DUM MULTAENCYCLICAL OF POPE LEO XIIION MARRIAGE LEGISLATIONTo the Venerable Brothers, the Archbishop of Quitoand the other Bishopsof Ecuador.While We are burdened with much sadness in knowing to what a sorrowful state the Church in Ecuador is reduced, We were very pleased by your timely and publicly proclaimed ordinances. In your pastoral care, you did not hesitate to protest loudly these laws which are opposed not only to the rights of the Church but also to divine right. You protested them right from the time they were proposed. You devoted all your zeal and effort before the damage was done to prevent the public orators from carrying out their ruinous legislative intention. You are not unaware of the undemanding forebearance We have devoted to restoring the religious tranquillity of your country. This is of the greatest importance for the good of the Church and of the State. But, the hopes which We had, the hopes which encouraged almost all the people of Ecuador, have perished miserably. In fact, not only has no reparation been made for previous destructive injustices, but other very serious injustices have been added to them. We see that a diocese which was constituted according to the holy canons has been abolished. We know that bishops have beenappointed to vacant dioceses, without any privilege from the Holy See. We also know that the sanctity of Christian marriage has been impeded in various ways.The Nature of Christian Marriage2. We have treated this matter often in other letters, especially in Our apostolic letter of 10 February 1880. In it We emphasized the nature of Christian marriage, its strength, the care the Church has devoted to protecting its honor and its rights, and the role of civil authority in its regard. As it is evident that Christ, the son of God, redeemer and restorer of human nature, raised Christian marriage to the dignity of a sacrament, every Christian marriage is this sacrament. The matter of the contract can be separated in some sense from the nature of the sacrament. This means that while the civil authority retains in full its right to regulate the so-called civil effects, the marriage itself is subject to the authority of the Church. In addition, it is certain that Jesus, the redeemer of every race, abolished the custom of repudiation, strengthened marriage with holy power, and reinstated the law of permanence just as it was established by the will of God from the beginning. It follows then that themarriage of Christians when fully accomplished is holy, indivisible, and perfect. It cannot be dissolved for any reason other than the death of either spouse according to the holy words: "What God has joined, let no man divide." In so doing, Christ certainly intended to confer many benefits on the human race, for this institution most effectively preserves or restores morality, fosters the love of one spouse for the other, confirms families with divine strength, renews the education and protection of offspring, maintains the dignity of woman, and finally establishes the honor and the prosperity of familial and civil association in the most beneficial and excellent way.Condemnation of Civil Marriage3. Therefore, in accordance with Our duty as supreme teacher which makes Us guardian and champion of divine and ecclesiastical law, We raise our voice and totally condemn the so-called civil marriage laws recently enacted in Ecuador. Concerning divorces, We reject them together with every assault on the holy discipline of the Church there. The fact that these laws have been established in the face of your opposition and are so much at variance with the development of civil prosperity and the interests of religion is no reason for you to be disheartened. You should rather increase your zeal for religion and be more vigilant. Continue therefore as you are doing todefend the neglected and spurned rights of the Church without yielding todefeat. Teach the faithful entrusted to your care and educate them so that theypreserve the reverence due to their leaders; be faithful to the teaching of theCatholic religion and practice Christian morality. With earnest and eagerprayers to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus to whom your people have been solemnlydedicated above all nations, you all should ask that He deign to bestow happiertimes on the Church of Ecuador through the abundance of His mercies. We stillremain your companion and share in your sorrows and supplications. Meanwhile, asa sign of Our good will and as a pledge of divine gifts, We impart lovingly inthe Lord Our apostolic blessing to you and to your faithful.Given in Rome, at St. Peter's, on the 24th day of December in the year 1902, the twenty-fifth year of Our Pontificate.LEO XIIIQUAE AD NOSENCYCLICAL OF POPE LEO XIIION THE CHURCH IN BOHEMIA AND MORAVIATo Cardinal Skrbensky, Archbishop of Prague and to theOther Archbishops and Bishops of Bohemia and Moravia.The notices which daily come to Us about the state of your dioceses and thedeparture of large numbers from the rites and practices of Catholicism cause Usgreat sorrow and grief. Certainly We do not doubt that you strenuously applyevery argument to repair the misfortunes of the flock entrusted to you and toprevent losses from becoming worse with each day. If the enemies of the faithspare neither labor nor money, and strain with all their might to destroy yourflock, you, whom Christ wished to be Pastors, must not be idle; you must useevery available means to defend your flock. However, the magnitude of the dangerpersuades Us to goad the willing. We know, to be sure, that not all of yourdioceses are in the same circumstances with regard to the security of the faith;therefore the same means of assistance for preserving the faith cannot beapplied everywhere. However, since the danger is a common one, and it is acommon fatherland which calls for defense, We think that the very bestresolution would be for you to communicate with each other and with unitedopinion to provide for what must be accomplished and whatmust be avoided. Therefore it is Our wish that all of you Bishops of Bohemia andMoravia hold a meeting as soon as possible to deliberate concerning the defenseof the faith among your countrymen. Naturally you will see to it that the natureof the deliberations and decisions which take place be referred to Us so thatthey may be sanctioned by the apostolic approval. Moreover, We do not wish tolet this opportunity go by without commending to you again most strenuously thatyou take care to extirpate totally the partisan zeal which causes the holyclergy among you to be split apart; this divides and enervates the forces ofthose whose union is greatly needed, now especially, for the defense of thefaith. May the aid of divine grace be with you in these tasks. As a token of Ourlove receive the Apostolic Blessing which We most lovingly in the Lord impart toyou and your flock.Given in Rome at St. Peter's, 22 November 1902, in the 25th year of OurPontificate.LEO XIIIQUOD VOTISENCYCLICAL OF POPE LEO XIIION THE PROPOSED CATHOLIC UNIVERSITYTo Our Beloved Sons Anthony Joseph Cardinal Gruscha, Archbishop of Vienna; George Cardinal Kopp, Bishop of Wroclaw, Leo Cardinal De Skrbensky, Archbishop of Prague; John Cardinal Puzyna, Bishop of Cracow; and the Other Venerable Brother Archbishops and Bishops of Austria.Beloved Sons and Venerable Brothers, Greetings and the Apostolic Blessing.With great joy you now announce that the object of the wishes of your predecessors, which has been worked on for many years, is speeding to its happy conclusion. For whatever is required for founding a Catholic University is all but at hand; it is your consensus that the finishing touches can now be applied to setting up this great Institution of learning. We have had to wait for it longer than We might have hoped, but its completion has come about at a proper and fitting time. Accordingly, We freely and with full approbation assent to your plans, which in themselves are commendable. We wish to point out explicitly in writing our great joy at this news, since We encourage holy sets of learning to be established and enlarged everywhere. Moreover, We declare this also to add an incentive to your faithful to hastenthe conclusion of so great an enterprise. As for the details, We confide them to you; We have no doubts of the generosity and approval of those for whose advantage the desired University will come into existence. As soon as the details that pertain to this Institution are ready, the Sacred Congregation of Studies should communicate them to us: for their task is to inform Us of these affairs and to use their mandated power of setting standards for Catholic Institutions of learning according to the norms of the Sacred Canons.2. Meanwhile We testify to each one of You Our happy and benevolent sentiments, and We beseech divine favor on the work undertaken, and bestow the Apostolic blessing on all of you.Given in Rome at St. Peter's, 30 April 1902, in the 25th year of OurPontificate.LEO XIIITAMETSI FUTURAPROSPICIENTIBUSENCYCLICAL OF POPE LEO XIII ONJESUS CHRIST THE REDEEMER

