The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-11-26
Issrnirg Star and Catholic Messenger.
REW vklFANs. SUNDAY. NOVEMBER 49, 1871.
Latin text)
Allosution Of Our Most Holy Father Pope Plus ".
D.rivsred on tho 9th day Of October. 1877,
10 the Cardinals Of tho Holy Roman Church,
IA the Vatican.

Allocutions, or in our Ency ciica! Letters to
m the Bishops. For the unfriendiy ana
great wrongs inflicted on the Catholic
Church in unhappy Italy. and on the Apos-
known, and certified to all, that they can
neither be denied without the greatest
ahamelessness, nor cloaked by any excuse
for the tightening of their reproach. These,
We, with you, are compelled to oeh s;.a and nd
force 70 eeas 20 that We could rightly say, in the
words of the Royal Prophet: ~ have seen
vickedness aud strife in the City crime
will compass it about by night and by day,
on the walls thereof; and trouble and
wrong within it!"l Psalm LlV. lO-ll:)
We are, indeed, Venerable Brethren, al
of overlooking evils; but, God helping our
weakness, we will not avoid suffering even
harder things for the right. Nay, we are
ready to go to meet death itself, with great
joy, were it to please the merciful God to
accept the lowliness of this sacrifice for
the peace and the liberty Of the Church.
But among 80 many other sorrows, the
slarpest is, for us, the widowhood OF so
many Sees in wretched Italy, that nave SO
long been without the guardianship OF
Bishops of their own and the need thence
arising of spiritual help, by which faithful
populations are daily more aud more at
fected in so direfnl state of time and of
affairs.-This need has grown to such pro
portions that, as the love of Christ presses
MS, we cannot refuse to seek remedy.
Considering the great number of Sees
widowed, and the wide and thickiy peo-
pled provinces of Italy that number hardly
two or three Prelates of Episcopal powers
considering the violence and craft of the
wicked for uprooting from the minds of
tho Italians the Catholic faith-consldering
the dangers of the greatest commissions
that are hanging over civil society itself
-, oil, Iva mn
more delay iii our bringing such aid as
may be in our power, to our faithful and
beloved children of Italy, whose cries of
distress at their deprivation have often
reached us, and that we should set over
them Prelates signal in virtue, who may
devote all their care and zeal to the work
alone set them to do-seekiDg the glory of
God and the salvation of souls.
Therefore, in the name of Jesus Christ,
the Son of God, we assign to-day, In part,
Bishops. proper to the widowed churches |
in Italy. AS to the other portion, We will
that it will SO be that according to His inf |
mite mercy He will bless and prosper the |
work, Who has given us the authority,
and required of us the duty, of performing.
it; and that all obstacles may be removed,
if any be raised against this use of our
Office, which we have exercised ;>only/for
the spiritual salvation of souls.
But, at the same time, we do protest, be-
fore the whole Church, that we altogether
reject those pledges that are called "guar
antees," as in our Eneyciical of May 18th,
Of this year, we have set forth in the plain
this most weighty act Of our ApOstolate,
We use the power conferred by Him who is
the Chief of Pastors, and tho Bishop of our
souls-the power given to US by Jesus .
Christ cur Lord, in the person of the most
blessed Peter from whom, as was said by
st. Innocent our predecessor, "The very G
Episcopate has sprung, and all the authori- l
~ Of the name of Episcopate." (Epist /
I'd Conc. Carth.)
But, here, we cannot pass in silence the 1
mpious hardihood and perversity of GER
lain men in another region of Europe l
who, miserably wandering from the rule
and communion of the Catholic Church a
sometimes in writings, full of all manner
sf errors and falsehoods, and sometimes \
n meetings held in sacrilegious manner. o
openly impugn the authority of the Holy
ecumenical Council Of the Vatican, and I
The truths of faith by it solemnly declared 4
md defined; and, especially, the supreme n
md full power Of jurisdiction which the
Roman Pontif, successor of Most Blessed I
Peter, holds, by Divine ordination, over
he whole Church, as we'll as the peroga. v
i've Of infallible guardianship which he T
1il possesses, (poHst,) when he exercises o
he office of Supreme Pastor and Teacher n
# the Faithful, in defining doctrines of =
sith, and Of morals.
And these children of perdition, in order Il
o rouse against the Catholic Church o L
by the secular powers, endeav
r fraudulentiy, to make it seem that tho v
Id doctrine of the Church has been y
hanged by these Sdecrees of the Vatican
ouncil and that a grave peril has thus o
cen created for the common wealth, and s
II civil society. What more wicked, aud,
the same time, more absurd, could be
ncied or devised, Venerable Brethren, G
ian these calumnies7 And yet the cause
grief is given, that, in some places, it o
rs happened that tho very Ministers Of
overnment have been caught by wicked Z
lggestions of this kind aud, caring no. o. y
ling for the scandal given to the faithful,
ave not hesitated to shield with their pa n
onage, aud openly to foster by their c
'vor, these new sectaries, in their rebel
Willis thus simply and briefly we COM
lain with you in our grief, we understand a a
nat We ought to bestow the praise, so en-
rely deserved, on the distinguish Bish-
Pc OF that country, amongst whom We es-