The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-10-27
ter of His Holiness Pope Leo XIII. 10 the
Cardinal sec1etAry of State.

Secret ary of Stst,.
'..Signor Cardinale-The unexpected death of
ardInal Alexander Frsnchi, Oar Secretary OF
~ ate, hes been great misfortune for Us, and
Is filled Oar souls with profound sorrow.
billed to such an important post on account OF
be confidence bis rare qualities of intellect
I'd heart, and the any services wn,on re nsa
Spdered to the Church bad inspired in US, he
answered Our expectation 8 SO fully during tbe
hort time he remained by Onr side that bis
kemory will never be pfacsd from Oar mind,
nd his pnme will be Cb erished AID blessed by
- ture generation s. even as il is hv those who
ave been his contemporaries Bat since II
as pleased the Lord 10 subject Us to this trial,
"a bmttiug Odrsel Yes in 81 spirit of resignation
- the Divine decrses We have turued all Oar
bonghts to the ctoice of liz successor. and
xed Oar eyes on son, Signcr Card'na'e, whose
..3areat ability and experience in the mtnage-
:. bent Of sffiirs, wall as whose tifmness ot
RESOLUTION aud feelings OF generous sacrifice
pr the good of tho Church are we'll known to
bs It, however. ssesus to Us opportnne, be-
asore YOU enter on y01r Few fa..aL.Aas-thAt We
should address yGu this fett.r, in order to III sse
nown to you Oar views on several important
points to whian your lnc siant care Will nave
10 be specially devoted.
ii sFrom the very commencement of Oar Pom.
'aific ate, looking down from the elevation of
khe Apostle Chair, We have fixed Oar atten-
tion ou the present state of society, in order to
become acq ainted with it's actual conditions,
10 seek out it's necessities, and to provide
remedy for it's wants and since then, In the
sEncy oli cal Letters addressed 10 all Our vener-
able brethren in the Episcopate, We have de.
plored the decline OF belief, not only In the
4supernatarsl truths known by faith, bnt also
4the abandonment OF natural truths, whether
speculative or practical, the prevalence OF the
most deadly errors, aud the grave dangers
" hich thres ten society through the daily in
cressipe disorders by which it is disturbed.
We pointed ont as tne ptlucipai cause o. tnsC
decadence the saGrilegious attempt, which ia
openly avowed, TO eepsrate Chr's1 and His
Church, in which clone is there power snfici-
eat to restore its N st geieVous losses: We
a6n i,r, hn rub iTlir Ii.ghf NJ
that the Church fuun1ed by Chti.t FOR the re-
generation of the world cJmuJeuced, from her
very first oppearapce, TO make the pr, ,clons aid
of her sovereign virtues felt ; ,Ind that even in
the darkest and IN Dat f ,tal times she was The
sole beacon to Indicate the sure P .JS-'he sole
refuge " hich could promise trar q1iilty and
safety. 1t is easy to conciuce fconI this that IL
in the past no Chorch has lsvshed snch Gnat
bentti tee ord, khe can do the same to-
day wlJuout any maoner of doubt: that tho
Church, as every Catholic believes arti
Gle Of faith, aISays animal I'd with the spirit OF
Jesus Christ, Wio has pronis ID har His M
falling assistance. has been conetituted the
mistress of truth and guardian Of a sacred and
Immaculate law, and that thronga q Is sutAo.
rity she still possesses to-day all the strength
ueceesury for Tire eff ia4 leet4al asa
moral corruption which iDfects eocierg, aud
can bring it hack its pristine health And
since per6dious enemies. w.t. t2e object of
misrepresenring the ChUIch and alieEatiGg the
peoples from her. scatter abroad grave cal um-
MES against her, We desired, without delay, to
diss pate all pre- jGdice1, and to confouDd these
accusstious certain that when the peoples
recognize the Church as she really is, and real.
ize her bene fcert dispositiou, 3 ey WILL of
their own 8ccrrd, Ieely return on all sidea TO
her maternal bosom. Actrated by these in
tentioI S, We desire TO make Our voics beard
by those who ra!e the 6estinieS of the nations,
inviting them warmly not t." refuse the solid
sucoor Which TIE Clutch otfers them in these
times, when the want of il is 30 much felt. And
inspired by feelings Of A pIatolic charity, We
turned aiso even 20 tSose who are not united
IA hu a hnII 4 nj ha hnl IN ralI I0In
wishing that their subj cts ght profit By the
advantages inherent IN this impulse of Oar
heart, We have addressed the powerful En-.
peIor of the iifustrious Germanic nation, " hich
specially demands Our solicitude on account of
the difficult position of the Catholics 10 III. Our
words, whioh were solely inspired by The desire
to reli iOus peace restored t. Germany,
were favorsbfy received by the augnst Z u
peror, end have had the happy result of bring
ing about friendly rcgotiat!ons, in which Oar
object has not been TO obtain o mere truce
which would leave the way open for new con-
hicts, bat, oDce these obstacles removed, to
secure real, solid and lastiug peace. TIE
Importance of this object, justly estimated by
the wisdom of those in whose hands are placed
the destipes of the Empire, will, We are sure,
lead them t. extend to Us friendly hand to
attain it. The Chnrch will, without doubt,
rejoice to zee peace re- established in the midst
of that noble nation, hut the Empire will have
none the lt So reason to re- jOice, for, with Ca
tholic cor sciences at rest, i5 will, formerly,
fud in the children of the Catholic Church lis |
most fai bful and devoted subjects.
"The countries of the East, where the seri |
GUS events which are taking place are, !
perhaps, only the preparation of better future |
in the interests of religion could not escape |
Our paternal vigilance, Nothing will be left
uudone by the Holy See to promote those in
terests, and We entertain the hope that the
illus:rious Churches of those regions eveLta-
ally may again return to life, and shine with |
their ancient splepdor.
This short explanation will bs sufficient to
enable yoa to understand Oar desire to make |
4 ha and thn
Pspscy fe throughout the whole extent of
modern society. 1t is necessary for you aleo |
to employ all your talents and exercise all your
zeal 10 the executi of this design with which |
God has Inspired Oar heart. You ought also |
to devote your most serious attention to an |
other point of the greatest importanoe--the !
very difficult situation in which the Head of |
the Church is placed in Italy and Rome since |
he was despoiled of the temporal dominions |
which Providence handed over to him centu- |
EieS ago for the purpose of protecting the free
dom of his spiritual power. We will not here |
pacse TO I. fleet that the violation Of the most |
sacred rights of the Apostolic See and the |