To Our Venerable Brethren, the Patriarchs, Primates,Archbishops, Bishops, and other Local Ordinaries havingPeace and Communion with the Holy See.Venerable Brethren, Health and Apostolic Benediction.The outlook on the future is by no means free from anxiety; on the contrary, there are many serious reasons for alarm, on account of numerous and long-standing causes of evil, of both a public and a private nature. Nevertheless, the close of the century really seems in God's mercy to afford us some degree of consolation and hope. For no one will deny that renewed interest in spiritual matters and a revival of Christian faith and piety are influences of great moment for the common good. And there are sufficiently clear indications at the present day of a very general revival or augmentation of these virtues. For example, in the very midst of worldly allurements and in spite of so many obstacles to piety, what great crowds have flocked to Rome to visit the "Threshold of the Apostles" at the invitation of the Sovereign Pontiff! Both Italians and foreigners are openly devoting themselves to religious exercises, and, relying upon the indulgences offered by the Church, are most earnestlyseeking the means to secure their eternal salvation. Who could fail to be moved by the present evident increase of devotion towards the person of Our Saviour? The ardent zeal of so many thousands, united in heart and mind, "from the rising of the Sun to the going down thereof," in venerating the Name of Jesus Christ and proclaiming His praises, is worthy of the best days of Christianity. Would that the outburst of these flames of antique faith might be followed by a mighty conflagration! Would that the splendid example of so many might kindle the enthusiasm of all! For what so necessary for our times as a widespread renovation among the nations of Christian principles and old-fashioned virtues? The great misfortune is that too many turn a deaf ear and will not listen to the teachings of this revival of piety. Yet, "did they but know the gift of God," did they but realise that the greatest of all misfortunes is to fall away from the World's Redeemer and to abandon Christian faith and practice, they would be only too eager to turn back, and so escape certain destruction.2. The most important duty of the Church, and the one most peculiarly her own, is to defend and to propagate throughout the world the Kingdom of the Son of God, and to bring all men to salvation by communicating to them thedivine benefits, so much so that her power and authority are chiefly exercised in this one work. Towards this end We are conscious of having devoted Our energies throughout Our difficult and anxious Pontificate even to the present day. And you too, Venerable Brethren, are wont constantly, yea daily, to give your chief thoughts and endeavours together with Ourselves to the self same task. But at the present moment all of us ought to make still further efforts, more especially on the occasion of the Holy Year, to disseminate far and wide the better knowledge and love of Jesus Christ by teaching, persuading, exhorting, if perchance our voice can be heard; and this, not so much to those who are ever ready to listen willingly to Christian teachings, but to those most unfortunate men who, whilst professing the Christian name, live strangers to the faith and love of Christ. For these we feel the profoundest pity: these above all would we urge to think seriously of their present life and what its consequences will be if they do not repent.3. The greatest of all misfortunes is never to have known Jesus Christ: yet such a state is free from the sin of obstinacy and ingratitude. But first to have known Him, and afterwards to deny or forget Him, is a crime so foul and so insane that it seems impossible for any man to be guilty of it. For Christ is the fountain - head of all good. Mankind can no more be saved without His power, than it could be redeemed without His mercy. "Neither is there salvation in any other. For there is no other name under heaven given to men whereby we must be saved" (Acts IV, 12). What kind of life that is from which Jesus Christ, "the power of God and the wisdom of God," is excluded; what kind of morality and what manner of death are its consequences, can be clearly learnt from the example of nations deprived of the light of Christianity. If we but recall St. Paul's description (Romans I., 24-32) of the mental blindness, the natural depravity, the monstrous superstitions and lusts of such peoples, our minds will be filled with horror and pity. What we here record is well enough known, but not sufficiently realised or thought about. Pride would not mislead, nor indifference enervate, so many minds, if the Divine mercies were more generally called to mind and if it were remembered from what an abyss Christ delivered mankind and to what a height He raised it. The human race,exiled and disinherited, had for ages been daily hurrying into ruin, involved in the terrible and numberless ills brought about by the sin of our first parents, nor was there any human hope of salvation, when Christ Our Lord came down as the Saviour from Heaven. At the very beginning of the world, God had promised Him as the conqueror of "the Serpent," hence, succeeding ages had eagerly looked forward to His coming. The Prophets had long and clearly declared that all hope was in Him. The varying fortunes, the achievements, customs, laws, ceremonies and sacrifices of the Chosen People had distinctly and lucidly foreshadowed the truth, that the salvation of mankind was to be accomplished in Him who should be the Priest, Victim, Liberator, Prince of Peace, Teacher of all Nations, Founder of an Eternal Kingdom. By all these titles, images and prophecies, differing in kind though like in meaning, He alone was designated who "for His exceeding charity wherewith He loved us," gave Himself up for our salvation. And so, when the fullness of time came in God's Divine Providence, the only-begotten Son of God became man, and in behalf of mankind made most abundant satisfaction in His Blood to the outraged majesty of His Father and by this infinite price He redeemed man for His own. "You were not redeemed with corruptible things as gold or silver . . . but with the precious Blood of Christ, as of a lamb, unspotted and undefiled" (1 Peter I., 18-19). Thus all men, though already subject to His Kingly power, inasmuch as He is the Creator and Preserver of all, were over and above made His property by a true and real purchase. "You are not your own: for you are bought with a great price" (2 Corinthians VI, 19-20). Hence in Christ all things are made new. "The mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed to Him, in the dispensation of the fullness of times to re-establish all things in Christ" (Ephesians I., 9-10). When Jesus Christ had blotted out the handwriting of the decree that was against us, fastening it to the cross, at once God's wrath was appeased, the primeval fetters of slavery were struck off from unhappy and erring man, God's favour was won back, grace restored, the gates of Heaven opened, the right to enter them revived, and the means afforded of doing so. Then man, as though awakening from a long-continued and deadly lethargy, beheld atlength the light of the truth, for long ages desired, yet sought in vain. First of all, he realised that he was born to much higher and more glorious things than the frail and inconstant objects of sense which had hitherto formed the end of his thoughts and cares. He learnt that the meaning of human life, the supreme law, the end of all things was this: that we come from God and must return to Him. From this first principle the consciousness of human dignity was revived: men's hearts realised the universal brotherhood: as a consequence, human rights and duties were either perfected or even newly created, whilst on all sides were evoked virtues undreamt of in pagan philosophy. Thus men's aims, life, habits and customs received a new direction. As the knowledge of the Redeemer spread far and wide and His power, which destroyeth ignorance and former vices, penetrated into the very life-blood of the nations, such a change came about that the face of the world was entirely altered by the creation of a Christian civilisation. The remembrance of these events, Venerable Brethren, is full of infinite joy, but it also teaches us the lesson that we must both feel and render with our whole hearts gratitude to our Divine Saviour.4. We are indeed now very far removed in time from the first beginnings of Redemption; but what difference does this make when the benefits thereof are perennial and immortal? He who once bath restored human nature ruined by sin the same preserveth and will preserve it for ever. "He gave Himself a redemption for all" (1 Timothy II., 6)."In Christ all shall be made alive" (1 Corinthians XV., 22). "And of His Kingdom there shall be no end" (Luke I., 33). Hence by God's eternal decree the salvation of all men, both severally and collectively, depends upon Jesus Christ. Those who abandon Him become guilty by the very fact, in their blindness and folly, of their own ruin; whilst at the same time they do all that in them lies to bring about a violent reaction of mankind in the direction of that mass of evils and miseries from which the Redeemer in His mercy had freed them.5. Those who go astray from the road wander far from the goal they aim at. Similarly, if the pure and true light of truth be rejected, men's minds must necessarily be darkened and their souls deceived by deplorably false ideas. What hope of salvation can they have who abandon thevery principle and fountain of life? Christ alone is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John XIV., 6). If He be abandoned the three necessary conditions of salvation are removed.Christ the Way6. It is surely unnecessary to prove, what experience constantly shows and what each individual feels in himself, even in the very midst of all temporal prosperity - that in God alone can the human will find absolute and perfect peace. God is the only end of man. All our life on earth is the truthful and exact image of a pilgrimage. Now Christ is the "Way," for we can never reach God, the supreme and ultimate good, by this toilsome and doubtful road of mortal life, except with Christ as our leader and guide. How so? Firstly and chiefly by His grace; but this would remain "void" in man if the precepts of His law were neglected. For, as was necessarily the case after Jesus Christ had won our salvation, He left behind Him His Law for the protection and welfare of the human race, under the guidance of which men, converted from evil life, might safely tend towards God. "Going, teach ye all nations . . . teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you" (Matthew XXVIII., 19-20). "Keep my commandments" (John XIV., 15). Hence it will be understood that in the Christian religion the first and most necessary condition is docility to the precepts of Jesus Christ, absolute loyalty of will towards Him as Lord and King. A serious duty, and one which oftentimes calls for strenuous labour, earnest endeavour, and perseverance! For although by Our Redeemer's grace human nature bath been regenerated, still there remains in each individual a certain debility and tendency to evil. Various natural appetites attract man on one side and the other; the allurements of the material world impel his soul to follow after what is pleasant rather than the law of Christ. Still we must strive our best and resist our natural inclinations with all our strength "unto the obedience of Christ." For unless they obey reason they become our masters, and carrying the whole man away from Christ, make him their slave. "Men of corrupt mind, who have made shipwreck of the faith, cannot help being slaves. . . They are slaves to a threefold concupiscence: of will, of pride, or of outward show" (St. Augustine,De Vera Religione, 37). In this contestevery man must be prepared to undergo hardships and troubles for Christ's sake. It is difficult to reject what so powerfully entices and delights. It is hard and painful to despise the supposed goods of the senses and of fortune for the will and precepts of Christ our Lord. But the Christian is absolutely obliged to be firm, and patient in suffering, if he wish to lead a Christian life. Have we forgotten of what Body and of what Head we are the members? "Having joy set before Him, He endured the Cross," and He bade us deny ourselves. The very dignity of human nature depends upon this disposition of mind. For, as even the ancient Pagan philosophy perceived, to be master of oneself and to make the lower part of the soul, obey the superior part, is so far from being a weakness of will that it is really a noble power, in consonance with right reason and most worthy of a man. Moreover, to bear and to suffer is the ordinary condition of man. Man can no more create for himself a life free from suffering and filled with all happiness that he can abrogate the decrees of his Divine Maker, who has willed that the consequences of original sin should be perpetual. It is reasonable, therefore, not to expect an end to troubles in this world, but rather to steel one's soul to bear troubles, by which we are taught to look forward with certainty to supreme happiness. Christ has not promised eternal bliss in heaven to riches, nor to a life of ease, to honours or to power, but to long-suffering and to tears, to the love of justice and to cleanness of heart.7. From this it may clearly be seen what consequences are to be expected from that false pride which, rejecting our Saviour's Kingship, places man at the summit of all things and declares that human nature must rule supreme. And yet, this supreme rule can neither be attained nor even defined. The rule of Jesus Christ derives its form and its power from Divine Love: a holy and orderly charity is both its foundation and its crown. Its necessary consequences are the strict fulfilment of duty, respect of mutual rights, the estimation of the things of heaven above those of earth, the preference of the love of God to all things. But this supremacy of man, which openly rejects Christ, or at least ignores Him, is entirely founded upon selfishness, knowing neither charity nor self-devotion. Man may indeed be king, through Jesus Christ: but only on condition that he first of all obey God, and diligently seek hisrule of life in God's law. By the law of Christ we mean not only the natural precepts of morality and the Ancient Law, all of which Jesus Christ has perfected and crowned by His declaration, explanation and sanction; but also the rest of His doctrine and His own peculiar institutions. Of these the chief is His Church. Indeed whatsoever things Christ has instituted are most fully contained in His Church. Moreover, He willed to perpetuate the office assigned to Him by His Father by means of the ministry of the Church so gloriously founded by Himself. On the one hand He confided to her all the means of men's salvation, on the other He most solemnly commanded men to be subject to her and to obey her diligently, and to follow her even as Himself: "He that heareth you, heareth Me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth Me" (Luke X, 16). Wherefore the law of Christ must be sought in the Church. Christ is man's "Way"; the Church also is his "Way"-Christ of Himself and by His very nature, the Church by His commission and the communication of His power. Hence all who would find salvation apart from the Church, are led astray and strive in vain.8. As with individuals, so with nations. These, too, must necessarily tend to ruin if they go astray from "The Way." The Son of God, the Creator and Redeemer of mankind, is King and Lord of the earth, and holds supreme dominion over men, both individually and collectively. "And He gave Him power, and glory, and a kingdom: and all peoples, tribes, and tongues shall serve Him" (Daniel VII., 14). "I am appointed King by Him . . . I will give Thee the Gentiles for Thy inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession" (Psalm II., 6, 8). Therefore the law of Christ ought to prevail in human society and be the guide and teacher of public as well as of private life. Since this is so by divine decree, and no man may with impunity contravene it, it is an evil thing for the common weal wherever Christianity does not hold the place that belongs to it. When Jesus Christ is absent, human reason fails, being bereft of its chief protection and light, and the very end is lost sight of, for which, under God's providence, human society has been built up. This end is the obtaining by the members of society of natural good through the aid of civil unity, though always in harmony with the perfect and eternal good which is above nature. But when men's minds are clouded, bothrulers and ruled go astray, for they have no safe line to follow nor end to aim at.Christ the Truth9. Just as it is the height of misfortune to go astray from the "Way," so is it to abandon the "Truth." Christ Himself is the first, absolute and essential "Truth," inasmuch as He is the Word of God, consubstantial and co-eternal with the Father, He and the Father being One. "I am the Way and the Truth." Wherefore if the Truth be sought by the human intellect, it must first of all submit it to Jesus Christ, and securely rest upon His teaching, since therein Truth itself speaketh. There are innumerable and extensive fields of thought, properly belonging to the human mind, in which it may have free scope for its investigations and speculations, and that not only agreeably to its nature, but even by a necessity of its nature. But what is unlawful and unnatural is that the human mind should refuse to be restricted within its proper limits, and, throwing aside its becoming modesty, should refuse to acknowledge Christ's teaching. This teaching, upon which our salvation depends, is almost entirely about God and the things of God. No human wisdom has invented it, but the Son of God hath received and drunk it in entirely from His Father: "The words which thou gayest me, 1 have given to them" (John XVII., 8). Hence this teaching necessarily embraces many subjects which are not indeed contrary to reason-for that would be an impossibility-but so exalted that we can no more attain them by our own reasoning than we can comprehend God as He is in Himself. If there be so many things hidden and veiled by nature, which no human ingenuity can explain, and yet which no man in his senses can doubt, it would be an abuse of liberty to refuse to accept those which are entirely above nature, because their essence cannot be discovered. To reject dogma is simply to deny Christianity. Our intellect must bow humbly and reverently "unto the obedience of Christ," so that it be held captive by His divinity and authority: "bringing into captivity every understanding unto the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians X., 5). Such obedience Christ requires, and justly so. For He is God, and as such holds supreme dominion over man's intellect as well as over his will. By obeying Christ with his intellect man by no means acts in a servile manner, but in complete accordance with hisreason and his natural dignity. For by his will he yields, not to the authority of any man, but to that of God, the author of his being, and the first principle to Whom he is subject by the very law of his nature. He does not suffer himself to be forced by the theories of any human teacher, but by the eternal and unchangeable truth. Hence he attains at one and the same time the natural good of the intellect and his own liberty. For the truth which proceeds from the teaching of Christ clearly demonstrates the real nature and value of every being; and man, being endowed with this knowledge, if he but obey the truth as perceived, will make all things subject to himself, not himself to them; his appetites to his reason, not his reason to his appetites. Thus the slavery of sin and falsehood will be shaken off, and the most perfect liberty attained: "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John VIII., 32). It is, then, evident that those whose intellect rejects the yoke of Christ are obstinately striving against God. Having shaken off God's authority, they are by no means freer, for they will fall beneath some human sway. They are sure to choose someone whom they will listen to, obey, and follow as their guide. Moreover, they withdraw their intellect from the communication of divine truths, and thus limit it within a narrower circle of knowledge, so that they are less fitted to succeed in the pursuit even of natural science. For there are in nature very many things whose apprehension or explanation is greatly aided by the light of divine truth. Not unfrequently, too, God, in order to chastise their pride, does not permit men to see the truth, and thus they are punished in the things wherein they sin. This is why we often see men of great intellectual power and erudition making the grossest blunders even in natural science.10. It must therefore be clearly admitted that, in the life of a Christian, the intellect must be entirely subject to God's authority. And if, in this submission of reason to authority, our self-love, which is so strong, is restrained and made to suf fez, this only proves the necessity to a Christian of long-suffering not only in will but also in intellect. We would remind those persons of this truth who desire a kind of Christianity such as they themselves have devised, whose precepts should be very mild, much more indulgent towards human nature, and requiring little if any hardships to be borne. They do not properly understand the meaning of faith and Christian precepts. They do not see that the Cross meets us everywhere, the model of our life, the eternal standard of all who wish to follow Christ in reality and not merely in name.Christ the Life11. God alone is Life. All other beings partake of life, but are not life. Christ, from all eternity and by His very nature, is "the Life," just as He is the Truth, because He is God of God. From Him, as from its most sacred source, all life pervades and ever will pervade creation. Whatever is, is by Him; whatever lives, lives by Him. For by the Word "all things were made; and without Him was made nothing that was made." This is true of the natural life; but, as We have sufficiently indicated above, we have a much higher and better life, won for us by Christ's mercy, that is to say, "the life of grace," whose happy consummation is "the life of glory," to which all our thoughts and actions ought to be directed. The whole object of Christian doctrine and morality is that "we being dead to sin, should live to justice"

