifth day of May, in the eighteenth year oi

seven yet

our Pontificate.