The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-03-04
PASTORAL AND MANDATORY LETTER
or the Most Rev. Archbishop Of New Or
leans, for the Lent Of 1878.

To tho clergy aud faithful Of our diocese heatl
and benediction In Christ our Lord:
Ialpped Feilo,r- Laborers and Dear Brethren
Although the multiplicity Of affairs which til,
government OF this large diocese entails upon
rs scarcely leaves US ono moment OF rest We
cannot on the eye Of this holy time o. Lent II
vites US to. meditation prayer and penaneo
withhold Il few words Of exhortation to you.
Yuu arc all aware that in the secret designs Of
His most adorable Providence It has pleased
the Lord to call unto Him the great and holy
pontr who, with angelic wisdom has 4. governed
years. and, as a perfect follower of III i'm whose
FUJTrbt1tttttity Ne l. earth the first 10
practice the admirable lessons he gave to the
We are confident that tho illustrious and glo,
rious Plus the X. already. enjoys tho eternal
amnpn And atbSnsh 0s smn op
Ions. when compared with the judgments Of
God have but little weight, still 7 brings con
see that al all o. over The world men who have ea
sense Of true beauty and grandeur. have united
with us In rendering homage to Plus the u
preston Of al that will have been pure. noble
and great in the ninet. enth IS, century.
BIT i tho Pope must DIP LIE gil other men,
giving expression to our deep grief. 4 has
pleased the Lord. in his mercy, to sudde My
change our, sorrow into ,gladness. and. by tho
worthy successor to Plus tho TX.
Mon of little faith troubled themselves beyond
measure In regard to this election, and their
built agana It m
threats OF the kings OF tho earth and of the
princes Of the nations Boosting arrogantly that
h aisi Christ. but be Thai dweileth in Heaven
laughs a. the vain designs Of men. At his
pleasure He curhs their rebellious viii. and in
the. hour marked out by His wisdom He shows
with what tender solioitude He watches over His
Church, lis own immaculate Spouse. He has
muzzet the lions. he has chained down the
t,t,u t,nty INp, h.,f1
carried through with 80 much ease and quiet.
Whatever may be the efforts of the enemies
Of the Church, Leo the XIII is now and will re-
main among us. to the time IF his death, the
representative and Vicar of Jesus Christ. and
we hope that at some nsar day 1t shall be our
Joy to raise the triumphant cry, picf Zee e
s,pa like unto he pillar Of I IRE that
led the way OF the Israelites In the desert. light
for the people of God, but darkness for his cue
lowing the inbelievers in their wiful shades
will lead mankind through the desetts of this
sarthly life, until that blessed day when 1t will
triumphant. with the children Of God, all those
who have followed IN her footsteps and con
tinued faithful to the end.
the eneyclical letter OF Leo tho Nil ANNOUNCE
Ing to the. bishops Of the Catholic world, and
through them to all the faithful, his accession
to the Pontileal throne: and then 1t will be our
our gratitue toward God; aud prepared before
vssr u we obey
him as we obeyed Plus tho TX, with love and
with yeneratfon.
If. beloved brethren, we now turn our Dyes to
q more limited sphere. we must give thanks TO
God. the author Of oil good. In seeing that the
Il Catholic movement still goes on in this diocese
aud that religion has progressed. 1t is a source
ct great consolation for us to see men who.
either from fatal consequences OF first educa-
zion or from other nnhlappy circumstances. had
been brought up In the WAYS Of error or in
complete ignorance of any religion. now fast re-
turning to the bosom of the Catholic Church.
We rejoice when we. see men, too long
rstrayed. rasuminE tho faithful practice OF their
religious duties. We are happy to state that.
from among thosa who embraced piety with
and tndilierenea, we now see
'alnnT giving themselves to the practice of
Christian virtues with tirmness and resolute
It 10 also with real Joy that we
" he z e eS1p s saed Hen
Jesus, TO our Lady of Lourdes. to st. Joseph.
nourishing aud prospecting In our midst.
I,ut those conaolntions arc too often minyIad
win bitterness. Wa grieye deepv chat 40 many
Mafhalirs still neglent their most nrassinp d,l
lies and fail to perform their Faster duties and
IN sanntifv the lords iay' Wa sae tnn MANY
who trv To reeonnile things tbnt nre inrom
patihle. combining q few exterior religious
practices with n worldly life. or. to call 1t
by its name. with q pagan life. worldli-
ness being nothing else but paganism with
u faint tint of religion. How painful 1t is to
sas persons calling themselves Catholics given
ND to the insatiate love q pleasures snd to oil
In order TO indulge their craving after vanity
and sensuality. permitting themselves to be
drawn into excessive expenses. which, at all
times, would deserve censure but still more
now, at this time of need and misery. when in
our midst 80 many Of our brethren even want
the fret necessities Of life
wa also ses with sorrow that some Catholics
q ,em TO ignore or scorn the discipline of the
], ,,,rah IT. ralation n tha amthnritv III a nsstnr
II Ma nhnreb A naator nnnnintea nv The
bishop. and under his jurlsdictIon. exercising
narnchial dnties has tha resnonsibi itv III that
narish. ma. therefore. he must have ail the All
! hnritv and rirhta which that same resnonsi-
biity demands But some neraons. ended
IN their own tastes. whims or capriees. do
not aliaw themselves To he guiasd by the
snirit ~ The church and have not the necessary
regard for tho authority of their pastors to
iurisdtction, and. as natural consequence. the
snecni grnees necessary 10 govern their par-
iahes IN order TO check and correct such
nhuses flint give rise To serious nconyeniennes
wa shall have to renew and enforce the meas
ures that our yenerahle predecessors had
adnnted in like circumstances and when ihe
time shall have come after prayer. consultation