(1 Peter II., 24)-that is, to virtue and holiness. In this consists the moral life, with the certain hope of a happy eternity. This justice, in order to be advantageous to salvation, is nourished by Christian faith. "The just man liveth by faith" (Galatians III., II). "Without faith it is impossible to please God" (Hebrews XI., 6). Consequently Jesus Christ, the creator and preserver of faith, also preserves and nourishes our moral life. This He does chiefly by the ministry of His Church. To Her, in His wise and merciful counsel, He has entrusted certain agencies which engender the supernatural life, protect it, and revive it if it should fail. This generative and conservative power of the virtues that make for salvation is therefore lost, whenever morality is dissociated from divine faith. A system of morality based exclusively on human reason robs man of his highest dignity and lowers him from the supernatural to the merely natural life. Not but that man is able by the right use of reason to know and to obey certain principles of the natural law. But though he should know them all and keep them inviolate through life-and even this is impossible without the aid of the grace of our Redeemer-still it is vain for anyone without faith to promise himself eternal salvation. "If anyone abide not in Me, he shall be cast forth as abranch, and shall wither, and they shall gather him up and cast him into the fire, and he burneth" (John XV., 6). "He that believeth not shall be condemned" (Mark XVI., 16). We have but too much evidence of the value and result of a morality divorced from divine faith. How is it that, in spite of all the zeal for the welfare of the masses, nations are in such straits and even distress, and that the evil is daily on the increase? We are told that society is quite able to help itself; that it can flourish without the assistance of Christianity, and attain its end by its own unaided efforts. Public administrators prefer a purely secular system of government. All traces of the religion of our forefathers are daily disappearing from political life and administration. What blindness! Once the idea of the authority of God as the Judge of right and wrong is forgotten, law must necessarily lose its primary authority and justice must perish: and these are the two most powerful and most necessary bonds of society. Similarly, once the hope and expectation of eternal happiness is taken away, temporal goods will be greedily sought after. Every man will strive to secure the largest share for himself. Hence arise envy, jealousy, hatred. The consequences are conspiracy, anarchy, nihilism. There is neither peace abroad nor security at home. Public life is stained with crime.12. So great is this struggle of the passions and so serious the dangers involved, that we must either anticipate ultimate ruin or seek for an efficient remedy. It is of course both right and necessary to punish malefactors, to educate the masses, and by legislation to prevent crime in every possible way: but all this is by no means sufficient. The salvation of the nations must be looked for higher. A power greater than human must be called in to teach men's hearts, awaken in them the sense of duty, and make them better. This is the power which once before saved the world from destruction when groaning under much more terrible evils. Once remove all impediments and allow the Christian spirit to revive and grow strong in a nation, and that nation will be healed. The strife between the classes and the masses will die away; mutual rights will be respected. If Christ be listened to, both rich and poor will do their duty. The former will realise that they must observe justice and charity, the latter self restraint and moderation, if both are to be saved. Domestic life will be firmly establishedby the salutary fear of God as the Lawgiver. In the same way the precepts of the natural law, which dictates respect for lawful authority and obedience to the laws, will exercise their influence over the people. Seditions and conspiracies will cease. Wherever Christianity rules over all without let or hindrance there the order established by Divine Providence is preserved, and both security and prosperity are the happy result. The common welfare, then, urgently demands a return to Him from whom we should never have gone astray; to Him who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life,-and this on the part not only of individuals but of society as a whole. We must restore Christ to this His own rightful possession. All elements of the national life must be made to drink in the Life which proceedeth from Him legislation, political institutions, education, marriage and family life, capital and labour. Everyone must see that the very growth of civilisation which is so ardently desired depends greatly upon this, since it is fed and grows not so much by material wealth and prosperity, as by the spiritual qualities of morality and virtue.13. It is rather ignorance than ill-will which keeps multitudes away from Jesus Christ. There are many who study humanity and the natural world; few who study the Son of God. The first step, then, is to substitute knowledge for ignorance, so that He may no longer be despised or rejected because He is unknown. We conjure all Christians throughout the world to strive all they can to know their Redeemer as He really is. The more one contemplates Him with sincere and unprejudiced mind, the clearer does it become that there can be nothing more salutary than His law, more divine than His teaching. In this work, your influence, Venerable Brethren, and the zeal and earnestness of the entire Clergy, can do wonders. You must look upon it as a chief part of your duty to engrave upon the minds of your people the true knowledge, the very likeness of Jesus Christ; to illustrate His charity, His mercies, His teaching, by your writings and your words, in schools, in Universities, from the pulpit; whereveropportunity is offered you. The world has heard enough of the so-called "rights of man." Let it hear something of the rights of God. That the time is suitable is proved by the very general revival of religious feeling already referred to, and especially that devotion towards Our Saviour of which there are so many indications, and which, please God, we shall hand on to the New Century as a pledge of happier times to come. But as this consummation cannot be hoped for except by the aid of divine grace, let us strive in prayer, with united heart and voice, to incline Almighty God unto mercy, that He would not suffer those to perish whom He had redeemed by His Blood. May He look down in mercy upon this world, which has indeed sinned much, but which has also suffered much in expiation! And, embracing in His loving-kindness all races and classes of mankind, may He remember His own words: "I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to Myself' (John XII., 32).14. As a pledge of the Divine favours, and in token of Our fatherly affection, we lovingly impart to You, Venerable Brethren, and to your Clergy and People, the Apostolic Blessing.Given at St. Peter's in Rome, the first day of November 1900, in the 23rd year of Our Pontificate.ENCYCLICAL OF POPE LEO XIIION RELIGIOUS ORDERS IN PORTUGALTo Cardinal Netto, Patriarch of Lisbonand to the Bishops of Portugal.In the midst of the serious concerns whichdistress Us more daily on account of the war declared on religious orders inmany areas, the joint letter, eminent and full of dignity, which, in fulfillmentof your pastoral duty and your reverence for your Ruler, you recently sent toyour Faithful King, was an extraordinary consolation to Us. For nothing could bemore pleasing to Us than to see you promptly unite both to defend religiouscongregations and to support their needs and usefulness. Therefore nothingpleases Us more than to approve your zeal and to honor your efforts with thepraise they deserve.2. Indeed, there is little wonder if you, both as those who preside over theChurch and also as citizens of Portugal, find fault with the recent decreesagainst religious societies. For it is clear that they are contrary to therights of the Church and to the rights of the faithful to choose a state oflife; they deprive the state of not a few outstanding benefits which flow to itfrom religious institutes, as the authors of these decrees themselves admit inno uncertain manner.3. What must be thought of the conditions imposed by the government of Portugal onreligious families if they are to survive, you have already eminently declared. This must be kept in mind throughout, however, that in accord with the discipline of the Catholic Church, no religious order can exist or prosper if its novitiate and vows are removed. Therefore the laws proper to each Institute, if perhaps necessary, are to be brought into conformity with civil prescriptions; but this must only be done in such a way that the dignity of the individual religious be preserved and, most importantly, that the nature of their holy state be kept entire and intact.4. With joined forces, you must decide how to meet the losses and dangers which oppress religious societies and in what fashion you may more aptly provide for their preservation in your midst. Indeed it is proper that the Holy See hand over to the joint judgment of those who can weigh more closely, by being present as you are, the mind and intentions of the civil authorities and the circumstances of situations and places. For the rest, the Apostolic See itself will not fail to take care to draw up a suitable way of life according to proper norms and dispensation for religious forcefully removed from their domiciles.5. Continue therefore to strenuously defend the cause of religion and civilsociety, which will only have a favorable outcome if you indicate toyour faithful a clear and proper method of acting in public. Continue also toexert every effort to unite and increase Catholic forces and to fosterpublications and organizations which defend the Church's rights. Diligentlyfoster that harmony of wills which puts aside private opinions and partisanpolitical rivalries. These We most earnestly request of you.6. Finally, as a token of divine assistance and in testimony of our benevolencewe lovingly bestow on you, Venerable Brothers, and all thefaithful of Portugal and especially on members of religious orders, theApostolic Blessing.Given in Rome at St. Peter's, 16 May 1901, in the 24th year of OurPontificate.LEO XIIIDEPUIS LE JOUR

