The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1879-02-02
ENcYCLICAL LETTER
OUR MOST HOLY FATHER LEO Kill,

ENSIkLkIAL Lei len
OUR MOST HOLY FATHER LEO Kill,
BY THE GRACE OF GOD POPE
ADDRESSED THE
HIERARCHY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.
To cur venerable brothers. the Patriarchs Primates
Archbishops and Bishops, of the Catholic world, in
communion with the Apostolic See.
LEO XIII, PoPR.
Venerable brothers. health Apostolic benediotion
As the responsibility of our Apostolic min.
istry demanded from the commencement OF
our Ponti6oats, we have not neglected to point
out the mortal plague which inslnuates l!eait
anon gst the members of the hnmau soclety,
and which places it in great peril ~, Az Sas, .ne
asme time we indicated what were the most
efficacious remedies by means OF whion socleGy
could bs brought back to safety ana couIo
ESCAPE the dangers which menace IL. DuS Gne
evils that we then deplored have go raploiy ln-
creased that again we are forced to address you;
| for we seem to hear rssounding In our ears
| these words of the prophet "Cry ont, cease not
| to CRY out; lift p your voice and leu IL DO hAe
| the trumpet" -,
! You understand, venerable brethren, With
on di ifi aulty, that we eepeak of the sect OF men
| who call themselves differently, and by almost
barbarous snames-Socialists, Communists, and
Nihilists-and who, scattered over the eartn,
| and closely united by an iniqaitous paot, no
longer seek the aid of the darkness Oh seoteI
| societiss bat coming forth in the daylight,
publicly and with all confidence, endeavor TO
accomplish the design, which they nave ion z
since formed, of overthrowing the foun ations
| of all civil society. These are assuredly they
who, as the Divine Scripture attestss snily al
flesh, despise all domination, and biaspheme all
majesty"
ing of that which has been wisely deoreed By
the laws di vine and human for the security
and houor of life. They refose obedience 10
superior powers to whom, according 20 tne
precept of the apostle, every soul ought TO De
subiect, ard who hold from God the rlRnt TO
command; they announcs the pertect Si LSy
of all men in their rights and duties: Ihey
disbonor the natural union of man ana woman
which was consecrate in the eyes CT bar
barous nations; and the boud OF that union
( W hich principally sustains domestic society'
} they weaken, or abandon at tneir p'eae
In fine, seduced by the desire of presen
wealth. "a hich is the source of all evils" anc
1.-THE appetite for which estrapges from tn'
, faith )" they attack the right of property, san
, otioned by the natural law. end by mons
. trous attempt, whiltt they affect to take car
of the ne,ds aud the miseries OF al men, ens! as
3 endeayor TO seizs f)r the advantage OF Cn
oommupity whatever has been acquired py IN
D dividuals, either by the title OF legitlmste In
{ heritance, or by intellectual or manual lsDor
a or by economy. They pub lsh these monsttou
| opinions at their reunions. they deVeIope tue
in their pamphlets. and by means OF JonrnaI
they spread them amongse the crowo. hnu
| the majesty and power of kings have oecou
| 40 odious TO seditious people that detestspl
, traitors, impatient of sll corb, and suimate
by an impious audacity, have on several occa
O sions, within q briefspace of time, turned 1net
anna against the heads of the govern nmeut
themselves. Ii,
y each day menaoes civil society WIN sSiti J.; ~
n serious destruction, and which e1cites 10 IN
n minds of ell iuq1ietude aud ttou BILE, Ses III
,t cause aud origin to these poisoned do doctrlhe
= whioh in these latter days proPaGated atnohGs
n the peopIe, like corrupt seed, nave DrouBh
forth in their time pernictous fruit. In Ell ecu o
9 viii understand, venerable brethren, tn s1 l u
n cruel war which, since the si1tt elth centut!
g has been declared against the Cathoiic i@.'
as nv innovators and which has been Getpctih Il
a so m0ch strength up to the preseu hay' M pc
a been carried with the object OF pht"u
"A aside all revelation, of destroying all 5nPe
"a national order, and of giving scope TO 1no IL
- ventions, OF rather the rawlings, of reason aion
" This error (falsely receiving its name Ito
20 reason) which hatters and exoltea the passlo
n for greatness nat1ral to the heart OF man. u;
r. spontan eously extended its ravsges not on
'e to the minds of great number OF meu' "
A. even to civil society itself. TINS, by an Ia
n | Dietv altogether novel and unknown TO I'll
n pagans themselves, We have seen governmen
- constituted without any account Oelng taks
| of God or established order IL has oeen pr
D. claimed that public authority had not iro
is God it's origin, it's majesty end its power
1g command but from the multitude OF the Pc
rom the necessity Of . divine sanction, he
ID submitted to no other laws than tnose WIN
a their caprice has suggested.
After the supernatural truths OF faitn Ei
o been oombstted and rejected as contrary
~ reseop, the very Author and RedeemeE of 4
le bnman face has been compelled by degree
D, and little by little, to exile Himself from y
es studies in the universites, the iycees' Ana y
m Colleges. as well as from all the public oustof
"a. Of HUMAN life. In foe, the recomPenses Q!
ed the punishments of the future end eternal i
of having been consigned 70 I oolI'oS, rsS,osd @ 70
ut SpSoe of the present time. These doStrin
ay having been spread with the greatest hGen
he of thinking aud acting whion mas S,So urSo IS
be tbat men Of the lower GLASSES, tired OF th
ncor ysllin y-house, or their humble WoE