The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-10-31
FIRST ERCYCLICAL
Of OUR HOLY FATHER
Freeman's Journal Translation.
(Concluded.)
Jesus Christ the Only Means of Saw


CConcluded)
Jesus Christ the Only Means of Saw
ing Society.
But. venerable brothers, we shall
never. however much we exert our
selves, succeed in calling men back to
the majesty and empire of God except
by means of Jesus Christ. mo one,
the apostle admonishes US, can lay
other foundation than that which has
been laid, which is Jesus Christ C2-
e. I. Cor. iii, ID. IT is Christ alone
swhom the Father sanctified and Sent
into this world" Go, John X, 36)-
1.-THE splendor of the Father and the
image of his substance 90. HEIR
g. 3)-tlue God and true man: without
whom nobody can know God for saliva
fion-"neither doth anyone know the
Father but the Son, and he to whom IL
shall please the Son to reveal him C5)
Is. Matt XII, %. Hence it follows
that TO restore all things in Christ ana
10 lead us back to submission to Goa
s. one and the same aim. To this, then,
Il behooves US to devote our care-to
lead back mankind under the domin-
ion of Christ; this done, we shall have
brought it back to God. When we say
t. God we do not mean to that inert
being needless Of all things human
which the dreams of materialists has
imagined, but to the true and living
God. one in nature. triple in person,
Creator Of the world. most wise Or
dainer of all things, Lawgiver most
Just. who Furnishes the wicked and has
reward in store for virtue.
To God Through Christ to Christ
Through God.
Now. the way to reach Christ is not
hard to find: il is the church. Rightly
does Christendom inculcate: The
church is thy hope. the church is thy
salvation, the church is thy refuge" o.
-C6, HON. de capto Eutropio, n. 60. 1t
was for this that Christ founded il, at
the price of his blood. and made it the
depository Of his doctrine and his laws,
bestowing upon it at the same time an
inexhaustible treasury Of graces for the
sanctification and salvation of men.
Restoring the Laws and the Counsels
of the Gospel
You see. then. venera bic brothers, the
duty that has been imposed alike upon
us and upon you Of bringing back to
the discipline of the church human So
Ciety now estranged- from the wisdom
Of Christ; the church will subject it to
Christ, and Christ to God. If we,
through the goodness Of God himself,
bring this task to a happy issue, we
shall be rejoiced to see evil giving
place to good, and hear, for our glad
ness, "a loud voice from heaven say
ing: Now is come salvation, and
strength, and the kingdom of our God,
and the power Of his Christ Co,
Apoc. xii 10). But if our desire to OBJ
tain this is to be fulfilled we must use
every means and exert all our energy
to bring about the utter disappearance
of that enormous and detestable wick
edness so characteristic of our time
The substitution Of man for God. this
done, it remains to restore to their
ancient place of honor the most holy
laws and counsels Of the gospel; to
proclaim aloud the truths taught by
the church. and her teachings on the
sanctity Of marriage. on the education
and discipline of youth, on the pos
session and use Of property. the duties
that men owe to those who rule the
state. and lastly to restore equilibrium
between the different classes of society
according to Christian precept and
custom Such is what we. in submit
ting ourself to the manifestations OF
the Divine viii, purpose to aim at dur
ing our pontificate. and we will use all
our industry to attain 1t. 1t is for you,
venerable brothers, to second our eT-
forts by your holiness. knowledge and
experience. and, above all, by your zeal
for the glory Of God with no other aim
than that Christ may be formed in ali
The Formation of the Priesthood.
AS to the means to be employed In
securing this great end, it seems super |
Iluous TO name them, for they are OBJ |
viOus OF themselves. Let your first care |
be TO form Christ in those who are
destined, from the duty of their voca /
ton. to form him in others. We speak !
o., the priests, venerable brothers. For 1
all who bear the seal Of the priesthood /
mission to the people in the midst OF |
whom they live as that which Paul in !
these tender words proclaimed that he /
himself received: My little children. |
of whom l am in labor again unit! 4
Christ be formed in you" (S)-(S. Gal. /
~, 19). But how win they be able 10 /
perform this duty if they be not first |
clothed with Christ themselves? And |
clothed with Christ in such a way as |
TO be able to say with the apostle: Il !
live, yet not !, but Christ lives in me"
So Christ" COCO, Philip. l.. 2D |
Hence, although all are included in the |
exhortation 'to advance toward the /
perfect man. in the measure of the age |
Of the fullness Of Christ 1D-Q1. !
Ephes. iv., %, it is addressed before all /
others to those who exercise the sacer-
dotal ministry; thus these are called |
another Christ, not merely by the COM
of power. but by reason of
the imitation Of his works. and they
should. therefore. bear stamped upon
themselves the image of Christ
Bishops and Their Seminaries.
This being so, venerable brothers. ot
what nature and magnitude is the care
that must be taken by you in forming
the clergy to holiness! All other tasks
must yield to this one. Wherefore. the
chief part OF your diligence via be di-
rected to governing and ordering your
seminaries Alright so that they may
flourish equally in sound teaching and
in the spotless mortality. Regard your
seminary as the delight of your hearts
and neglect Ola its behalf none Of chose
provisions WHICH the Council of Trent
has, with admirable forethought gre
scribed. And when the time comes for
promoting the youthful candidates to
holy orders, ah, do not forget what
Paul wrote to Timothy: Impose not
hands lightly upon any man" Q2)-Q2.
T. Tim. V, 22), bearing carefully in
mind that as a gencf- -rle the faith
Tul VIII be such as are those whom you
call TO the priesthood % not. then.
pay heed to privat, interests OF any
kind, but have at hesrt only God and
he church and the eyeI nal welfare of
souls so that, as the apostle admon-
shes, you may not be partakers of
he sins Of others" G3). Then. again,
be not lacking in solic ude for young
Priests who have just lett the seminary.
From the bottom of our heart we urge
YOU 10 bring them often close to your
breast, which should burn with celestial
ire, kindle them, inflame them so that
they may aspire solely after God and
The salvation of souls. Rest assured. s
venerable brothers. that we on our side I
Sill use the greatest diligence to pre- J {