The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1888-05-19
ON UNIVERSAL EXP|AT|ON.
Letter to Leo XIII, BY
Divine Providence
S HOL|NESSDECREES THE LAST
Sunday Of Next September as a Day to
Celebrate a Special Mass for
the Dead.

0~-~'"N -'~
the Dead.
To Our Venerable Brethren the Patri-
archs, Primates, Archbishops, and
Bishops of the whole world in favor
and communion with the Apostolic
See.
Venerable Brethren, Health and
Apostolic Benediction We return
thanks as is meet, to the Sovereign good
ness Of God, Whose will and prov
idential wish governs the whole Of
mems lives. that the fftieth anniversary
Of Our priesthood mas shone upon the
Church. Moreover, the wonderful un-
ani1nity Of hearts displayed i'll the
tokens of respect, the liberal gifts, the
public manifestations of readiness, is
such as FIe alone could have inspired,
On Whom entirely depends the spirits,
the wills and the hearts Of men. and
who rules and directs events FOR the
glory Of the Christian religion.
1T is indeed & wonderful and n1smor-
abie event, whereby the enemies of the
/ Church. in spite Of themselves, whether
they desire it or not, see with their own
eyes that the Church maintains her
| divine life and virtue with which She is
endowed from heaven; this indeed
makes them feel that the impious strive
in vain when they rage and plan foolish
attack against the Lord and against His
Christ
In order that the memory OF this
heavenly benefit may be continued, and
that it's utility may be spread as far and
wide as possible. We have laid open the
treasures Of heavenly graces 60 ali the
flock committed to cur care. We have
not been wanting in implorjng the SUE
cors Of divine mercy il favor OF those
who are outside the ark OF salvation
whereby We hope to obtain that all ma
tions and all peoples, united IN the faith
by the bond Of charity may SOON form
one flock under one Shepherd. This IS
what we have asked of Cur Lord Jesus
Christ in Our supplications Ou the oc~
casion of the late solemn canouiZations.
For lifting up Our eyes toward the
Church triumphant We have so|emnly
decreed and accorded on the one hand
The supreme honor Of the saints; On the
other the title Of Blessed, to those
Christian heroes, the examination of
whose sublime virtues and miracles
have been happily concluded according
to due rights of law, so that the heav-
enly Jerusalem may be joined in a COM
munion at the same joy with those who
still pursue on earth the pilgrimage
which is to lead them to God.
But by the help of God, in order that
We may crown this joy, We desire to
fulfil, as far as lays in Our power, Oar
apostolic duty Of charity by extending
the plenitude of Our infinite spiritual
treasures to those beloved children Of
the Church who, having died the death
of the just, have quilted this world of
strife with the sign of faith, and are
branches of the mystical vine. though
they cannot enter into everlasting rest
until they have paid the uttermost
farthing which they owe to the aveng-
ing justice of God.
We are moved to this both by the
pious desires Of Catholics to whom We
know that Oar resolution will be es-
pecially grateful, and by the fearful
tortures which the souls Of the departed
suffer, but We are also animated by the
custom of the Church, which amidst
the most Joyous solemnities Of the year,
fails not to make holy an salutary
commemmoration Of the dead that they
may be delivered from their sins.
Therefore, since it is certain by the
doctrine of the Catholic Church, that
tn souls detained in purgatory are
benefited by the prayers Of the faithful,
and especially by the august Sacrifice
Of the Altar, We think We can give
them no more useful and desirable
pledge of Our love than by everywhere
increasing the offering of the pure obla-
ton of the Most Holy Sacrifice of Our
Divine Mediator, for the extinction of
their pain. We therefore decree, with
all the necessary dispensations and in
dulgences. the last Sunday Of next Sep
tember as day of ample e1pia1ion on
which will be celebrated by Ourselves,
and equally by each of our brethren the
Patriarchs, Archbisbops and Bishops,
and also by other prelates exercising
jurisdiction in q diocese, each in his
own chulch, whether patriarchal, me-
tropolitan or cathedral, a special Mass
for the dead with the greatest solemnity
possible, and according to the rite Or
dered IN the Missal for the Commemor-
alton of all Souls.
We desire also that this should take