ON HUMAN LIBERTY

To the Patriarchs, Primates, Archbishops and Bishops of the Catholic World, in favor and communion with the Apostolic See.

POPE DEO XIII

VENERABLE BRETHREN, Health and Apostolic Benediction.

Liberty, the highest gift of nature, which belongs only to intellectual or rational beings, confers on man this dignity, that he is“ in the hand of his counsel ” and has power over his actions. But the manner in which this dignity is borne is of the greatest moment, inasmuch as on the use that is made of liberty the highest good and the greatest evil alike depend. Man indeed is tree to obey his reason, to seek moral good, and to strive after his last end. Yet heis free also to turn aside to all other things, to follow after false dreams of hapiness, to disturb established order, and to fall headlong into the destruction which he has voluntarily chosen. The Redeemer of mankind, Jesus Christ, having restored and exalted the orignal dignity of nature, vouchsafed special assistance to the will of man; and by the zifts of his grace, and the promise of heavenly bliss, He raised it toa nobler state, In

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like manner this great gift of nature has ever been, and always will be, constantly cherished by the Catholie Church ; for to her alone has been committed the charge of handing down to all ages the benefits purchased for us by Jesus Christ. Yet ‘here are many who imagine that the Church is hostile to human liberty. Having a false and absurd notion as to what liberty is, either they pervert the very idea of liberty, or they extend it at their pleasure to many things in which man cannot right ly be regarded as free.

We have on other occasions, and especially in our Encyelical Letter Immortale Dei, in treating of the so-called modern liberties, distinguished between their good and evil elements; and we have shown that whatsoever is good therein is as ancient as truth itself, and that the Church has always most willingly approved and practised it, bui whatsoever has been added is of a vitiated kind, the fruit of the disorders of the age and of an insatiate longing aiter novelties. Seeing, however, that many cing so obsiinoie!y to their own opinion in this matter as to imagine these modern liberties, vitiated as they are, to be tse greatest glory of our age, and the very basis ot civil life, without which no perfect government could be conceived, We therefore feel it now our duty, for the sake of the common ood, to treat separately of this subject.

It is with moral liberty, whether in individuals or in communities that we proceed to deal. But, first of all, it will be well to speak briefly of natural liberty ; for, though the two kinds are distinct and separate, the natural is the fountain head of liberty of whatsoever kind. The unanimous consent and judgment of men, which is certaintly the voice of nature, recognizes this natural lioerty in those only who are endowed with intelligence or reason ; and it is by this that man is rightly regarded as responsible

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for his actions. For, while other animate creatures follow their senses, seeking good or avoiding evil only by instinct, man has reason to guide him in all the acts of his life. Reason sees the contingency of all the good things which are upon earth; and thus, seeing that none of them are of necessity for us, it leaves the will free to chose what it pleases. But man can judge of this contingency, only because he has a soul that is simple, spiritual and intellectual ; a soul, therefore, which is not produced by matter and does not depend on matter for its existence, but which is created immediately by God, and, far surpassing the condition of material things, has a life and action of its own—so that, knowing the unchangeable and necessary reasons of what is true and good, it can judge of the contingency of anything in particular When, therefore, it is established that man's soul is immortal and rational, the foundation of natural liberty is at once most firmly laid.

As the Catholic Church declares in the strongest terms the simplicity, spirituality, and immortality of the soul, so with unequalled constancy she asserts also its freedom. These truths she has always taught and has sustained them as a dogma of faith ; and whenever hereties or innovators have attacked the liberty of man, the Church has defended it and protected it from assault. History bears witness to the energy with which she met the fury of the Manicheans and the like ; and the earnestness with which in later years she defended human liberty in the Council of Trent, and against the followers of Jansenius is a well-kown fact. Never and in no place, has she made truce with fatalism. Liberty then, as we have said, belongs only to those who have gift of reason or intelligence. Considered as to its nature it is the faculty of'ehoosing means fitted for the end proposed : for he only is master of his actions who can choose one thing out of many. Now,