The Portland daily press., 1900-12-22
(Erom Pope Leo Kills Late Encyclioal
Letter on "Jesus Christ, Our he

(From Pope Leo XIII. s Late Eheychoat
Letter on 'Jesus Christ, Our he
deemer."
God alone is life. All other things
partake OF lite, but are not life. Christ,
from all eternity and by his very nature,
ia athe Life,'' just as He ia the Truth,
because He is God of dod. From Him,
as from, it's most sacred source, all life
pervades ami ever will pervade creation.
Whatever is, is by Him; whatever lives,
lives by Him. For by the word "au
things were made; and without Him
was made nothing that was made" The
whole object of Christian doctrine and
morality is that 1--WE being dead to SIN,
should live to tustics' Il Peter H., 24)-
that is, to virtue and holiness. In this
consists the moral life, with tins certain
hope of happy eternity. This jnssioe,
in order to be advantageous to salvation,
Is nourished by Christian faish. "The
lust man liveth by faith" Galatians ILL.,,
III "Without faith 1t is impossible to
please God'' (Hebrews XII, q. Conse-
qusntly Jesus Christ, the creator and
preserver OF faith, also preserves and
chiefly by the ministry of His Church.
10 her, in His wise ana merciful coun-
sci, He has entrusted certain agencies
which enRender the supernatural life,
protect and revive it II it should fail.
Tnis geuerative and conservative DOW
er OF the virtues that make for salvation
is therefore lost, whenever morality is dis
ISOLATED from divine faith. A system OF
morality based exclusively on human
reason robs a man of his highest dignity
and lowers him from the supernatural
to the merely natural life. Not but that
man Is able by the right uss Of reason TO
know and to obey certain principles OF
the natural law. But though he should
4 cow them all ana keep them tnviolate
through lifs-and even this is impossible
without the aid CT the grace OF onr Re
deemer-still 1t IS vain for any one with
out faith to promise himfelf eternal sal
walton. ''If any one abide not in Me-, be
shall be cast forth ss branch, and shall
wither, and they shall gather him up
and cast him into the II re, and he burn
sth'' fLohn xV., g.. "He that lfYeth
shall not be condemned (Mark xvi
l6.).
We have but too much evidence OF the
value and result OF a morality divorced
from divine faith. How 10 1t that, IN
spite OF all the zeal for the welfare of the
Masses nations are in such straits and
even distress, and that the evil is Gsily
on the increase? We are told that society
is quite able to help itself that 1t can
ri1ourish without the assistance OF Chris
tianity, and attain its end by Its own
.fFn llrfNaI 10 nrlr tFltz ST
prefer purely secular system of govern
men6. All traces Of the religion Of our
foIeIathers are daily disappearing from
political life ana administration. What
bliHdnessl once the idea OF the authori-
ty' OF God az the Judge OF right and
wrong is forgotten, law must necessarily
lose Its primary authority and justice
must perish; and these are the two most
powerful and most necessary bonds OF
society. Similarly, once the hope ana
expectation OF eternal happiness Is taken
away, temporal goods Will be greedily
sought after. Every man viii strive TO
secure the largest share for himself.
Hencs arise envy, jealousy, hatred. The
consequences are conspiracy, anarchy,
nihilism. There is neither peace abroad
nor security at home. Public life is
stained with crime.
SO great is this struggle OF the PASSIONS
and 30 serious the dangers involved that
we must either anticipate ultimate ruin
or seek for an efficient remedy. 1t is
course both right and necessary to pun
ish maIefactors, to educate the masses,
and by Legislation to prevent crime in
bYery possible way; but all this is BY no
means sufficient. The salvation of the
nations must be- looked for higher. A
power greater than human must be callsd
In to teach mems hearts, awaken in
them the sense OF duty, and make them
better. This is the power which once
before saved the world from destruction
when groantng under much more ter
Ribs evils. Once remove all impediments
and allow the Christian spirit TO revive
and grow strong in a nation, and that
nation Will be healed. The strife be-
tween the GLASSES and the masses Will die
away; mutual rights will be respected.
IL Christ be listened TO, both rich and
pool will do their duty. The former Will
realize that they must observe justice
and charity, the latter self-restraint and
moderation, IL both are TO be saved. Do
meseio life will be firmly established by
the salutary fear Of God as the lawgiver.
In the same way the precepts OF the
natural law, which dictates respect for
lawful authority and obedience to the
laws, will exercise their influence over
the people. Seditionss ami conspiracies
will cease. Wherever Christianity rules
over all without let or hindrance, there
the order established by Divine Provt-
dence Is preserved, ana both security and
prosperity are the happy result, The
common welfare, then. urgently demands
a return TO Him from whom we should
never have gona astrsy; to Him who Is
the Nay, the Truth, and the Life-aDd
this on the part not only OF individuals
but Of society as whole. We must re-
store Christ to this His own ri1htful pos
session. All elements of the national life
must be made to drink in the lie which
prcceedeth from Him--legislation, polft-
ical institutions, education, marriage
and family life, capital and labor. Eve
~ one must see that the very growth of
civilization which Is SO ardently desired
depends greatly upon this, sincs 1t is fed
and grows not SO much by material
wealth and prosperity, as by the spiritual
qualities OF morality and virtue.
Given at st. Peter In Rome, the LIST
day of November, 1850, In the twenty
third year OF our PonIiticate.
LEO XIII, Pope.