LETTRE ENCYCLIQUE

DE S.S. LE PAPE LON XIII

AUX ARCHEVQUES, VQUES ET AU CLERG DE FRANCE

A

nos vnrables frres les Archevques, Evques et au Clerg de France, Vnrables Frres, Trs chers Fils, Depuis le jour o Nous avons t lev la chaire pontificale, la France a t constamment lobjet de Notre sollicitude et de Notre affection toute particulire. Cest chez elle, en effet, que, dans le cours des sicles, m par les insondables desseins de sa misricorde sur le monde, Dieu a choisi de prfrence les hommes apostoliques destins prcher la vraie foi jusquaux confins du globe, et porter la lumire de lEvangile aux nations encore plonges dans les tnbres du paganisme. Il la prdestine tre le dfenseur de son Eglise et linstrument de ses grandes oeuvres : Gesta Dei per Francos.

A une si haute mission correspondent videmment de nombreux et graves devoirs. Dsireux, comme Nos prdcesseurs, de voir la France accomplir fidlement le glorieux mandat dont elle a t charge, Nous lui avons plusieurs fois dj, durant Notre long Pontificat, adress Nos conseils, Nos encouragements, Nos exhortations. Nous lavons fait tout spcialement dans Notre Lettre Encyclique du 8 fvrier 1884, Nobilissima Gallorum gens, et dans Notre Lettre du 16 fvrier 1892, publie dans lidiome de la France et qui commence par ces mots : Au milieu des sollicitudes. Nos paroles ne sont pas demeures infructueuses, et Nous savons par vous, Vnrables Frres, quune grande partie du peuple franais tient toujours en honneur la foi de ses anctres et remplit avec fidlit les devoirs quelle impose. Dautre part, Nous ne saurions ignorer que les ennemis de cette foi sainte ne sont pas demeurs inactifs, et quils sont parvenus bannir tout principe de religion dun grand nombre de familles, qui, par suite, vivent dans une lamentable ignorance de la vrit rvle et dans une complte indiffrence pour tout ce qui touche leurs intrts spirituels et au salut de leurs mes.

Si donc, et bon droit, Nous flicitons la France dtre pour les nations infidles un foyer dapostolat, Nous devons encourager aussi les efforts de ceux de ses fils qui, enrls dans le sacerdoce de Jsus-Christ, travaillent vangliser leurs compatriotes, les prmunir contre lenvahissement du naturalisme et de lincrdulit, avec leurs funestes et invitables consquences. Appels par la volont de Dieu tre les sauveurs du monde, les prtres doivent tout toujours, et avant tout, se rappeler quils sont, de par linstitution mme de Jsus-Christ, " le sel de la terre " (Mt 5, 13), do saint Paul, crivant son disciple Timothe, conclut avec raison quils doivent tre lexemple des fidles dans leurs paroles et dans leurs rapports avec le prochain, par leur charit, leur foi et leur puret (1 Tm 4, 12) ".

Quil en soit ainsi du clerg de France, pris dans son ensemble, ce Nous est toujours, Vnrables Frres, une grande consolation de lapprendre, soit par les relations quadriennales que vous Nous envoyez sur ltat de vos diocses, conformment la Constitution de Sixte-Quint ; soit par les communications orales que Nous recevons de vous, lorsque Nous avons la joie de Nous entretenir avec vous et de recevoir vos confidences : Oui, la dignit de la vie, lardeur de la foi, lesprit de dvouement et de sacrifice, llan et la gnrosit du zle, la charit inpuisable envers le prochain, lnergie dans toutes les nobles et fcondes entreprises qui ont pour but la gloire de Dieu, le salut des mes, le bonheur de la patrie : telles sont les traditionnelles et prcieuses qualits du clerg franais, auxquelles Nous sommes heureux de pouvoir rendre ici un public et paternel tmoignage.

Toutefois, en raison mme de la tendre et profonde affection que Nous lui portons, tout la fois pour satisfaire au devoir de Notre ministre apostolique, et pour rpondre Notre vif dsir de le voir demeurer toujours la hauteur de sa grande mission, Nous avons rsolu, Vnrables Frres, de traiter dans la prsente Lettre quelques points que les circonstances actuelles recommandent de la faon la plus instante la consciencieuse attention des premiers pasteurs de lEglise de France et des prtres qui travaillent sous leur autorit.

Cest dabord chose vidente que, plus un office est relev, complexe, difficile, plus longue et plus soigne doit tre la prparation de ceux qui sont appels le remplir. Or, existe-t-il sur la terre une dignit plus haute que celle du sacerdoce et un ministre imposant une plus lourde responsabilit, que celui qui a pour objet la sanctification de tous les actes libres de lhomme ? Nest-ce pas du gouvernement des mes que les Pres ont dit, avec raison, que cest " lart des arts ", cest--dire le plus important et le plus dlicat de tous les labeurs auxquels un homme puisse tre appliqu au profit de ses semblables, ars artium regimen animarum ? 1 Rien donc ne devra tre nglig pour prparer remplir dignement et fructueusement une telle mission, ceux quune vocation divine y appelle.

Avant toute chose, il convient de discerner, parmi les jeunes enfants, ceux en qui le Trs Haut a dpos le germe dune semblable vocation. Nous savons que, dans un certain nombre de diocses de France, grce vos sages recommandations, les prtres des paroisses, surtout dans les campagnes, sappliquent, avec un zle et une abngation que Nous ne saurions trop louer, commencer eux-mmes les tudes lmentaires des enfants dans lesquels ils ont remarqu des dispositions srieuses la pit et des aptitudes au travail intellectuel. Les coles presbytrales sont ainsi comme le premier degr de cette chelle ascendante qui, dabord par les Petits, puis par les Grands Sminaires, fera monter jusquau sacerdoce les jeunes gens auxquels le Sauveur a rpt lappel adress Pierre et Andr, Jean et Jacques : " Laissez vos filets ; suivez-moi ; je veux faire de vous des pcheurs dhommes " (Mt 4, 19).

Quant aux Petits Sminaires, cette trs salutaire institution a t souvent et justement compare ces ppinires ou sont mises part les plantes qui rclament des soins plus spciaux et plus assidus, moyennant lesquels, seuls, elles peuvent porter des fruits et ddommager de leurs peines ceux qui sappliquent les cultiver. Nous renouvelons, cet gard, la recommandation que, dans son Encyclique du 8 dcembre 1849, Notre prdcesseur, Pie IX, adressait aux vques. Elle se rfrait elle-mme une des plus importantes dcisions des Pres du saint Concile de Trente. Cest la gloire de lEglise de France, dans le sicle prsent, den avoir tenu le plus grand compte, puisquil nest pas un seul des 94 diocses dont elle se compose qui ne soit dot dun ou de plusieurs Petits Sminaires.

