Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-01
Set by the Pope in an Ency-
clical for a Religious
Celebration of the
DISCOVERY OF AMERICA.
Columbus Chief Glory Is the Re-
ligiOus Motive of His Voyage.
SPAIN, ITALY AND THE AMERICAS
Summoned to Honor the Man Whose
Achievement in 1892 Brought
A CONTINENT UNDER CHRISTIAN RULE

ROME, July 31.-The following is the
text of letter addressed by Pope Leo XIII
to the Archbishops and Bishops of Spain,
Italy and the two Americas on the subje
of Christopher Columbus:
Letter of our very Holy Father, Leo XIII, Pope BY
Divine Providence upon Christopher Columbus
10 the Archbshops and Bishops OF Spain,
Italy and of the two Americas.
Venerable Brothers, Greeting and Apostolic Bene-
diction:
From the end of the Fifteent tn century,
since a man rom Liguria first landed under
the auspices of God on the transatlantic
shores, humanity has been strongly inclined
to celebrate with gratitude the recollection
of this event. 1t would certainly not be an
easy matter to find more worthy cause to
touch their hearts and to inflame their zeal.
The event, in effect, is such in itself that
no other has seen a grander and more
beautiful one accomplished by man. As to
him who accomplished it there are few who
can be compared to him in greatness of soul
ana of genius.
Th~ Far Rea' h ng Eff cts of tn iscovery.
By his work new world flashed forth
from the unexplored ocean, thousands upon
thousands of mortals were returned to the
common society of the human race. led
from their barbarous life to peacefulness
and civilization, and, which is of much
more importance, recalled from perdition to
eternal life by the bestowal OF the gifts
which Jesus Christ brought to the world.
Europe astonished alike by the novelty
and the prodigiousness of this unexpected
event, understood little by little in due
course of time what she owed to Columbus.
when, by sending colonies to America, by
frequent communications. by exchange Of
services, by the resources confided to the
sea ard received in return, there was dis
covered an accession of the most favorable
nature possible to the knowledge of ma .ure
to the reciprocal abundan ce of riches, with
the result that the prestige of Europe in
creased enormously.
Tberefore it would not be fittinr. amid
thee numerous testimonials of honor and
IL these concerts OF fluctuations, that the
Church should maintain complete silence
since, in accordance with her character and
her institution, size willingly approves and
endeavors to favor all that appears wher-
ever it is 20 be, worthy of honor and praise.
Undoubtedly she reserves particular and
supreme honors to the virtues pre-eminent
in regard to morality, inasmuch as they are
united to the eternal salvation of souls;
nevertheless she does not despise the rest,
neither does she abstain from esteeming
them as they deserve.
The Church Honors All Benefactor
It is even her habit to favor with all her
power and to always have in honor those
who have well merited of human society
and who have passed to posterity. Ger
tainly God is admirable IN His saints; but
the vestiges of His divine virtue appear as
imprinted in those in whom shines a supe-
rior force of soul and mind; for this eleva-
tion OF heart and this spark of genius could
only come from God, their author and pro-
uector.
1t IS in addition ,SS{ Ell, ,iIeiy sI,ecial rea.
~,fl. T1r wniclle believe We should COM
merno1a te in a .sfateful spiri this immortal
event. Il is that Columbus is one OF us.
above all he undertook the plan of exDlor-
ing the dark sea and with what obi ect lie
endeavored to realize this plan, one cannot
doubt that the Catholic faith superla lively
inspired the enterprise and its execution, so
that by this title, also, humanity is not a
little indebted to the church.
There are, without doubt, many men of
hardihood and full OF experience who, be-
lore Christopher Columbus and after him,
explored with persevering efforts unknown
lands across seas still more unknown Their
memory is celebrated, and will be so, by the
renown and the recollection OF their good
deeds, seeing that they have extended the
frontiers of science and OF civilization, and
that not at the price of slight efforts, but
with a very exalted ardor of spirit, ana
often through extreme perils. 1t is not the
less true that there is a very great differ
ence between them and him of whom we
speak.
TIL Claim of Columbus TO Pre-Emin ence.
The eminently distinctive point in Colum.
panses of the ocean, he followed an object
more grand and more elevated than the
others. This does not say, doubtless, that
lie was not in any way Influenced by the
very praiseworthy desire to be master OF
science, to well deserve the approval of so
ciety, or that he despised the glory whose
Stimulant is ordinarily more sensitive &c
elevated minds, or that he was not at all
looking to his personal interests But, above
all these huma reasons, that of religion
was uppermost by a great deal in him, and
it was this, without any doubt which sus.
tanned his spirit and his Will, and which fre
Quently, in the midst of extreme difficulties,
filled him with consolation. He learned, in
reality, that his plan, his resolution pro-
foundly carved in his heart, was to open ac-
cess to the gospel in new lands and in new
seas.
This may seem hardly probable to those
who, concentrating all their care all their
thoughts in the present nature of things as
perceived by the senses, 81 refuse IT., to n; iooS
hand, it is the characteristic of eminent
minds to prefer to elevate themselves
higher, for they are better disposed than all
others to seize the impulses and the in spira
tions of the divine faith.
Certainly, Columbus had united the study
of nature to the study of religion, and he
had confirmed his mind to the precepts in
timateiy drawn from the Catholic faith.
\ EIu titudes of Heathzn in Unknown Lands
1t is thus that having learned by astron
pmy and spcient documents that beyond
DIE limits of the known world there were in
addition toward the West large tracts OF
territory unexplored up to that time by
anybody, he considered in his mind the i'm
mense multitude of those who were plunged
in lamentable darkness, subject to insensate
rites and 70 the superstitIons of senseless
diyinities He considered that they miser
ably led a savage life, with terocious Gus
toms; that more miserably STILL they were
wanting in all notion of the most important
things and that they were plunged in igno-
rance of the only true God.
Thus, in considering this in himself, he
aimed, first of all, to propagate the name oi
Christ and the benefits of Christian charity
in the West. As fact, as soon as he pre-
scented himself to the sovereigns of Spain,
Ferdinand and Isabella. lie explained the
cause for which they were not to fear taking
a warm interest i'll the enterprise, as theiI
glory would increase to the point of becom
ing immortal if they decided to carry the
name and the doctrine OF Jesus Christ into
such distant regions.
And when, not long afterward, his prayers
were granted, he called to witness th at he
wished to obtain from God the assurance
that these sovereigns, sustained by His nelr
and His mercy, should persevere IN CAUSING
tie Gospel TO penetrate upon new shores
aud in Lew lands. He conceived in the samt
manner tie plan o: asking Alexander vi
Sr Apostolic men, by a letter in which thest
words are found:
Columbus icy of Achievement.
81 hope that 1t will some day be given tc
re, with the help of God. to propagate afal
the very holy name of Jesus Christ and His
gospel"
Also, can one imagine him all filled with
joy when he wrote to Raphael Sanchez, the
first who from the Indies had returned Il
Lisbon, that Immortal actions of grace
must be rendered to God, in that Be'hat
deigned to cause to prosper the enterpr1s'
SO well. and that Jesus Christ could rejo1c'
nd fFfa Ia II nd N