The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-29
EncycIicaI of Pope Leo XIII. De-
nOuncing Socialism.
FRUITS OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.
No Security for the Venerable Majesty OF
Kings and Emperors.
ARE PRINCES TO BLAME?
Plea for Law, Order and SUI
periOr Authority.

To Gun VENERABLE BRETHREN PArRIARcHs, PRI-
MATES. ARcHBrsHops BISHOPS THE WHOLE
CATHOLIC WORLD. IN GRACE AND IN COMMUNION WITH
THE APOSTOLIC SEE. LEO KILL, PopE.
VENERABLE BRETHREN, Salutaton and Apostolical
Benedction:--
In obedience to the duty imposed by our apostolical
Office we have not failed, from the beginning of
ponihcute, in the encyclical letters which have
addressed TO YOU venerable brethren. to point out
the deadly poison which is creeping through the in
most members of human society. and places it in ex
treme danger At the time we have pointed
ont to you the most eficacious remedies TO enable
society to recover its health and escape from
the grave perils which threaten it. But the evils
which We then dcplored have increased SO rapidly
that again obliged to address You. since the
prophet cries in our ears "Cry aloud. spare not;
lift up thy voice like trumpet You readily IN
derstand venerable brethren, that we now speak of
those sects of men who under different and almost
barbarous names, are called Socialists. Communists
or Nihilists and who, scattered through the whole
world and closely bound together by unholy
alliance longer shelter themselves in the darkness
Of secret cabals but boldly advance in full daylight
and labor to achieve their purpose long since formed
Of undermining the foundations OF all civil 30.
ciety These assurcdly the persons indicated by
Holy Scripture. who 'defe the flesh. despise do
majesty''). They leave whole and intact nothing of
all that has been wisely established by Divine and
human laws for the safety and honor of life they
refuse obedience to those higher powers to which
the apostle teaches that every soul must be sub
ject which derive from God the right to rule, and
they preach the absolute equality Of all men in
rights and dgnites; they dishonor the natural
union of man and woman sacred even among bar
barous nations, and they enfeeble and give to
caprice that tie by which human society is chiefly
restrained. Scduced by that greed for worldly
things which is "the root Of all evil. which,
while many have coveted, they have erred from
the faith" they attack the right Of property
sanctioned by natural law. and. by an nbominable
crime. while they pretend to provide for all the
cessties and desires of man. they labor to take from
him and render common all that is acquired. either
by legitimate inheritance or by labor Of mind or
body or by economy. And they proclaim these
monstrous errors in their gatherings. they defend
them in pamphlets and scatter them among the peo-
pie by of cloud of newspapers. 1t results
theresrom that the venerable majesty Of kings and
emperors has become on the part OF this seditious
populacc the object of such hatred that certain
abomnablc traitors, impatient of ell restraint. have
many times within brief period turned their arms
with impious audacity against the heads of States
themselves.
DREADFUL. RESULTS OF FALSE DOCTRINE.
Now, this aulacity of perfdious men. which
threatens civil society with more aud more imm
nent ruin and strikes all minds with anxiety and
fright, derives its origin and its from those
poisonous doctrines which. dfrused in former times
like germs Of corruption ia the midst of peoples,
have borne in their such deleterious fruits.
You .e know, venerable brethren that the relent-
less which from the sixteenth century the limo
excited against the Catholic faith. and which
has gone increasing duly until our time tends to
this resut-that, all revelation being discarded and
al natural order overthrown. the path may be
cleared the Inventions rather the rawlings. of
unassisted reason. This error which wrongly de-
rives its from reason. stimulates and excites
the desire which man naturally has Of elevating
himself and gives loose rein to all the passions so
that il spontaneously makes fearful ravages, not
only in the minds Of private individuals but still
more in civil society. Wherefore II has happened
that, by new impiety unknown even by the pagans,
States constituted without taking any account
either of God Of the order established by Him.
Public authority has been declared TO derive neither
its principle nor its majesty nor its binding force
from God but to proceed rather from the multitude.
which considering itself free from all Divine sane
which it has itself laid down according to its
caprice. The supernatural truths OF the faith being
combated and rejected az contrary to reason.
the Author Himself and Redecmer of the human race
has been insensibly and by degrees banished from
ali public recognition Of human iiYc. Finally, the
future rewards and punshments of eternal life being
handed to oblivion the ardent desire for happi
has been circumscribed within the limits OF the
present time. These doctrines being everywhere
widely spread and this extreme license OF thought
and action being introduced into all places IL is not
surprising that men of the lowest condition. tired Of
the wretchedness of their homes and little work.
shops manifest their Impotence to al, invade the
surprising that there Is no longer tranquility in pub
lie private life and that the human race has almost
arrived Mt the brink of an abyss.
ONLY CHURCH srrrTE SOCIALISM
Meanwhile. the supreme pastors OF the Church
upon whom rests the responsibility Of preserving
he frof he pf n Nom
undertaken To avert the danger and 90 provide for
the snfety of the faith. In fact from the time when
the secret societies began TO be formed in the bosoms
OF which already being incubated the germs
of the errors which have pointed ont. the Roman
Ponts; element XII. and Benedict XIV. did not fail
to unve the impious designs of the scots and to
the faithful of the whole world OF the terrible
evils Which , wefe Secretly ny pnspg up anu a,.er
had attributed to man . sort OF unbridled
Independence. and had begun to invent and
sanction against the natural and divine law what is
called "the new right Pope Plus W.. OF blessed
memory. made known by public documents the evil
character and the fascood of tho doctrines. aud
the same time he predicted with apostolic foresight
the ruinous condition into which the people, miscr-
ably deceived. would be plunged. Nevertheless. az
no efficacous measure adopted 20 prevent the
pcrvcrse doctrines Of the sects from permeaig
and among the nations. and from reaching into
the public acts or governments. Pope Plus VII aud
Leo XII. condemned and mathematical secret
cieties, and anew warned the public Of the peril by
which IL was threatened.
Lastly, ali are aware with whas wcighty words and
with what hrnness of spirit our glorious predeccs-
sor. Plus TX, of blessed memory. combated both in
his alocutions aud his encyclca letters which he adj
dressed 60 the bishops OF the whole world. the in
fqutous efforts of the scots. and especially the
scourge of socialism which had already burst forth
from their bosom.
But IL is deplorablc fact that those who are
charged to watch over the public welfare. being lie
ccvcd by the wiies of the npious and frightened by
their threats, have always given proofs of suspicion
and even of injustice regards the Church, not iin
derstanding that all the efforts OF the secs would be
powcress IL the doctrines of the Catholic church and
the authority of the Roman Pontifs had been al
ways duly respected both by princes and by peoples.
For II IL "the Church OF the living God. the pillar
and ground OF the TRUTH" which teaches the doc
trincs and the principles which have I'll. virtue Of
completely assuring the existence and the tranquility
OF society and OF destroying completely all the
deadly germs of socialism.
REcoeSfTfoS or LAW AND AUTHORITY NECESSARY.
In fact although the socialists abuse the Gospel
Itself ia order the easily to deceive unsuspect
Ing souls and although they habtually torture its
words a. interpret them in their own sense the
6cscrcpancy between their depraved doctrines aud
The pure doctrine Of Jesus Christ could not be
arenter. 'tor what fellowship hath righteousness
...t.xs l.ast