, 1854-12-02

all the blessings We stand m need Of. ana
to avert from US evils of which we are n
dread, have not neglected to raise our eve,
towards the High and Holy Mountain from
which we hope TO obtain every aid that We
may require. And we. in the humility Of
our heart, have not ceased to invoke and
supplicate, by urgent aud fervent prayers
God Who is rich in mercy, in order that
He may make war disappear from one end
OF the earth 10 the other; that after having
removed oil discords between Christian
Princes. He may grant 20 their people
peace, concord and irdnquillty; that he
may especially concede to their PRAYERS a
most pous desire daily to defend and propa.
gate the Catholic faith and doctrine. bv
which the happiness Of all nations is best
secured; that He may relieve the same
princes and people from all evils with which
they are afflicted: that he may rejoice them
with every true prosperity: that be may be.
stow the gifts Of His heavenly grace upon
those who are in error, so that they NAV
return from the ways Of the perdition to
the paths Of truth and justice, and so may,
with sincere heart, be converted to God
Himself. Therefore il is, that although we
have already ordered, iu this, our dear city,
prayers 10 be offered up for imploring the
divine mercy, still following in the footsteps
Of our illustrious predecessors, we have re-
solved to have recourse to our prayers, and
to those OF the entire Church.
1t is with this object, venerable brethren,
that we address to you these letters, ur-
gently soliciting you, to inform you, to
your known and tried piety, to induce the
faithful cOdfded to your charge-for the
reasons above menIioned-to atone BY q !.
10 endeavor, by prayer, and fasting, aims
deeds, and other good works, to appea 90
the anger OF God, which the sins Of man
kind have provoked Remind tie faithful,
according TO the dictates of your wisdom
and fervrnt piety, Of the abundance of the
mercy Of God towards those who invoke Il
of the power Of prayer when, having de-
MED all access to the enemy of our saliva
ton, we approach to our Lord. Prayer, 10
the words Of St. John Chysostom, ''is the
source, the root, and mother Of Vulnerable
blessings; the power Of prayers overcomes
fire, con rolls the fury Of lions, puts an end
to wars; bursts the chains Of death, drives
away sickness and misfortune, put devils
10 fight, opens the gates Of heaven, ap-
peases combats. calms tempests, gives STA
O.lIty 10 States shaken by discord, averts
the plaques Of heaven and the snares Of
man; aud in tine, there is no species Of mis-
fortune which prayer will not dissipate."
We urdenily trust, venerable brethren, that
while you address fervent prayers to the
Father Of all Mercies, for the above named
reasons, you will not desst, according 10
the wish expressed in our encycical letters
OF the ID Of February, lS4s, dated Gaetay
10 iinplore, iu concert with the faithful, BY
prayers and supplications more ardent than
ever, the mercy Of this same father, IN or
der that He may deign TO enlightsn % BY
the assistance OF the Holy Ghost;, 50 that
AS regards the conception Of the Most Ho-
y Mother Of God, the immaculate Virgin
Mary, we may come to decision which
shall De 10 The greater glory Of God, and
of this Blessed Virgin, oar most dearly be-
loved Mother. ,-...,,
In order that the faithful conhded to Jon
may bring to these devotions more ardent
fervor, and thence derive more abundant
fruits, we have been desirous TO open the
heavenly treasures, with the dispensations
Of which the Most High has entrusted us,
aud bestow upon them that bounty. That
it is that, sustained by the mercy Of the
0nnipoten, God, and by the. authority Of
HIS holy Apostles, 81. Peter and 81. Paul,
by virtue vi that power Of binding and
loosinS, which the Lord hath 8 ven Us, ce-
spite our unworthiness, we giali, BY these
presents, to all aud every OF ihe faithful Of
each sex, in our diosese, wac shal!-with-
in the space of three months, from period
which each Of you shall have previously
fixed, and to commence from the day waich
each Of you shall have delerminea--have
humbly examined their iransgress;ons, shall
have confessed them with slncere detesta.