Nous savons, vnrables Frres, de quelles sollicitudes vous entourez ces institutions si justement chres votre zle pastoral, et Nous vous en flicitons. Les prtres qui, sous votre haute direction, travaillent la formation de la jeunesse appele senrler plus tard dans les rangs de la milice sacerdotale, ne sauraient trop souvent mditer devant Dieu limportance exceptionnelle de la mission que vous leur confiez. Il ne sagit pas pour eux, comme pour le commun des matres, denseigner simplement ces enfants les lments des lettres et des sciences humaines. Ce nest l que la moindre partie de leur tche. Il faut que leur attention, leur zle, leur dvouement soient sans cesse en veil et en action, dune part, pour tudier continuellement sous le regard et dans la lumire de Dieu les mes des enfants et les indices significatifs de leur vocation au service des autels ; de lautre, pour aider linexprience et la faiblesse de leurs jeunes disciples, protger la grce si prcieuse de lappel divin contre toutes les influences funestes, soit du dehors, soit du dedans. Ils ont donc remplir un ministre humble, laborieux, dlicat, qui exige une constante abngation. Afin de soutenir leur courage dans laccomplissement de leurs devoirs, ils auront soin de le retremper aux sources les plus pures de lesprit. de foi. Ils ne perdront jamais de vue quils nont point prparer pour des fonctions terrestres, si lgitimes et honorables soient-elles les enfants dont ils forment lintelligence, le coeur, le caractre. LEglise les leur confie pour quils deviennent capables un jour dtre des prtres, cest--dire des missionnaires de lEvangile, des continuateurs de loeuvre de Jsus-Christ, des distributeurs de sa grce et de ses sacrements. Que cette considration, toute surnaturelle, se mle incessamment leur double action de professeurs et dducateurs, et soit comme ce levain quil faut mlanger au meilleur froment, suivant la parabole vanglique, pour les transformer en un pain savoureux et substantiel (cf. Mt 13, 33).

Si la proccupation constante dune premire et indispensable formation lesprit et aux vertus du sacerdoce doit inspirer les matres de vos Petits Sminaires dans leurs relations avec leurs lves, cest cette mme ide principale et directrice que se rapporteront le plan des tudes et toute lconomie de la discipline. Nous nignorons pas, Vnrables Frres, que dans une certaine mesure, vous tes obligs de compter avec les programmes de lEtat et les conditions mises par lui lobtention des grades universitaires, puisque, dans un certain nombre de cas, ces grades sont exigs des prtres employs soit la direction des collges libres placs sous la tutelle des vques et des Congrgations religieuses, soit lenseignement suprieur dans les Facults catholiques que vous avez si louablement fondes. Il est, dailleurs, dun intrt souverain, pour maintenir linfluence du clerg sur la socit, quil compte dans ses rangs un assez grand nombre de prtres ne le cdant en rien pour la science, dont les grades sont la constatation officielle, aux matres que lEtat forme pour ses lyces et ses Universits.

Toutefois, et aprs avoir fait cette exigence des programmes la part quimposent les circonstances, il faut que les tudes des aspirants au sacerdoce demeurent fidles aux mthodes traditionnelles des sicles passs. Ce sont elles qui ont form les hommes minents dont lEglise de France est fire si juste titre, les Ptau, les Thomassin, les Mabillon et tant dautres, sans parler de votre Bossuet, appel laigle de Meaux, parce que, soit par llvation des penses, soit par la noblesse du langage, son gnie plane dans les plus sublimes rgions de la science et de lloquence chrtienne. Or, cest ltude des belles-lettres qui a puissamment aid ces hommes devenir de trs vaillants et utiles ouvriers au service de lEglise, et les a rendus capables de composer des ouvrages vraiment dignes de passer la postrit et qui contribuent encore de nos jours la dfense et la diffusion de la vrit rvle. En effet, cest le propre des belles-lettres, quand elles sont enseignes par des matres chrtiens et habiles, de dvelopper rapidement dans lme des jeunes gens tous les germes de vie intellectuelle et morale, en mme temps quelles contribuent donner au jugement de la rectitude et de lampleur, et au langage, de llgance et de la distinction.

Cette considration acquiert une importance spciale quand il sagit des littratures grecque et latine, dpositaires des chefs-doeuvre de science sacre que lEglise compte bon droit parmi ses plus prcieux trsors. Il y a un demi-sicle, pendant cette priode trop courte de vritable libert, durant laquelle les vques de France pouvaient se runir et concerter les mesures quils estimaient les plus propres favoriser les progrs de la religion et, du mme coup, les plus profitables la paix publique, plusieurs de vos Conciles provinciaux, Vnrables Frres, recommandrent de la faon la plus expresse la culture de la langue et de la littrature latines. Vos collgues dalors dploraient dj que, dans votre pays, la connaissance du latin tendt dcrotre 2.

Si, depuis plusieurs annes, les mthodes pdagogiques en vigueur dans les tablissements de lEtat rduisent progressivement ltude de la langue latine, et suppriment des exercices de prose et de posie que nos devanciers estimaient bon droit devoir tenir une grande place dans les classes des collges, les Petits Sminaires se mettront en garde contre ces innovations inspires par des proccupations utilitaires, et qui tournent au dtriment de la solide formation de lesprit. A ces anciennes mthodes, tant de fois justifies par leurs rsultats, Nous appliquerions volontiers le mot de saint Paul son disciple Timothe, et, avec lAptre, Nous vous dirions, Vnrables Frres : " Gardez-en le dpt " (1 Tm 6, 20) avec un soin jaloux. Si un jour, ce qu Dieu ne plaise, elles devaient disparatre compltement des autres coles publiques, que vos Petits Sminaires et collges libres les gardent avec une intelligente et patriotique sollicitude. Vous imiterez ainsi les prtres de Jrusalem qui, voulant soustraire de barbares envahisseurs le feu sacr du Temple, le cachrent de manire pouvoir le retrouver et lui rendre toute sa splendeur, quand les mauvais jours seraient passs (cf. 2 M 1, 19. 22).

Une fois en possession de la langue latine, qui est comme la clef de la science sacre, et les facults de lesprit suffisamment dveloppes par ltude des belles-lettres, les jeunes gens qui se destinent au sacerdoce passent du Petit au Grand Sminaire. Ils sy prpareront, par la pit et lexercice des vertus clricales, la rception des saints Ordres, en mme temps quils sy livreront ltude de la philosophie et de la thologie.

Nous le disions dans Notre Encyclique Aeterni Patris, dont Nous recommandons de nouveau la lecture attentive vos sminaristes et leurs matres, et Nous le disions en Nous appuyant sur lautorit de saint Paul cest par les vaines subtilits de la mauvaise philosophie, per philosophiam et inanem fallaciam (Col 2, 8), que lesprit des fidles se laisse le plus souvent tromper, et que la puret de la foi se corrompt parmi les hommes. Nous ajoutions, et les vnements accomplis depuis vingt ans ont bien tristement confirm les rflexions et les apprhensions que Nous exprimions alors : " Si lon fait attention aux conditions critiques du temps o nous vivons, si lon embrasse par la pense ltat des affaires tant publiques que prives, on dcouvrira sans peine que la cause des maux qui nous oppriment, comme de ceux qui nous menacent, consiste en ceci : que des opinions errones sur toutes choses, divines et humaines, des coles des philosophes se sont peu peu glisses dans tous les rangs de la socit et sont arrives se faire accepter dun grand nombre desprits 3. "

Nous rprouvons de nouveau ces doctrines qui nont de la vraie philosophie que le nom, et qui, branlant la base mme du savoir humain, conduisent logiquement au scepticisme universel et lirrligion. Ce nous est une profonde douleur dapprendre que, depuis quelques annes, des catholiques ont cru pouvoir se mettre la remorque dune philosophie qui, sous le spcieux prtexte daffranchir la raison humaine de toute ide prconue et de toute illusion, lui dnie le droit de rien affirmer au del de ses propres oprations, sacrifiant ainsi un subjectivisme radical toutes les certitudes que la mtaphysique traditionnelle, consacre par lautorit des plus vigoureux esprits, donnait comme ncessaires et inbranlables fondements la dmonstration de lexistence de Dieu, de la spiritualit et de limmortalit de lme, et de la ralit objective du monde extrieur. Il est profondment regrettable que ce scepticisme doctrinal, dimportation trangre et dorigine protestante, ait pu tre accueilli avec tant de faveur dans un pays justement clbre par son amour pour la clart des ides et pour celle du langage. Nous savons, Vnrables Frres, quel point vous partagez l-dessus Nos justes proccupations et Nous comptons que vous redoublerez de sollicitude et de vigilance pour carter de lenseignement de vos Sminaires cette fallacieuse et dangereuse philosophie, mettant plus que jamais en honneur les mthodes que Nous recommandions dans Notre Encyclique prcite du 4 aot 1879.

Moins que jamais, notre poque, les lves de vos Petits et de vos Grands Sminaires ne sauraient demeurer trangers ltude des sciences physiques et naturelles. II convient donc quils y soient appliqus, mais avec mesure et dans de sages proportions. II nest donc nullement ncessaire que, dans les cours de sciences, annexes ltude de la philosophie, les professeurs se croient obligs dexposer en dtail les applications presque innombrables des sciences physiques et naturelles aux diverses branches de lindustrie humaine. Il suffit que leurs lves en connaissent avec prcision les grands principes et les conclusions sommaires, afin dtre en tat de rsoudre les objections que les incrdules tirent de ces sciences contre les enseignements de la rvlation.

Par-dessus tout, il importe que, durant deux ans au moins, les lves de vos Grands Sminaires tudient avec un soin assidu la philosophie rationnelle, laquelle, disait un savant Bndictin, lhonneur de son Ordre et de la France, D. Mabillon, leur sera dun si grand secours, non seulement pour leur apprendre bien raisonner et porter de justes jugements, mais pour les mettre mme de dfendre la foi orthodoxe contre les arguments captieux et souvent sophistiques des adversaires 4.

Viennent ensuite les sciences sacres proprement dites, savoir la Thologie dogmatique et la Thologie morale, lEcriture Sainte, lHistoire ecclsiastique et le Droit Canon. Ce sont l les sciences propres au prtre. Il en reoit une premire initiation pendant son sjour au Grand Sminaire ; il devra en poursuivre ltude tout le reste de sa vie.

