Arizona weekly citizen., 1881-09-04
A Pastoral Letter.

The following pastoral letter was read < ir English and Spanish by Father Jou-
 venceau, at the Catholic services Sun
 day morning:
 Reverend Brothers of the Clergy
 Beloved Sons of the Laity:-Among the
 many dangers to which the faith of the | Christian IS exposed ill our days, there | IS one which deserves aspecial attention, | because 1t IS very serious and concealed 4 under externally honest appearances. I
 have reference to the secret societies
 organized nowadays everywhere, and
 which, as We have been informed count
 already several Catholics in their mem
 bership. By secret society is understood
 any association or society which imposes
 to its members a certain secret to be
 kept under oath, whatever, may be its
 name or the object of its institution.
 Such organizations have been condemn
 ed by the Church from their origin.
 Since the year 173S, secret societies have been mathematical by the Popes, Clement XII, Benedict XIV, Plus VII,
 Leo XII, Plus VIII, and Plus K
 Listen to the words of Leo XII in hls
 Bull of March 18th 1895: After having consulted our venerable brethren, the
 Cardinals of the Roman Church, on our own responsibility and true knowledge
 of things, we forbid, forever, under the same canonical pains inflicted by the constitutions of our predecessors, all the secret societies now existing, as well as those which may be organized after wards. Therefore we commend and ordain, that all and every one of the faithful, whatever condition, dignity and
 office he may be, should abstain from joining said societies, and this, under pain of accommodation, ipse iactO, ex- communication from which no one can be freed, but by ourselves and our suc- cessors, the case of death alone being accepted" Pope Plus TX, in his en- cyclical letter, dated November 9th, 1S46, speaks of the means used kas t,tacsiee.5ass. to fight the Cess, ., c-I .! Inc .L sieke9 i f 'ays: 'rhe object of the secres socie- e les which have sprung up. from the ! darkness, IS to destroy both Religion : md State; said societies already con ' iemned by the Roman Pontiffs, our predecessors, We condemn also, and con- {; firm with all the plenitude of our ! lpostolIcal authority, the sentence pro- : bounced against them by the apostolical l etters, which we wish to be exactly ob- , erved by the faithful"
 Such are the teachings of the Church , n regard to secret societies, and such , llso Is the pain incurred by the CathO- ics who join them. Some perhaps, will ay that a distinction ought to be made 7 between the secret organizations whose '. ,bject Is opposed to Religion or State, { md those who have no other aim but \ he common good and welfare of the ! members. Well, it may be easily answer i d: That nobody knows the true aim ! ,f these societies; besides if there Is ( wrong or erroneous III their | ,bject, the leaders of these organizations T will not make 1t known, as they will not q make new members aware of their views [ md plans, until they be certain that I hey can rely upon their fidelity. Hear a gain, brethren, what the Church thinks l ID this matter: The Right Rev. Francis f } Kenrick, Bishop of Philadelphia, con- . ulted the Holy See to ascertain whether i he society of the Odd Fellows and cer- I ain temperance organizations, which T ,retend to plot nothing against religion f IT civil government, were to be counted | mong those condemned by the PontIf- d ical Bulls, It was answered from Rome, I August T, 1850, that said societies were $ O be considered as enclosed in the d constitutions and condemned a ike anyOther secret society. V The Church has spoken, brethren, and f ye may dispense, ourselves with re- 8 ating the motives of her decision; nevertheless, We will state with the Ii athers of the second plenary council of I Baltimore that the principal cause of the n of secret societies IS the ! obligations imposed by them to keep a n ecret under oath. The reason of this E 8 obvious. The sole fact of imposing a i ecret to be kept under oath gives way n 0 all kinds of suspicion, and there Is d 10 doubt but very grave and serious hangers may result for religion and so- iety from this compromise made by the ollowers of secret associations. Thus o conform ourselves with the instruc- U ions of the Church as mentioned in the ,ouncil of Baltimore, We request all the ' lriests of our vicariate to explain to the . aithful how grievous a sin commit those Tho become members of a secret society. That is the pain incurred by them, Fhicil is communication ipse facto? Iet the pastors of the souls remind T heir parishioners of the obedience due ( o the Church, her laws and precepts. T Jet them repeat to their fiocks that the hildren of Christ should always walk Inder the light of his commandments, \ nd avoid the darkness of the evil spirit nd his disciples in the world, as the Ipostle St. Paul says in his epistle to 'imotheus.
 In order to prevent any ignorance on his subject, the present letter shall be cad three times on three Sundays sue essively at High Mass, and once in the .istant chapel at the first opportunity. A Given in Tucson, August l6, 1881. fl
 J. B. SALPOIST, fl
 Bishop of Dorylee, f
 Vicar Apostolic of Arizona. h