The record-union., 1895-05-23

Christian life. Rich and abundant fruits
followed In short time, among which
that perfect union OF wills never
| too often set before us for imitation, in
the multitude of the faithful there was
but one heart and but one soul.
For this reason, we have thought it
| well, by our exhortation: and call, to ex-
| cite the piety of Catholics, that they may,
| following the example of Virgin Mary
and OF the holy apostles during the nine
days preceding and sacred feast OF Penti-
| cost, pray God with one mind and with
| special fervor, renewing and repeating
the petition, send forth thy spirit and
thou shall be created, and thou shalt re-
| new the face OF the earth.
"Ihe greatest and richest blessing may
| be Justly hoped from Him who is the
| spirit OF truth, who has spok en- the secrets
] Of God in the sacred Scriptures, and who
| strengthens the church by his perpetual
presence; from whom the loving fount Of
| holiness regenerate souls, made sons of
| God OF adoption, are in wonderful way
strengthened and perfected. For by the
| Inultiform grace OF the spirit there comes
| to them in perpetual bounty divine light
and fervor, health and strength, solace
and rest. the desire Of seeking all good
and fruitfulness of holy works. Finally
| the same holy spirit SO acts by his
power In the church, that as Christ is the
head Of this mystic body. the holy spirit
| may aptly be termed his heart, as St.
Thomas says, The heart has certain
hidden influence, and therefore the holy
| spirit is compared to the heart, since He
| invisibly vivities and unites the church,
''Snce then the Holy Spirit is, above
all things, charity, and to him especially
are attributed the works of love. it is
greatly to be hoped that through him
the spirit of error and wickedness being
put down. greater and stronger harmony
|
should, among the children of the church,
who, according to the admission Of the
apostle. should do nothing to sIit1e should
think the same things, and united should
have the same charity. and so pertecting
our JOY may they form one strong and
flOurishlng body, not in name only, but
in fact.
From this example of Christian har-
mony among Catholics themselves, from
this piety in praying, the divine para
clete, is specially to DE hoped the recon-
Citation OF our separated brethren, for
which we so earnestly labor, SO that they
may come to iced the same in themselves
as III Christ Jesus, and being at last
united with us in faith and hopo may be-
Joined with US also in the bonds OF char
ity.
And now, besides the blessings which
the faithful who respond cheerfully to
our call will certainly and abundantly re-
ceive from God for such activity OF piety
and fraternal love, it has pleased us to
add and bsstOw the reward of sacred in
dulgences from the treasure of the
church.
Therefore, to all who for nine consecu-
tive days before Pentecost either publicly
or privately recite from some prayers to
the Holy Spirit. we grant on each those
days an indulgence of seven years and
seven quarantines; and plenary indul-
gence on any of those days, or on the
feast of PeptecOst itself. or on any day Of
the following octave, provided hav-
ing confessed their sins and having re-
ceived absolution of holy communion,
they pray to God according to the inten-
ton which we have above expressed.
I'VE further grant that those who de-
sire to repeat for the eight days following
Pentecost the same conditions. may
again gain both of the above mentioned
indulgences. These indulgences may be
applied to the souls in purgatory, and by
our authority we decree and order that
they shall be available each year for the
future, those things being observed which
are required by law or custom.
"Given at st. Peters, Rome, under the
seal OF the Fisherman, the 9Th day of
May. 1895, in the eighteenth year of our
pontifoate."