Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1891-05-05
The Pope's Forthcoming Letter.

The PODe'6 FORTHCOMING LeItoTs
ROME, April 29.-A representative OF
the Associated Press has had an inter-
view with prominent dignitary OF the
Roman Catholic church regarding the
forthcoming encyclical letter OF Pope
Leo XIII on the social question. This
gentleman is especially well qualified
to give an opinion, as he not only holds
high ecclesiastical rank, but gave the
pope much assistance in drawing up the
long expected document.
He said the letter had been COM
pleted, but the pope would not publish
it until after the lst of May. He said
this encyclical letter was the principal
work of the present pontificate, the Gym
THO rule of the whole political and So
cial teachings of the pope The pope
had worked at it for many years, and
condensed the doctrines of the greatest
doctors and theologians on those mat
tiers. and adapted them to
the requirements and conditions
of the present epoch. He had also
brought into requisition the leading in
tellects of the United States and Eu-.
rope. The incident of the KING hts of
Labor and the generous intervention OF
Archbishop Gibbons had contributed in
no small degree to establish and hH IN
the mind of Pope Leo XIII to the defin-
ite form of his document, which should
mark an epoch in the history of our
times. His aim had been to define the
true doctrine and soothe the minds OF
those who had been hitherto I'M
decided as to what side to take
in the present democratic move
ments, and he would succeed, above all,
with the Catholics, who, in some coun-
tries, especially in France and Belgium,
were far from being in unison in regard
to these points so important in demo
cratic life. The pope had aimed at
finding a superior synthesis fruitful
unity of all the various doctrines. He
insisted with equity on the rights and
duties of everything and OF all OF capl-
tai, of labor, OF the state and OF the IN
dividual. He was utterly impartial.
He was neither for nor against any IN
terest or any school. One of the prin-
cipal ends that the pope had in view
was to furnish Catholics OF all countries
with common ground OF action. The
ecclesiastical continued:
"His ideal is to harmonic the teach
ings and traditional doctrines OF the
church with all that is great, good and
generous in the social and intellectual
currents of our epoch. His nature is
eminently harmonious. sympathetic,
conciliating and pacific. His encyclical
will not be protest against all these
elements which form modern life.
He seeks to conciliate them all by the
acceptance of all legitimate interests
and by reciprocal respect of all rights.
Pope Leo XIII recommends state inter
vention in favor of fixing the maximum
number of hours to be worked each day,
of fixing day of rest, prescribing the
minimum wage, of regulating the work
of women and children, and of interven-
ton in matters regarding hygiene and
the conditions under which work is per-
formed in factories"
"What is the supreme inspiration Of
the document"
''To put Catholicism doctrinally and
intellectually at the head of the social
movement, Leo XIII. is convinced that
the democracy of America, impaired
under other forms. will be the mold
by which the future society and politics
of Europe will be fashioned. The
democracy-the people-will become
the preponderating power, and the
papacy should constitute itselfth guide
of this ideal and of this new social de-
velopment."