La thologie, cest la science des choses de la foi. Elle salimente, nous dit le pape SixteQuint, ces sources toujours jaillissantes qui sont les Saintes Ecritures, les dcisions des Papes, les dcrets des Conciles 5.

Appele positive et spculative, ou scolastique, suivant la mthode quon emploie pour ltudier, la thologie ne se borne bas proposer les vrits croire ; elle en scrute le fond intime, elle en montre les rapports avec la raison humaine, et, laide des ressources que lui fournit la vraie philosophie, elle les explique, les dveloppe, et les adapte exactement tous les besoins de la dfense et de la propagation de la foi. A linstar de Blsel, qui le Seigneur avait donn son esprit de sagesse, dintelligence et de science, en lui confiant la mission de btir son temple, le thologien " taille les pierres prcieuses des divins dogmes, les assortit avec art, et, par lencadrement dans lequel il les place, en fait ressortir lclat, le charme et la beaut 6 ".

Cest donc avec raison que le mme Sixte-Quint appelle cette thologie (et il parle spcialement ici de la thologie scolastique) un don du ciel et demande quelle soit maintenue dans les coles et cultive avec une grande ardeur, comme tant ce quil y a de plus fructueux pour lEglise 7.

Est-il besoin dajouter que le livre par excellence ou les lves pourront tudier avec plus de profit la thologie scolastique est la Somme Thologique de saint Thomas dAquin ? Nous voulons donc que les professeurs aient soin den expliquer tous leurs lves la mthode, ainsi que les principaux articles relatifs la foi catholique.

Nous recommandons galement que tous les sminaristes aient entre les mains et relisent souvent le livre dor, connu sous le nom de Catchisme du saint Concile de Trente ou Catchisme romain, ddi tous les prtres investis de la charge pastorale (Catechismus ad parochos). Remarquable la fois par la richesse et lexactitude de la doctrine et par llgance du style, ce catchisme est un prcieux abrg de toute la thologie dogmatique et morale. Qui le possderait fond aurait toujours sa disposition les ressources laide desquelles un prtre peut prcher avec fruit, sacquitter dignement de limportant ministre de la confession et de la direction des mes, et tre en tat de rfuter victorieusement les objections des incrdules.

Au sujet de ltude des Saintes Ecritures, Nous appelons de nouveau votre attention, Vnrables Frres, sur les enseignements que Nous avons donns dans Notre Encyclique Providentissimus Deus 8, dont nous dsirons que les professeurs donnent connaissance leurs disciples, en y ajoutant les explications ncessaires. Ils les mettront spcialement en garde contre des tendances inquitantes qui cherchent sintroduire dans linterprtation de la Bible, et qui, si elles venaient prvaloir, ne tarderaient pas en ruiner linspiration et le caractre surnaturels. Sous le spcieux prtexte denlever aux adversaires de la parole rvle lusage darguments qui semblaient irrfutables contre lauthenticit et la vracit des Livres Saints, des crivains catholiques ont cru trs habile de prendre ces arguments leur compte. En vertu de cette trange et prilleuse tactique, ils ont travaill, de leurs propres mains, faire des brches dans les murailles de la cit quils avaient mission de dfendre. Dans Notre Encyclique prcite, ainsi que dans un autre document 9, Nous avons fait justice de ces dangereuses tmrits. Tout en encourageant nos exgtes se tenir au courant des progrs de la critique, Nous avons fermement maintenu les principes sanctionns en cette matire par lautorit traditionnelle des Pres et des Conciles, et renouvels de nos jours par le Concile du Vatican.

Lhistorien de lEglise sera dautant plus fort pour faire ressortir son origine divine, suprieure tout concept dordre purement terrestre et naturel, quil aura t plus loyal ne rien dissimuler des preuves que les fautes de ses enfants, et parfois mme de ses ministres, ont fait subir cette Epouse du Christ dans le cours des sicles. Etudie de cette faon, lhistoire de lEglise, elle toute seule, constitue une magnifique et concluante dmonstration de la vrit et de la divinit du christianisme.

Lhistoire de lEglise est comme un miroir o resplendit la vie de lEglise travers les sicles. Bien plus encore que lhistoire civile et profane, elle dmontre la souveraine libert de Dieu et son action providentielle sur la marche des vnements. Ceux qui ltudient ne doivent jamais perdre de vue quelle renferme un ensemble de faits dogmatiques, qui simposent la foi et quil nest permis personne de rvoquer en doute. Cette ide directrice et surnaturelle qui prside aux destines de lEglise est en mme temps le flambeau dont la lumire claire son histoire. Toutefois, et parce que lEglise, qui continue parmi les hommes la vie du Verbe incarn, se compose dun lment divin et dun lment humain, ce dernier doit tre expos par les lves avec une grande probit. Comme il est dit au livre de Job : " Dieu na pas besoin de nos mensonges (Jb 13, 77) 10. "

Enfin, pour achever le cycle des tudes par lesquelles les candidats au sacerdoce doivent se prparer leur futur ministre, il faut mentionner le droit canonique, ou science des lois et de la jurisprudence de lEglise. Cette science se rattache par des liens trs intimes et trs logiques celle de la thologie, dont elle montre les applications pratiques tout ce qui concerne le gouvernement de lEglise, la dispensation des choses saintes, les droits et les devoirs de ses ministres, lusage des biens temporels, dont elle a besoin pour laccomplissement de sa mission. " Sans la connaissance du droit canonique (disaient fort bien les Pres dun de vos Conciles provinciaux), la thologie est imparfaite, incomplte, semblable un homme qui serait priv dun bras. Cest lignorance du droit canon qui a favoris la naissance et la diffusion de nombreuses erreurs sur les droits des Pontifes Romains, sur ceux des vques et sur la puissance que lEglise tient de sa propre constitution, dont elle proportionne lexercice aux circonstances 11.

Nous rsumerons tout ce que Nous venons de dire sur vos Petits et vos Grands Sminaires par cette parole de saint Paul, que Nous recommandons la frquente mditation des matres et des lves de vos athnes ecclsiastiques : " O Timothe, gardez avec soin le dpt qui vous a t confi. Fuyez les profanes nouveauts de paroles et les objections qui se couvrent du faux nom de science ; car tout ceux qui en ont fait profession ont err au sujet de la foi (1 Tm 6, 20-21) 12. "

Cest vous maintenant, trs chers Fils, qui, ordonns prtres, tes devenus les cooprateurs de vos vques, cest vous que Nous voulons adresser la parole. Nous connaissons, et le monde entier connat comme Nous, les qualits qui vous distinguent. Pas une bonne oeuvre dont vous ne soyez ou les inspirateurs ou les aptres. Dociles aux conseils que Nous avons donns dans Notre Encyclique Rerum Novarum, vous allez au peuple, aux ouvriers, aux pauvres. Vous cherchez par tous les moyens leur venir en aide, les moraliser et rendre leur sort moins dur. Dans ce but, vous provoquez des runions et des Congrs ; vous fondez des patronages, des cercles, des caisses rurales, des bureaux dassistance et de placement pour les travailleurs. Vous vous ingniez introduire des rformes dans lordre conomique et social, et, pour un si difficile labeur, vous nhsitez pas faire de notables sacrifices de temps et dargent. Cest encore pour cela que vous crivez des livres ou des articles dans les journaux et les revues priodiques. Toutes ces choses, en elles-mmes, sont trs louables, et vous y donnez des preuves non quivoques de bon vouloir, dintelligent et gnreux dvouement aux besoins les plus pressants de la socit contemporaine et des mes.

Toutefois, trs chers Fils, Nous croyons devoir appeler paternellement votre attention sur quelques principes fondamentaux, auxquels vous ne manquerez pas de vous conformer, si vous voulez que votre action soit rellement fructueuse et fconde.

Souvenez-vous avant toute chose que, pour tre profitable au bien et digne dtre lou, le zle doit tre " accompagn de discrtion, de rectitude et de puret ". Ainsi sexprime le grave et judicieux Thomas a Kempis 13. Avant lui, saint Bernard, la gloire de votre pays au XIIe sicle, cet aptre infatigable de toutes les grandes causes qui touchaient lhonneur de Dieu, aux droits de lEglise, au bien des mes, navait pas craint de dire que, spar de la science et de lesprit de discernement ou de discrtion, le zle est insupportable ... que plus le zle est ardent, plus il est ncessaire quil soit accompagn de cette discrtion qui met lordre dans lexercice de la charit, et sans laquelle la vertu elle-mme peut devenir un dfaut et un principe de dsordre 14 ".

Mais la discrtion dans les oeuvres et dans le choix des moyens pour les faire russir est dautant plus indispensable que les temps prsents sont plus troubls et hrisss de difficults plus nombreuses. Tel acte, telle mesure, telle pratique de zle pourront tre excellents en eux-mmes, lesquels, vu les circonstances, ne produiront que des rsultats fcheux. Les prtres viteront cet inconvnient et ce malheur si, avant dagir et dans laction, ils ont soin de se conformer lordre tabli et aux rgles de la discipline. Or, la discipline ecclsiastique exige lunion entre les divers membres de la hirarchie, le respect et lobissance des infrieurs lgard des suprieurs. Nous le disions nagure dans Nos lettres larchevque de Tours : " Ldifice de lEglise, dont Dieu lui-mme est larchitecte, repose sur un trs visible fondement, dabord sur lautorit de Pierre et de ses successeurs, mais aussi sur les aptres, et les successeurs des aptres, qui sont les vques ; de telle sorte qucouter leur voix ou la mpriser quivaut couter ou mpriser Jsus-Christ lui-mme 15. "

Ecoutez donc les paroles adresses par le grand martyr dAntioche, saint Ignace, au clerg de lEglise primitive : " Que tous obissent leur Evque comme Jsus-Christ a obi son Pre. Ne faites en dehors de votre vque rien de ce qui touche au service de lEglise, et de mme que Notre-Seigneur na rien fait que dans une troite union avec son Pre, vous, prtres, ne faites rien sans votre vque. Que tous les membres du corps presbytral lui soient unis, de mme que sont unies la harpe toutes les cordes de linstrument 16. "

Si, au contraire, vous agissiez, comme prtres, en dehors de cette soumission et de cette union vos vques, Nous vous rpterions ce que disait Notre prdcesseur Grgoire XVI, savoir que, " autant quil dpend de votre pouvoir, vous dtruisez de fond en comble lordre tabli avec une si sage prvoyance par Dieu, auteur de 1Eglise 17.

