Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1913-02-08
Event Which Placed the Cross
of Christ Above the
World.
Letter From Mario Prince Chigi,
President of the Great
Celebration.
ALL NATIONS SHOULD REJOICE

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iceltenary of the granting of freedom
and peace 10 the church, through
the official recognition of Chris
tianity and of the essential rights of
Christian society, proclaimed by the
Emperor Constantine in the Edict of
Milan in the year 313. This great
fact, which followed closely the
glorious victory won by Constantine
over Maxentius under the walls of
Rome on October 2S, 312, has a
weight and a meaning of the highest
import in history and calls for a
special commemoration in our own
days. 1t changed the fortunes of
the world, and in its centennial
celebration all the nations should
rejoice, for to Christianity they owe
their highest glories, their chief
progress in material and moral well
fare, and generally their advance in
civilization. Catholic nations have
special reasons for joy in this COM
memoration, and above all Italy,
which more than all the others felt
the beneficent influence of the new
civilization in religion, manners and
customs, sciences, literature and the
fine arts. And among all the cities
of Italy Rome has its own peculiar
grounds for exultation, as this seat
of the successors of st Peter shone
with a new glory, and shed the light
of its supremacy, of faith, of justice
and of charity over the whole civil
lied world.
Under the inspiration of these
lofty ideas and noble sentiments two
Roman ssociations-the Head As
sociation of the Holy Cross and the
Society for Rendering Honor to the
Christian Martyrs-have initiated a
movement to make a solemn COM
memoration in the year 1913 of the
great event of the year 313, which in
it's Importance reaches far beyond
|tife bodn6s-of ndfvidaal-RatieHs-
belongs to the worlds history. The
chief lines of the programme, which
the Supreme Council appointed by
the Pope intends with the aid of
local committees to carry out, are
the following:
First-The erection of a sacred
monument near the Milvian Bridge,
where the Emperor Constantine de-
feated Maxentius, which will serve as
memorial of glorious deeds to
future generations, and at the same
time minister to the spiritual needs
OF the population in that new quar-
ter.
Second-The promotion in Italy
and elsewhere of solemn acts of
thanksgiving to God, and of special
Festivities, together with publica-
tions. learned as we'll as popular, so
that all may know the Importance
of the great religious and historical
fact that is being commemorated.
All Catholics therefore are invited
TO take part in this celebration,
through the constitution OF local
committees under the direction OF
their own Bishops, and in touch with
the Supreme Council of Rome, so
that everywhere there may be
common eommemoration or so great
an event in the manner. best suited
TO each individual place.
A remembrance of this first tri-
umph OF the church and or the I'D
erty and true peace brought by Jesus
Christ to the world with the con-
quering sign of the cross, is all the
more opportune in the times In
which we live, that the powers or
darkness are waging fierce war on
all sides against the Christian relig-
ion, with the tendencies and In
situations of a return to paganism.
The cross of Christ was the banner
under which were proclaimed those
principles that freed mankind from
the shameful yoke OF idolatry and
from the barbarism OF slavery,
taught the true equality and broth
erhood Of men, raised woman to her
noble mission in life, and gave rise
to the marvellous formation OF the
nations, which by virtue OF the
supernatural principles OF Chris
tianity they embraced, have for so
many centuries been the safeguard
OF human society and the bulwark OF
true civilization.
This solemn commemoration OIL
the victory OF the Cross should also
be the expression Of our heartfelt
prayer that. under this glorious sign
all men may Join with us in the pro-
fession OF the true faith, OF sincere
and ardent love toward the Divine
Redeemer Of souls, and that all may
be united as brothers In that Chris
tian charity which Is the best pledge
of enduring peace and the source oi
moral and material well-being.
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