The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-26
LEO'S LATEST ENCYCLICAL.
An Official Translation of the Document
Lately Issued from Rome.
A Statement Bearing but Little Resemblance
to the CARRIED Reports Transmitted by
Correspondents of Newspapers.

/ BALTIMORE, Nov. % - The first full and
authentic translation into English OF Leo Kills
encyclical the Christian constitution of states
appears very different in this full form from the
cable condensation already published. Instead
! of condemning in any way modern civilization
or states as they exist at present. the Pope highly
approves of all real progress and true freedom.
1t is, in short, an exact reversal of the policy
pursued by the late Plus TX, whose encyclicals
invariably condemned modern civilization as
athestic and pagan. In order to show this.
few extracts will suffice. After condemning
anarchism and lawlessnes, he continues:
"These. then, are the things taught by the
Catholic Church concerning the constitution and
government of the state. Concerning these say
lngs and DEGREES, if a man will only JuGge dis
passionatey, form of government is. per Sc,
condemned so long as it has nothing rerugnant
TO Catholic doctrine, and Is .able, II wisely and
justly managed, to preserve the state IN the best
condit ion There is cause that any
sho did condemn the church as being too restrict
ed in gentleness inimica to that liberty which
is natural and legitimate. III truth the church
Judges it not lawful that the various kinds of di.
vine worship should have the same
rights as the tsarof true oon rsng,en it
governors Of states who, for the sake of ac-
curing some great good or preventing some
great i'll. patiently bear with manners and Gus
toms that each kind OF religion has its place
in the state. Indeed, the church is wont dill
gently to take heed that be compelled
against his will to embrace the Catholic faith.
For a similar reason the church cannot approve
of that liberty which generates contempt of
the most sacred laws of good and puts away the
obedience due to legitimate power, for this is
license rather than liberty. On the other hand,
that liberty is natural and to be
sought which, if it be considered in
Erala fjO To fha ipdi vid
men TO be the slaves of errors and evil desires,
the worst of masters IT, in relation to the state
it presides wisely over the citizens, serves the
faculty of augmenting public advantages and
\ defends the public interest from alien rule this
q blameless liberty, worthy of man, the church APP
proves and above all. has never ceased striving
and contending to keep firm and whole among
the people In very truth, whatever things in
the state chiefly avail for the common safety;
& whatever have been usefully instituted against
the license of princes consulting ali the interests
4 or the people; whatever forbid the governing
authority to invade into municipal or.
domestic affairs; whatever avail to pre-
serve the dignity and the character
of man in preserving the equality
of rights in individual citzens-of all these
things the monuments of former ages witness
the Catholic Church to have always been either
the author. the promoter, or the guardian-eyer,
] therefore, consistent with herself. If, on the
one hand, she rejects immoderate liberty, which.
4 both in the case of individuals and peoples re-
hand, she willingly and with pleasure embraces
those happier circumstances which the age brings
If they truly contain the prosperity of this life
which is, as it were, stage in the journey
that other which is to endure everlastingly
Therefore. when they say that the church is
je a!ous of the more modern political systems
and repudates in mass whatever the DISPOSE
ton of these times has brought forth,
lit is an inane and contemplate calumny.
The madness of opinion it indeed repudiates. 1t
reproves the wicked plans of sedition, and es-
pecally that habit of mind in which the begin
ming of a voluntary departing from God is visi-
BILE. but since every true thing must necessarily
proceed from God, whatever of truth is by
search attained the church ackno Wedges as a
certain token of the divine mind and since there
is in the world nothing which can take away be-
lief IN the doctrines divinely handed down and
the many things which confirm this. and since
every finding of truth may impel man to the
knowledge praise of God himself. therefore,
whatever may happen to extend the range of
knowledge, the church will always willingly and
joyfully accept. and she WILL as is her
wont in the case OF other departments
Of knowledge, studiousy encourage and
promote those, also, which are concerned
with the investigation of nature, in which stud
les the mind finds anything new. The church is
not IN opposition. She fights not against the
search after more things for the grace and con-
venence of life. Nay, she is very foe to inert
ness and sloth, and she earnestly wishes thatthe
talents of men should, by being cultivated and
exercised, bear still richer fruits. She affords
indictments to every sort of art and craft and
by her own virtue directs. by her perfee-
ton, all the pursuits of those things to virtue
and salvation She strives to prevent man from
turning aside his intelligence and industry from
God and heavenly things"
After quoting the action of Catholics in former
times, even under the Roman emperors. the
Pope continues to exhort the faith
ful to renewed efforts in the poti-
cal world, saying: Now, indeed. in these
days, it is well to these examples of
our forefathers. For Catholics, indeed, as many
as are worthy of the name before ali things it is
necessary to be, and DO wiling to be regarded
as most loving sons of the church; whatsoever
is inconsistent with this good report without
hesitation to reject; to- labor that liberty of
action shall not transgress the bounds ordained
by the law OF nature and of God: so to work that
the whole of the public life shall be transformed
into as we have called it, Christian image and
likeness The means TO seek these ends can
scarcely be laid down upon one uniform plan
since they must suit places aud times very
different from each other Nevertheless, in
the first place. let concord OF wills be preserved,
and likeness of things to be done sought for and
each will be attained: the best of all shall con-
slider the admonition of the apostolic see. Let
all understand that the integrity of the Catholic
profession can by no means be reconciled with
opinions approaching toward naturasm
rationalism, OF which the sum total is to uproot
Christian institutions altogether and to estab-
lish the supremacy of man, Almighty God being
pushed to one side. Likewise IL 10 unlawful to
follow one line of duty in private and another in
shall be observed in private and spurned in
public. A man ought always be consistent with
himself, and never in any the least thing
manner of living decline from Christian virtue
THE CINCINNATI MANDAMUS.