The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1879-02-02
ENCYCLICAL LETTER
OUR MOST HOLY FATHER LEO KILL,
BY THE GRACE OF GOD POPE,
ADDRRssED TO THE


BY THE GRACE OF GOD POPE,
ADDRESSED TO TnE
HIERARCHY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.
To our venerable brothers, PatrArchs. Primates,
Archbishops and Bishops, of the Catholic world, in
communion with the Apostolic See.
LEO Kill, POPE.
Venerable brothers, health and Apostolic
As the responsibility of our Apostolic min.
istry demanded from the commencement of
our Pontifoats, we have not neglected 20 point
out the mortal plague which insinustes itself
amongst the members of the human society,
aud which places it in great peril AT the
same time we indicated what were the most
efficaoious remedies by means OF whlch society
conld bs brought back to safety and could
escarc the dangers which menace it. But the
| evils that we then deplored have 80 rapidly in
creased that again we are forced to address yoo;
| for We seem to hear resounding In our ears
| these words of the prophet "Cry ont cease not
to cry out; lift q your voice and let it be like
| the trumpet" $50
| You understand, venerable brethren, with
out difficulty, that wespeak OF the sect OF men
| barb arous snames-Socialists, Communists and
Nihilists-and who, scattered over the earth,
| and closely united by an iniqnitous pact, no
Ion ger seek the aid of the darkness of secret
societies, bat coming forth in the daylight,
publicly and with all confidence, endeavor to
| accomplish the design, wbich they have long
| since formed, of overthrowing the foundations
| of ali civil society. These are assuredly they
| who, as the Divine Scripture attestss sully all
flesh despise all domination. and blaspheme all
majesty"
| ing of that which has been wisely decreed By
| the laws divine and human for the security
and honor of life. They refase obedience to
superior powers to whom, according to To 9
precept of the apostle, every soul ought to be
| subiect, ard who hold from God the right to
command; they snnourcs the perfect equsnty
of all men in their rights and duties. Ihey
k6av al nnin nf ma m n n,
which was consecrate in the eyes Of bar
barous nations; and the boud of that union,
( hich principally sustains domestic society,
they weaken, or abandon at their pleas
ure.
In fine, educed by the desire of present
wealth, (which is the source of all evils" and
"the appetite for which estrauges from the
faith, they attack the right of property, San
ctioned by the natural law. and by mons
trous attempt, whiltt they affect to take care
Of the ne.d d4 aud the miseries of all men, they
endeavor TO seiza f)r the advantage OF the
comm unity whatever has been acquired by In
dividuals either by the title of legitimate In
heritance, or by intellectual or manual labor
, or by economy. They publish these monsCrons
opipions at their reunions they develope them
in their pamphlets. and by means of journals
they epread them amongst the crowd. Ihut
the majesty and power OF Kings nave oeComt
40 odious TO seditous people that detestspit
, traitors, impatient of all curb, and animated
by an impious audacity, have on several ocoa
sions, within q briefspace of time, turned tnelI
, Now, this audacity of pei lious men, which
, each day menaces civil society with stiI! more
serious deetruotion, and which excites 10 tns
I minds of all iuq1ietude and trouble, Ses It's
{ cause aud origin to these poisoned doctrines
+ which in these latter days propaEated amonRs
! the people, like. corrupt seed, have brought
: forth in their time perncous fruit. In effect yot
will underst Bnd venerable brethreu, that Ne
cruel war which, since the sixt' elth cen tory
9 has been declared against the Catholic i"lSt
nd yph oh
a so MT oh strength up to the present dag, ma
a been carried on with the object OF pht"ut
! aside all revelation, of destroying all super
q nstionsl order, and of giving scope to the IN
veutions, or rather the rawlings, of reason aione
y This error falsely receiving it's name fron
reason) which datters and exoites the Passiot
0 for greatness, natural to the heart of man, h a
= spontaneously extended its ravages not onl
Q to the minds of q great number OF men, Dn
= even to civil society itself. Tins, by an i'm
!, piety altogether novel and unknown to TN
\ pagaps themselves, we have seen government
- constituted without any account being take
| of God or established order; 1t has been pro
claimed that public authority had not Iron =
God it's origin, its majesty and its power 7
8 command, but from the multitude OF the PEG
3 pie, who believing themselves dieengsge
/, from the necessity of divine sanction, nav
submitted to no other laws than those WHO
= their caprice has suggested
After the supernRtursl truths OF faith ca
>, been combatted and rejected as contrary
y reason the very Author and Redeemer OF TO
b bumsn face has been compelled by degrees
!, and little by little, to exile Himself from To
,s studies in the universities, the lycees and Tn
n colleges as well as from all the public custom
>, | of human life. In fiue, the recompenses an
d the punishments of the future and etern al III
1f having been consigned to oblivion, the arden
" desire of happiness has been reduced to th
IL space of the present time. These doctrine
y having been spread With the greatest liCenI %
le of thinning and acting, which has aiso pee
b | ocouired on all sides, need we be surprise
o that men of the lower GLASSES, tired Of the
poor dwelliu y-house, or their humble Wori