The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1865-04-08
PACIFIC
commercial Advertiser.
The POpe's EncycIiCaI Letter.

80 1890 'NH-H -~sN@ N
published an cncyclical letter which has aston
lshed every one by the daring bDlduess ~! II
tone and enOrmity Of It's assumption IL appear
81 first ON wednesday evening, a day too late iDl
the post 10 England, Is another document viii
appear this evening, which may be called the
syllabus, just late enough % render the cCmmu-
n-icatIJn Cf ii ~ foreign countries impossible by
this yJst. That something was maturing | have
already informed YOU but III what form or shape
10 was u appear | was unable 10 ascertain, 20
great was the secrecy observed, IL having been
printed. as I am informed, not in the Stamperia
Camsrale, but IN the ~StamIeria (pTinting-Dfhce)
Of the Cardinal Secretary Of State. As IL was
not previously communicated TO the diplomatic
body, II took all by surprise with the exception
Of one or two who have a mode Of ascertaining
what Is going on best known u themselves, 50
that We may infer that, as other governments
have had their secrets, the P%OntitcaI Government
was determined not 70 be behind hand. OF the
letter itself. which I translate and send. you will
form your OWN Judgment, but the following is a
resume Of it. Addressed .. TO all our Venerable
Brethren, Patriarchs, Primates, Archbshops,
and Bishops, having the Grace of the Commu-
Mon of the Holy See, 1t condemns in general
terms at the commencement b. the heres.e5 and
errors, - = the depraved, - and - mOnstrous Opin-
iOns'' Of this most sad age" They are so
much the more detestable,' IL asserts, inasmuch as
they tend TO destroy that =. influence which the
Catholic Church should exercise over individuals,
nations and SOyereigns to the end Of the world
III lUllItItt iCfSJ WHICH Has ALWAYS proved Ia
gourable as well 70 religion as to civil affairs"
Ii iaments the exclusion of religion from the
direction of human society, the neglect to observe
any distinction between true and false religion,
g the denial Of the duty Of coercing the ~yiolators
Of the Catholic religion by authorities" Liber-
" of conscience and worship Is declared 20 be p
deIrlUn, and the liberty, unrestrained by
ecclesiastical or civil authority Of manifesting or
declaring any thought whatever by speech, print,
or any other mode is called the liberty Of perdi-
tiOn. MOnastic institutions are defended against
the bitter attacks Of their enemies, and are up
held as Offering q mode of life inculcated by the
Church as agreeable u the doctrine of the Apos-
ties, while in no measured terms it denies 80 that
the will Of the people, az manifested by what is
called public opinion, or in any other manner,
should constitute the supreme law, and that
accomplished facts, for the reason that they are
accomplished, should obtain the force of law
The exclusion Of the Catholic Church from the
instruction of youth is spoken Of as an attempt
. to deceive and depraye the inexperienced
young; but the encyclic is especially severe
against 81 the marked imprudence Of those who
would subject the supreme authority of the
Church and of this Holy See committed TO it by
Christ the Lord, and who deny all the rights of
the same Church and See over things appertain-
ing to external order Clandestine societies are
spoken Of and condemned in such a way Us
almost to embrace the meeting of other religious
communities beyond the fold of His Holiness
for it is maintained afterwards by inference that
the Church is - competent to punish with tenn
pOTary punishment the yiolators of it's laws
Lastly, the criminal impudencc of those is de-
nounced who deny the Divinity of Christ and
all the sons of the Catholic Church are informed
that we reprOye, prescribe, and condemn all
and each the depraved doctrines and opinions, spc-
officially enumerated in this letter. Finally it is
added - we concede to all and each of both sexes,
plenary indulgence in the form Off Jubilee for the
space of one month only till the end of 1861; &c.
and harsh in Its tone, the assumptions of this
~encyclic are such as might have been put forward
by Gregory VII. S0wn broadcast over this
pastoral are such expressions as - Ubiquitous
men," - execrable pest they dare : they
blush not, y 50 most false men, - 'nefariOus in
tentions,' &" signal impudence,' - .audacity,"
and other similar and too frequently recurring
expressions, all proceeding from the gentle shep-
herd - whose mission lntrusted 10 him by Christ
the Lord Is said to be that of feeding the
sheep and the lambs. As regards the assump-
tons put forward they would upset the order OF
civil society rs it is organized throughout Europe.
and not a friend or enemy of the Church is left
Not one single State is mentioned,
but let the letter be analysed and not a single
State, it will be found escapes. As for England
she Of course enjoys the = liberty of perdition''
SO does France in & less degree, for there is
not a principle OF the revolution of 1889 of
which the French still affect to boast which Is
not denounced. Italy is aimed at in a variety
Of ways. so IS Russia, and 50 in a less degree are
the Catholic Powers who are now in contro-
versy with the Holy Sec about the nomination Of !
Bishops. On the ruin, in short, of all for
which free nations have struggled aud for which
happy people are struggling, the head
Of the church would erect his throne. and, King
If Kings and Lord of Lords, would establish
again the lnluisitiOn, TO punish g with temporal
the violatorS of the laws of the
Church" All this II so mOnstrOus that | was
not astOnished Mt the observation of Il friend
today -. IL is 50 astounding that | have not re-
covered yet from the eject it fas produced upon
me- Aud vet there is not a pretension nor 4
ienuuciation which Is not the logical consequence
of the principles upon which the Catholic Church
IS founded. | find the letter most logical and
consistent in its character, but then it shows
that ali reconciliation between the Holy See and
the Italian kingdom is impossible, that it opens
the separation between il and other Catho-
ic Powers, and that 1t has created for itself n
position of isolation most dangerous TO It's safety
1t this important crisis. Had the enemies of
the Church dictated the letter. it could not have
been more favorable to their objects, for with one
u two exceptions there Is not an error or opinion
condemned for which all thinking, intelligent,
md good men are not contending in the present
lay. There Is another document the syllabus.
already sent of to the bishops, which Will not
appear here probably till after post time. Ii
in which are anathemized errors, and
down what constitutes the faith and duty of
! son of the Church. What will the eldest son
u all this? Another memorandum, perhaps,
will be issued later by the Cardinal Secretary of
state 10 the various Catholic Powers. The ira
iiti0ns of the Church, Us well as information
which | have received, seem to Justify such an
,xpectation.