The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-02-15
The I~mMaculufe Conception.
PASTORAL LETrn ON THE DEFINITION or sHn
DOGMA or THE IMMACULATE 0oNCKPTIos.
ARuANDUs FRANCIs NARY.

NJ ~ uhAth " 0ob n W M HULL nAE, hEhV W
To ALL the FAITHFUL or THE DIocks~, Gaacr AND PKAcr ~
nn LoRD-
DEAR BRrIHRKS-on the sth Of December last, sScr
i've years Of prayer, Of elaboration, Of pcrssvering in
venhgatons and onsultatons-af, having received the
opinion In writing Of Ave hundred bishops, scattered
over the universe, the 26ith successor Of 81. Peter, i'm
virtue OF his mission 20 teach all nations ana every
creature, until the contamination Of ia. world. sux
surrounded BY two hundred bishops from ali the parx
The most solemn eirsams,anss. p,n. 's2uess ana amidst
Christ upon earth declared IN the ~plsnitade Of hiA uni
al is a dogma Of faith that tae blessed Virgin n.,x
from the frat instant OF her conception, by a Angular
privilege and grace of God, In virtue Of the merits %
from all stain OF original sim
Now. dearly beloved, what i the meaning Of that a.
hnition which oyerjoys the whole church, and desolat~
he'll What are our duties towards that dehnition : and
what must he Its fruit for our soulsS
That definition, dearly beloved, means that the soul a.
Mary, TO doubt on account Of her having been chosen
from all eternity TO be the Mother OF the saviour, whsa
created and unitad 20 a body in her mother, 81. Ann, vas
exempted, preserved from all original ain, common 70
all the children OF Adam and Eve.
That definition means that on that nrst momsnt
Mary, far from being a child o. wrath, hated By the
Blessed Trinity, belonging 20 satan and doomed 70 he'll,
was, on the contrary ali fair, s~po,le,s, falof grace with
the Lord, blessed among somen, the beloved dove Of
God, and already crushing the ~serpent's head.
That definition means that that most singular ersmp-
ton, privilege, prerogntive, grace conferred on Mary In
virtue OF the merits Of Jesus Cpriai, has been revealed by
God, 4. contained In the deposit OF divine revelations,
hhh alwhyH been believed Ae n part OF the word OF to4
by the immense majority Of the church, aad IA now pro-
POSED AS such 10 the faith Of the world by the teaching
Church of Christ, against which lie promised that suos,
one OF ,he gntes Of he'll, should never prevail.
ThcrcAre that definition means that the Immaculate
Conception Of Mary Ia nov a dogma Of our faith, just as
e%lasher divine maternity, her %perpetuAl virgin,y,
and her exemption from uniAl sin. Those three ptsfo.
gatives Of Mary bad always been believed az revealed By
God, and contained in the deposit Of divine revelation,
though they became dogmas OF Catholic faith only aztec
ages. The divine maternity Of Mary was defined only
In the hfth century, again,t Nestorius; hsr psrpetusi
~virsiniiy in the fourth, Agains, JoviniAs, and hsr eKenp-
ton from yeniai sn in the sixteenth, By tho councu u
Trent.
1hsrsf fore 20 deny now even mentally the immaculate
conception, would be tbs same sin OF heresy AZ 10 deny
the divine maternity Of Mary, on her ~psrpetuAl virginity
or her Exemption nom veniAl sin, because II would 70
TO refuse 10 believe a definition Of the church, tho pillar
and the ground Of truth, and Of course 20 incur the
excomm uncation and snathsma OF . heathen and . pGb-
lican, pronounced by Jesus Christ himself against whom.
soeyer heareth not the church.
Now what are our duties towards the definition OF the
In maculatc conception Of tho blessed Virgin hsryt
First duty-A nrm faith In II, because II has been re-
,e asr S p s9i !, vi II. ' iatsiiisi sa esar sna Pf.p's'q s \. sp'n
believe in the immaculate Conception 9Th all my heart,
with the same faith with which believe In thy divine
maternity In NY perpetual v'Isini'y, and In thy e.