Souvenez-vous encore, Nos chers Fils, que lEglise est avec raison compare une arme range en bataille, sicut castrorum acies ordinata (Ct 6, 3), parce quelle a pour mission de combattre les ennemis visibles et invisibles de Dieu et des mes. Voil pourquoi saint Paul recommandait Timothe de se comporter " comme un bon soldat du Christ Jsus (2 Tm 2, 3) ". Or, ce qui fait la force dune arme et contribue le plus la victoire, cest la discipline, cest lobissance exacte et rigoureuse de tous, ceux qui ont la charge de commander.

Cest bien ici que le zle intempestif et sans discrtion peut aisment devenir la cause de vritables dsastres. Rappelez-vous un des faits les plus mmorables de lHistoire Sainte. Assurment, ils ne manquaient ni de courage, ni de bon vouloir, ni de dvouement la cause sacre de la religion, ces prtres qui staient groups autour de Judas Machabe pour combattre avec lui les ennemis du vrai Dieu, les profanateurs du temple, les oppresseurs de leur nation. Toutefois, ayant voulu saffranchir des rgles de la discipline, ils sengagrent tmrairement dans un combat o ils furent vaincus. LEsprit-Saint nous dit deux " quils ntaient pas de la race de ceux qui pouvaient sauver Isral. Pourquoi ? parce quils avaient voulu nobir qu leurs propres inspirations et staient jets en avant sans attendre les ordres de leurs chefs. In die illa ceciderunt sacerdotes in bello dum volunt fortiter facere, dum sine consilio exeunt in proelium. Ipsi autem non erant de semine virorum illorum, per quos salus facta est in Israel (1 M 5, 67. 62).

A cet gard, nos ennemis peuvent nous servir dexemple. Ils savent trs bien que lunion fait la force, vis unita fortior ; aussi, ne manquent-ils pas de sunir troitement, ds quil sagit de combattre la sainte Eglise de Jsus-Christ.

Si donc, Nos chers Fils, comme tel est certainement votre cas, vous dsirez que, dans la lutte formidable engage contre lEglise par les sectes antichrtiennes et par la cit du dmon, la victoire reste Dieu et son Eglise, il est dune absolue ncessit que vous combattiez tous ensemble, en grand ordre et en exacte discipline, sous le commandement de vos chefs hirarchiques. Ncoutez pas ces hommes nfastes qui, tout en se disant chrtiens et catholiques, jettent la zizanie dans le champ du Seigneur et sment la division dans son Eglise en attaquant, et souvent mme, en calomniant les vques, " tablis par lEsprit-Saint pour rgir lEglise de Dieu (Ac 20, 28). " Ne lisez ni leurs brochures, ni leurs journaux. Un bon prtre ne doit autoriser en aucune manire ni leurs ides, ni la licence de leur langage. Pourrait-il jamais oublier que, le jour de son ordination, il a solennellement promis son vque, en face des saints autels, obedientiam et reverentiam ?

Par-dessus tout, Nos chers Fils, rappelez-vous que la condition indispensable du vrai zle sacerdotal et le meilleur gage de succs dans les oeuvres auxquelles lobissance hirarchique vous consacre, cest la puret et la saintet de la vie. " Jsus a commenc par faire avant denseigner (Ac 1, 1). " Comme lui, cest par la prdication de lexemple que le prtre doit prluder la prdication de la parole. " Spars du sicle et de ses affaires (disent les Pres du saint Concile de Trente), les clercs ont t placs une hauteur qui les met en vidence, et les fidles regardent dans leur vie comme dans un miroir pour savoir ce quils doivent imiter. Cest pourquoi les clercs, et tous ceux que Dieu a spcialement appels son service, doivent si bien rgler leurs actions et leurs moeurs que dans leur manire dtre, leurs mouvements, leurs dmarches, leurs paroles et tous les autres dtails de leur vie, il ny ait rien qui ne soit grave, modeste, profondment empreint de religion. Ils viteront les fautes qui, lgres chez les autres, seraient trs graves pour eux, afin quil ny ait pas un seul de leurs actes qui ninspire tous le respect 18. "

A ces recommandations du saint Concile, que Nous voudrions, Nos chers Fils, graver dans tous vos coeurs, manqueraient assurment les prtres qui adopteraient dans leurs prdications un langage peu en harmonie avec la dignit de leur sacerdoce et la saintet de la parole de Dieu ; qui assisteraient des runions populaires o leur prsence ne servirait qu exciter les passions des impies et des ennemis de lEglise, et les exposerait eux-mmes aux plus grossires injures, sans profit pour personne et au grand tonnement, sinon au scandale, des pieux fidles ; qui prendraient les manires dtre et dagir, et lesprit des sculiers. Assurment, le sel a besoin dtre mlang la masse quil doit prserver de la corruption, en mme temps que lui-mme se dfend contre elle, sous peine de perdre toute saveur et de ntre plus bon rien qu tre jet dehors et foul aux pieds (Mt 5, 13).

De mme le prtre, sel de la terre, dans son contact oblig avec la socit qui lentoure, doit-il conserver la modestie, la gravit, la saintet dans son maintien, ses actes, ses paroles, et ne pas se laisser envahir par la lgret, la dissipation, la vanit des gens du monde. Il faut, au contraire, quau milieu des hommes il conserve son me si unie Dieu, quil ny perde rien de lesprit de son saint tat et ne soit pas contraint de faire devant Dieu et devant sa conscience ce triste et humiliant aveu : " Toutes les fois que jai t parmi les laques, jen suis revenu moins prtre. "

Ne serait-ce pas pour avoir, par un zle prsomptueux, mis de ct ces rgles traditionnelles de la discrtion, de la modestie, de la prudence sacerdotales, que certains prtres traitent de suranns, dincompatibles avec les besoins du ministre dans le temps ou nous vivons, les principes de discipline et de conduite quils ont reus de leurs matres du grand Sminaire ? On les voit aller, comme dinstinct, au-devant des innovations les plus prilleuses de langage, dallures, de relations. Plusieurs, hlas ! engags tmrairement sur des pentes glissantes, o, par eux-mmes, ils navaient pas la force de se retenir, mprisant les avertissements charitables de leurs suprieurs ou de leurs confrres plus anciens ou plus expriments, ont abouti des apostasies qui ont rjoui les adversaires de lEglise et fait verser des larmes bien amres leurs vques, leurs frres dans le sacerdoce et aux pieux fidles. Saint Augustin nous le dit : Plus on marche avec force et rapidit quand on est en dehors du bon chemin, et plus on sgare 19. "

Assurment, il y a des nouveauts avantageuses, propres faire avancer le royaume de Dieu dans les mes et dans la socit. Mais, nous dit le saint Evangile (Mt 13, 52), cest au Pre de famille, et non aux enfants et aux serviteurs, quil appartient de les examiner, et, sil le juge propos, de leur donner droit de cit, ct des usages anciens et vnrables qui composent lautre partie de son trsor.

Lorsque, nagure, Nous remplissions le devoir apostolique de mettre les catholiques de lAmrique du Nord en garde contre des innovations tendant, entre autres choses, substituer aux principes de perfection consacrs par lenseignement des docteurs et par la pratique des saints, des maximes ou des rgles de vie morale plus ou moins imprgnes de ce naturalisme qui, de nos jours, tend pntrer partout, Nous avons hautement proclam que, loin de rpudier et de rejeter en bloc les progrs accomplis dans les temps prsents, Nous voulions accueillir trs volontiers tout ce qui peut augmenter le patrimoine de la science ou gnraliser davantage les conditions de la prosprit publique. Mais Nous avions soin dajouter que ces progrs ne pouvaient servir efficacement la cause du bien, si lon mettait de ct la sage autorit de lEglise 20.

En terminant ces lettres, il Nous plat dappliquer au clerg de France, ce que Nous crivions jadis aux prtres de Notre diocse de Prouse. Nous reproduisons ici une partie de la Lettre pastorale que Nous leur adressions le 19 juillet 1866.

" Nous demandons aux ecclsiastiques de notre diocse de rflchir srieusement sur leurs sublimes obligations, sur les circonstances difficiles que nous traversons, et de faire en sorte que leur conduite soit en harmonie avec leurs devoirs et toujours conforme aux rgles dun zle clair et prudent. Ainsi ceux-l mme qui sont nos ennemis chercheront en vain des motifs de reproche et de blme : qui ex adverso est, vereatur nihil habens malum dicere de nobis (Tt 2, 8).

" Bien que les difficults et les prils se multiplient de jour en jour, le prtre pieux et fervent ne doit pas pour cela se dcourager, il ne doit pas abandonner ses devoirs, ni mme sarrter dans laccomplissement de la mission spirituelle quil a reue pour le bien, pour le salut de lhumanit, et pour le maintien de cette auguste religion dont il est le hraut et le ministre. Car cest surtout dans les difficults, dans les preuves, que sa vertu saffirme et se fortifie : cest dans les plus grands malheurs, au milieu des transformations politiques et des bouleversements sociaux, que laction bienfaisante et civilisatrice de son ministre se manifeste avec plus dclat.

" ... Pour en venir la pratique, nous trouvons un enseignement parfaitement adapt aux circonstances dans les quatre maximes que le grand aptre saint Paul donnait son disciple Tite. En toutes choses, donnez le bon exemple par vos oeuvres, par votre doctrine, par lintgrit de votre vie, par la gravit de votre conduite, en ne faisant usage que de paroles saintes et irrprhensibles (In omnibus teipsum praebe exemplum bonorum operum, in doctrina, in integritate, in gravitate, verbum sanum, irreprehensibile - Tt 2, 7-8). Nous voudrions que chacun des membres de notre clerg mditt ces maximes et y conformt sa conduite.

