The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-11-12
The Papal Bull.

WEEKLY, -t.. - - w
Tho Papal Bull %.
.9pOsiOlc Letter Of His Holiness, Pope Pi,iS *, es
iabIishing an Episcopal Hierarchy in Engiard,
CAD rERPEruAM REL MEMoRIAM.'
The power of governing the universal cE urch,
entrusted by our Lord Jesus Christ to the Roman
Pontiff, in the person OF 81 Peter, Prince OF the
Apostles has maintained for centuries in the apos-
tolic see the admirable solictude with which il |
watches over the welfare OF the Catholic religion
in all the earth and provides with zeal for its pro-
gress. Thus has been accomplished the design of
It's divine founder, who, by establishing chief, |
has IN his profound wisdom ensured the safety of |
the church until the utternost time Tie effect of
this solicitude has been felt in most nations, and
amongst these ID the noble kingdom of England |
History proves that since the first ages Of the
church, the Christian religion was carried into
Great Britain, where it fourished until towards
the middle of the fifth century. After the invasion
of the Angles and Saxons in that island, govern
ment, as well as religion, fell into most deplora
be state. At once our most holy predecessor,
Gregory the Great, sent the monk Augustine and
nus followers; then he created great number of
bishops, joined TO them multitude of monks and
priests brought the Anglo Saxons to religion,
and succeeded by his inAueEoe i'm re-establishing
and extending the Catholic faith in all that coun,
try, which then began To assume the name of
England. But to recall more recent facts, moth
Anglican schism of the sixteenth century than the
solicitude with which the Roman pontiifs, our
predecessors, succored and supported by all the
means In their power the Catholic religion, then
exposed In that kingdom to the greatest dangers
and reduced TO the last eXtremities Its with this
object, apart from other means that so many eff
forts have been made by the Sovereign Pontifls,
either by their orders with their appreciation to
keep IN England men ready and devoted to the
support OF Catholicism; and in order that young
htn i'll, -
come on the continent, there to receive an educa-
ton, and be formed with care in the study Of &C.
clesIastical science especially in order that being
IN sacred orders, they may on their return to their
country be able to support their countrymen by
the ministry of their word and by the sacraments
and that they may defend and propagate true faith
But the zeal of our predecessors will perhaps be
more clearly admitted as regards what they have
done to give the Catholics Of England pastors
clothed in an episcopal character at a time when
furious and lmpacabe tempestjhad deprived them
OF the presence of bishops and their pastoral care
First, the apostolic letter Of Gregory XIV, com
mencing with these words, d" Ecclesia Romano, -
and dated the Odd March, 1923, shows that the
sovereign Pontlft, as soon as possible, depued to
the government of English and Scotch Catholic
bishops, William Bishop, consecrated Bishop Of
Chalcis, with ample faculties and powers After
the death of Bishop, Urban VIII renewed this
mission IN his apostolic letter, dated January "a
1925, addressed to Richard Smith, and conferring
on him the bislopric of Chalcis, and all the pow
ers previously resting on Bishop. II seemed,
subsequently, a. the commencement of the reign
OF James H., that more favorable days were about
20 dawn upon the Catholic religion Innocent
~; prohted at once by the circumstance, and in
1855, he deputed John Leyburn, Bishop of Adru-
mede, as vicar apostolic for all the kingdom of
England; Subsequently, by another apostolic let
ter, dated the 30th Of january, 1868, and COM
menclng as follows Super cathedmm, he
joined with Leyburn three other Wears apostolic,
Ihtcu fhgt a.
care OF the apostolic nuncio in this country, Fer
dmand, Archbishop Of Amosia, was divided by
that Ponuf into four districts that of London
the west, the centre, and the north, which ut first
were governed by apostolic Wears, furnished with
proper faculties and powers. In the ACCOMPLISH
ment OF so grave charge, they received rules and
succor either by the decisions of Benoit XIV, in
his constitution of May 80, 1853, which com
nencng with the words "Aposoicum ministc.
rum," or by those Of other Pontifs our prede-
cesSors, and our congregation for the propagation
of the faith. This division of all England into
four apostolic vlcarages lasted till the time O
Gregory XVI, who, in his apostolic letter, " Mu-
neris apostolici" dated July 3, 1910, considering
the increase OF the Catholic religion in England,
and making Il new ecclesiastical division of the
country, doubled the number of vicarages, and
conided the spiritual government of England to the
Wears apostolic in London Of the west, the east,
the centre of Lancaster, York, and the north.
The little we have just said, proves clearly that
use all the means their authority gave them to con-
sole the Church of England for its immense dis
graces, and to work for its resurrection. Having
before It's eyes, therefore, the good example of
predecessors, and DESTROYS, by initiating them, of
fulfilling the duties Cf the supreme apostolate
pressed, besides, to follow the movements Of our
heart for that portion Of the Lords vineyard we
proposed to ourselves, from the commencement Of
our ponthcate, to pursue work that was so well
begun, and to apply ourselves in the most serious
Pa, a. nj
the church in this kingdom. For this reason
considering whole the state OF Catholicism in
England, on the considerable number ofCatholcs
which keep still increasing, rem rking that every
day the obstacles are falling off which stood in the
way OF the extension of the Catholic religion, we
have thought that the time was come when the
form Of ecclesiastical government should be re-
sumed in Eng land, such it exists, freely exists,
in other nations, where no particular cause neces-
states the ministry of Wears apostolic. We have
thought that, by the progress Of time and things
il was no longer necessary to have the English
Catholics governed by vicarsapostolic, but, on the
contrary, that the changes which had already been
made necessitated the ordinary form Of Episcopal
government.
We have been confirmed in these thoughts by
the desires expressed to us by the apostolic
IN England, as well as by numbers Of the clergy
and laity distinguished by VIII and rank, and ~
the wishes ofthe great majority Of English Catho-
hes. In maturing this design have not failed to
implore the aid or the Almighty and Most Ora
cious God, and that he would grant us grace in
this weighty affair to resolve upon that which
should be most suitable to augment the prosperity
Of the church. We have further besought the as
sIsance of the blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of
God, and Of the saints, whose virtues have made
England ilustrlous, that they would degn to OBJ
tain by their ntercesson with God the happy
success of this enterprise. We have since com
mended the whole business to the grave and Sc
r'ous consideration Of our venerable brothers the
cardinals of the holy Roman church, forming our
congregation for propagating the faith. These
sentiments having been found completely con-
formabie to our own, we have resolved to sanction
them, and carry them into execution II is for this
reason, after having weighed the whole matter
most scrupulousIy, that of our own proper motion,
in our certain knowledge, and in the nlenitnde Of