Second duty renewed confidence In Mary, who's,
pr,roga,iyss upon earth. Nov, Mary was a, leaa, equal
TO I've and the angels in the creation Of her immA1ulats
spirit, since the srchAngel Gabriel bowed 10 her, even bs-
fore her being the mother Of the Saviour; bu, a. such,
and as having sacrificed her divine Son for mankind, shs
lift the angtIcal nature a. far behind her a, a mother s
above a servant, As tho sacrih'e OF an only son for others
IL above any OF her service. Therefore, let u wear the
miraculous medal struck OF in the honor OF the imma-
culnte Conception, the wonders Of which have hilsd up
the world, repeating morning, evening and often, par.
ticularly In danger and temptations 20! Mary, conceived
without sin, pray for uA who have recourse 10 thee
Third duty-An increase Of ycnerstion and Affections
towards Mary, her virtues and privileges, her mysteries
and festivals, her devotional practices, the most csc%-
lent Of which, within the reach Of all, Is 10 unite our
selves, In the course az our daily actions aud sun.rugs,
10 the blessed Virgin Mary TO her thoughts, her ludT.
msn's, her feelings, her eonverpa,ioD, so tn., we may
live and Gle as she did, for God alone, and Heaven, AZ
70 Vie airec, irni 10 be reap.a ron ne in nasaia,s
it, oeeasiobs II because Mary was 70 be the mother Of
the God man, an. because from ler blood and mix was
10 be formed tie body OF Ct rlst, "A was btting that her
spirit Ahould be created holy, innocent, ~undsdied, sspa-
rated from sinners, and higher than the Heavens, u IL
not a legitimate consequences that our faith In the I'm
mHsuiate Conception should render OIL Of us more avsrss
! 10 sin. Therefore, parent, 10 more Feaious for deliver
irg your bates from orgiaal ain a. soon - they ara
servl.. ,avr title lambs from losip- their A--''-.
nal Innocence, BY t;meviar Rom them Day ssr
hlghL any imnedlate occasion o. sin, ssch - bal
company dangerous schools, books, aud amusement.
Lte'eTy one o. us be more careful about keeping tho
state q gisee about recovering and inenea'log tina.
harry itate BY the Repatriation ofthe bath Of penancs.
and ~ The food 81 the holy communion, latimsts
union with Jesus Christ dearly beloved, /, our voca.
ton, . II .As that Of Mary We ansChrlstians by
being enc With Christ nov the holy communion IA he
mctt eheisbt cause q that holy union. at the sans
.ms mat =, u The most powerful antidots against ala.
Inc pressed virgin Nary, though free from Consequence
Or inclination 10 evil, used 10 receive The holy oom-
nu1len s,ery day at =, Johns hsad., s.y. ~tr.aliloa;
- 49, " N@1N Ahhshkf ~ lthfM ago. thAt uOutblI
Communion u nete1sary a. live hAbitasliy In grace with
God let therefore, frequent communion IL our last
word Of faith, ~etnhceBoe and affection towards the I'm.
yotbsr 81 Jesus
On MARI, conserved vi,hoq, ain, m,y the dsanl,Loa
ofthJ immaculate Coaes pton b. = nov era Ia the ca urch,
become an inerbAugubl. source " new and abundant
blessings In the Whole world, for the ertibction of scaa-
Gals 81 schlsnri Of hsrssles, ~ vars, sns o. all Gala.
mites
Nay u be- the dawn o. an universal reign o. Christian
,Irii, 81 union, o. charity, Of peace, ani happlnss.i
Nay y Be 40 particularly for this province, this doc.ss,
this city, Tor each and all ~ you, dear brethren Of tbs
church ane Tor your spiritual fathsr-
Let his isttfr viii 10 Rad az mass In all The church,.
And stations on The Sundays after "a reception.
~ tbtl tie reception OF the buIl on ths d@ani,lgs.
TIE Ltspy ~ the Blessed Virgin will b. Fsei,ei Arsr
mass every Sunday, With the Invocation repeated thr.,
TINES ~ Mary conceived Without shs, pray for u ~bs
have rcoufso 10 thee
Tic bun, uhsnai our rs1uss, published In Che Caiks.
~ tHfss and Htrtr, sIl b. rsA4 In al the thurehss
ana fthutns al mass after which, . r. Deua or ths
lltAny ~ tho blessed Virgin oil u sung or rseitsf, a,l
a btnsdiction given plih the Os.snNorinm Or q bo4uun.
a y Drc~IfAhBossu, Bishop q Toroa,o.
TohoaIo, 20 February, 1853.