" In omnibus teipsum praebe exemplum bonorum operum. En toutes choses donnez lexemple des bonnes oeuvres, cest--dire dune vie exemplaire et active, anime dun vritable esprit de charit et guide par les maximes de la prudence vanglique ; dune vie de sacrifice et de travail, consacre faire du bien au prochain, non pas dans des vues terrestres et pour une rcompense prissable, mais dans un but surnaturel. Donnez lexemple de ce langage la fois simple, noble et lev, de cette parole saine et irrprhensible, qui confond toute opposition humaine, apaise lantique haine que nous a voue le monde, et nous concilie le respect, lestime mme des ennemis de la religion. Quiconque sest vou au service du sanctuaire a t oblig en tout temps de se montrer un vivant modle, un exemplaire parfait de toutes les vertus ; mais cette obligation est beaucoup plus grande lorsque, par suite des bouleversements sociaux, on marche sur un terrain difficile et incertain, o lon peut trouver chaque pas des embches et des prtextes dattaque...

" ... In doctrina. En prsence des efforts combins de lincrdulit et de lhrsie pour consommer la ruine de la foi catholique, ce serait un vrai crime pour le clerg de rester hsitant et inactif. Au milieu dun si grand dbordement derreurs, dun tel conflit dopinions, il ne peut faillir sa mission qui est de dfendre le dogme attaqu, la morale travestie et la justice si souvent mconnue. Cest lui quil appartient de sopposer comme une barrire lerreur envahissante et lhrsie qui se dissimule ; lui de surveiller les agissements des fauteurs dimpit qui sattaquent la foi et lhonneur de cette contre catholique ; lui de dmasquer leurs ruses et de signaler leurs embches ; lui de prmunir les simples, de fortifier les timides, douvrir les yeux aux aveugles. Une rudition superficielle, une science vulgaire ne suffisent point pour cela : il faut des tudes solides, approfondies et continuelles, en un mot, un ensemble de connaissances doctrinales capables de lutter avec la subtilit et la singulire astuce de nos modernes contradicteurs...

" ... In integritate. Rien ne prouve tant limportance de ce conseil, que la triste exprience de ce qui se passe autour de nous. Ne voyons-nous pas, en effet, que la vie relche de certains ecclsiastiques discrdite et fait mpriser leur ministre et occasionne des scandales ? Si des hommes dous dun esprit aussi brillant que remarquable dsertent parfois les rangs de la sainte milice et se mettent en rvolte contre lEglise, cette mre qui, dans son affectueuse tendresse, les avait prposs au gouvernement et au salut des mes, leur dfection et leurs garements nont le plus souvent pour origine que leur indiscipline ou leurs mauvaises moeurs...

" ... In gravitate. Par gravit, il faut entendre cette conduite srieuse, pleine de jugement et de tact qui doit tre propre au ministre fidle et prudent que Dieu a choisi pour le gouvernement de sa famille. Celui-ci, en effet, tout en remerciant Dieu davoir daign llever cet honneur, doit se montrer fidle toutes ses obligations, en mme temps que mesur et prudent dans tous ses actes ; il ne doit point se laisser dominer par de viles passions, ni emporter en paroles violentes et excessives ; il doit compatir avec bont aux malheurs et aux faiblesses dautrui, faire chacun tout le bien quil peut, dune manire dsintresse, sans ostentation, en maintenant toujours intact lhonneur de son caractre et de sa sublime dignit. "

Nous revenons maintenant vous, Nos chers fils du clerg franais, et Nous avons la ferme confiance que Nos prescriptions et Nos conseils, uniquement inspirs par Notre affection paternelle, seront compris et reus par vous, selon le sens et la porte que Nous avons voulu leur donner en vous adressant ces Lettres.

Nous attendons beaucoup de vous, parce que Dieu vous a richement pourvus de tous les dons et de toutes les qualits ncessaires pour oprer de grandes et saintes choses lavantage de lEglise et de la socit. Nous voudrions que pas un seul dentre vous ne se laisst entamer par ces imperfections qui diminuent la splendeur du caractre sacerdotal et nuisent son efficacit.

Les temps actuels sont tristes, lavenir est encore plus sombre et plus menaant ; il semble annoncer lapproche dune crise redoutable de bouleversements sociaux. Il faut donc, comme Nous lavons dit en diverses circonstances, que nous mettions en honneur les principes salutaires de la religion, ainsi que ceux de la justice, de la charit, du respect et du devoir. Cest nous den pntrer profondment les mes, particulirement celles qui sont captives de lincrdulit ou agites par de funestes passions, de faire rgner la grce et la paix de notre divin Rdempteur, qui est la lumire, la rsurrection, la vie, et de runir en lui tous les hommes, malgr les invitables distinctions sociales qui les sparent.

Oui, plus que jamais, les jours o nous sommes rclament le concours et le dvouement de prtres exemplaires, pleins de foi, de discrtion, de zle, qui, sinspirant de la douceur et de lnergie de Jsus-Christ, dont ils sont les vritables ambassadeurs, pro Christo legatione fungimur (2 Co 5, 20), annoncent avec une courageuse et indfectible patience les vrits ternelles, lesquelles sont pour les mes les semences fcondes des vertus.

Leur ministre sera laborieux, souvent mme pnible, spcialement dans les pays o les populations, absorbes par les intrts terrestres, vivent dans loubli de Dieu et de sa sainte religion. Mais laction claire, charitable, infatigable du prtre, fortifie par la grce divine, oprera, comme elle la fait en tous les temps, dincroyables prodiges de rsurrection.

Nous saluons de tous nos voeux et avec une joie ineffable cette consolante perspective, tandis que, dans toute laffection de Notre coeur, Nous accordons vous, vnrables Frres, au clerg et tous les catholiques de France, la bndiction apostolique.

Donn Rome, prs Saint-Pierre, le 8 septembre de lanne 1899, de Notre Pontificat la vingt-deuxime.

NOTES

1 S. Greg. M. Lib. Regulae Past., p. 1, c. 1.

2 Porro linguam latinam apud nos obsolescere nec quisquam est qui nesciat, et viri prudentes conqueruntur. Discitur tardissime, celerime didiscitur (Litt. Synod. Patrum Conc. Paris. ad clericos et fideles, an. 1819, in Collectio Lacensis, t. IV, col. 86).

3 Encyclique : AEterni Patris.

4 De Studiis Monasticis, part. II, c. 9.

5 Const. Apost. Triumphantis Jerusalem.

6 Pretiosas divini dogmatis gemmas insculpe, fideliter coapta, adorna sapienter ; adiice splendorem, gratiam, venustatem. (S. Vinc. Lir. Commonit., c. 2.)

7 Mme Constitution.

8 18 novembre 1893.

9 Genus interpretandi audax atque immodice liberum (Lettre au Ministre Gnral des Frres Mineurs, 25 novembre 1898.)

10 Numquid Deus indiget vestro mendacio ?

11 Theologicarum doctrinarum solidae scientiae conjungi debet Sacrorum Canonum cognitio ... sine qua theologia erit imperfecta et quasi manca, nec non multi errores de Romani Pontificis, episcoporum juribus ac praesertim de potestate quam Ecclesia jure proprio exercuit, pro varietate temporum, forsitan serpent et paulatim invalescent (Conc. prov. Bitur. a. 1868).

12 O Timothee, depositum custodi, devitans profanas vocum novitates, et oppositiones falsi nominis scientiae, quam quidam promittentes, circa fidem exciderunt.

13 Zelus animarum laudandus est si sit discretus, rectus et purus.

14 Importabilis siquidem absque scientia est zelus ... Quo igitur zelus fervidior ac vehementior spiritus, profusiorque charitas, eo vigulantiori opus scientia est quae zelum supprimat, spiritum temperet, ordinet charitatem ... Tolle hanc (discretionem) et virtus vitium erit, ipsaque affectio naturalis in perturbationem magis convertetur exterminiumque naturae (S. Bern. Serm. XLIX in Cant., n. 5.)

15 Divinum quippe aedificium, quod est ecclesia, verissime nititur in fundamento conspicuo, primum quidem in Petro et successoribus ejus, proxime in apostolis et successoribus eorum, episcopis, quos, qui audit vel spernit, is perinde facit ac si audiat vel spernat Christum Dominum (Epist ad arch. Turon).

16 Omnes episcopum sequimini ut Christus Jesus Patrem ... Sine episcopo nemo quidquam faciat eorum quae ad Ecclesiam spectant (S. Ign. Ant. Ep. ad Smyrn. 8). Quemadmodum itaque dominus sine Patre nihil fecit ... sic et vos sine episcopo (idem ad magn., VII). Vestrum presbyterium ita coaptatum sit episcopo ut chordae citharae (idem ad Ephes., IV).

17 Quantum in vobis est, ordinem ab auctore Ecclesiae Deo providentissime constitutem funditus evertitis (Greg. xvi. Epist. Encycl., 15 aug. 1832).

18 Cum enim a rebus saeculi in altiorem sublati locum conspiciantur, in eos tanquam in speculum reliqui oculos conjiciunt ex iisque sumunt quod imitentur. Quapropter sic decet omnino clericos, in sortem Domini vocatos, vitam moresque suos omnes componere, ut habitu, gestu, incessu, sermone aliisque omnibus rebus, nil nisi grave, moderatum, ac religione plenum prae se ferant ; leviam etiam delicta, quae in ipsis maxima essent, effugiant, ut eorum actiones cunctis afferant venerationem (S. Conc. Trid. Sess. XXII, de Reform., c. 1).

19 Enarr., in Ps. XXXI, n., 4.

20 Abest profecto a Nobis ut quaecumque horum temporum ingenium parit omnia repudiemus. Quin potius quidquid indagando veri auenitendo boni attingitur, ad patrimonium doctrinae augendum publit caeque prosperitatis fines proferendos, libentibus sane Nobis accedit. Id tamen omne, ne solidae utilitatis sit expers, esse ac vigere nequaquam debet Ecclesiae auctoritate sapientiaquae posthabita (Epist. ad S.R.E. Presbyt. Card. Gibbons, Archiep. Baltimor., die 22 ian. 1899).