The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-01-29
LATENT FORCES OBSERVED.
FULL TEXT OF THE POPE'S ENCY-
 CLICAL LETTER IS CHEN.

|
 Amerlca's Liberty Achieved by the Aid
 of Catholics-Progress of the Church in
 the United Stat s.
 Washington, Jan. 2S.-The full text ot
 the encyclical of Pope Leo to the church
 in America has been given out here
 The encyclical begins as follows:
 To our venerable brethren, the arch
 bishops and bishops of the United
 State of North America, Leo XIII,
 pope. Venerable brethren, health and
 apostolic benediction We traverse in
 spirit and thought the wide expanse
 of ocean, and although we have at
 other times addressed you in writing
 chiefly when we directed encyclical let
 ters to the bishops of the Catholic
 world-yet have we now resolved to
 speak to you separately, trusting that
 we shall be, God willing, of some as-
 sistance to the Catholic cause amongst
 you. To this we apply ourself with
 the utmost zeal and care because we
 highly esteem and love exceedingly
 the young and vigorous American na- ton, in which we plainly discern latent
 forces for the advancement alike of
 civilization and of Christianity.
 Not long ago when your noble na-
 ton, as was fitting, celebrated with grateful recollection and every mani
 festation of joy the completion of the fourth century since the discovery of | America we, too, commemorated to- | 1rritI, o;o even sharing in your rejoicings with equal good will Nor were we on that | occasion content with offering prayers at a distance for your welfare and greatness Your wish to be in some manner present with you in your fes- | tivities, Hence we cheerfully sent one who should represent our person.
 Not without good reason did we take part in your celebration. For when America was. as yet. but a newborn babe, utterlng in it's cradle its first | feeble cries the church took 1t to her bosom in motherly embrace.
 The pope then says that Columbus | sought, as the primary fruit of his | voyages and labors, to open a pathway for the Christian faith into new lands and new seas. The barks launched by | Columbus carried into regions beyond | the seas as well the germs of mighty states as the principles of the Catholic religion. Rapidly as the light of gos- pei shone upon the savage tribes dis covered by the Ligurian, many chil- dren of Francis, Dominic and Loyola during the two following centuries yoy- aged thither, cared for the colonies brought over from Europe, and pri- marily and chiefly converted the natives from superstition to Christianity, seal ing their labors in many instances with the testimony of their blood.
 Continuing the pope says: Nor, per chance did the fact which we now re- call take place without some design of Divine Providence. Precisely at the epoch when the American colonies, hay ing with Catholic aid, achieved liberty and independence, coalesced into a con- stitutional republic, the ecclesiastical hierarchy was happily established amongst you, and at the very time when the popular suffrage placed the great Washington at the helm of the republic, the first bishop was set by apostolic authority over the American church. The well known friendship and familiar intercourse which subsisted between these two men seems to be an evidence that the United States ought to be conjoined in concord and alnity with the Catholic church. And not without cause, for without morality the state cannot endure-a truth which that illustrious citizen of yours whom we have just mentioned with the keenness of insight worthy of his genius and statesmanship perceived and proclaim ed. But the best and strongest support of morality is religion Now, what is the church other than a legitimate society, founded by the will and ordi- nance of Jesus Christ for the preserva- ton of morality and the defense of re- ligion? For this reason have we re- peatedly endeavored to inculcate that the church while directly and imme- diately aiming at the salvation of souls and the beautitude which is to be ob- taned in heaven is yet even in the or- der of temporal things the foundation of | blessings so numerous and great that | they could not have been greater or more numerous had the original pur- pose of her institution been the pur- suit of happiness during the life which l is spent on earth.
 That your republic is progressing | and developing by giant strides is | patent to all, and this holds good in re- ligious matters also"
 The pope speaks of the church in the United States as having from scant and slender beginnings grown with | rapidity to be great and exceedingly He says that the prosper ous condition must be ascribed, first | to the virtue, the ability and the pru- ence of the bishops and clergy; but in no slight measure also to the faith and of the Catholic laity.
 He dwells in detail on many indications If the f1ourishing condition of the church in the United States, which fills him with joy and hope and says:
 "The main factor no doubt in bring ng things into this happy state were or finances and decrees of your synods But moreover thanks are due to the equity of the laws which obtain in America and to the customs of the we'll ordered republic. For the church amongst you unopposed by the con- jtitution and government of your na- ion fettered by no hostile legislation,