The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1913-08-16
The EdiCt OF Milan
AUniverSal Jubilee Granted
by the Pope.
Specially Written for The Irish Standard.

Specially Written tor The Irish Standard.
It was the prayer that fingered on
the lips of Plus x during his illness
some months ago,-a prayer in which
all Christendom joined, that the
aged Pontiff might be spared to wit
ness the commemoration of this happy
historic event which brought peace to
the whole Christian world. Divine
Providence vouchsafed to grant the
prayer and lengthen upon earth the
days of our beloved Sovereign who
now, amid universal rejoicing, pro-
claims a jubilee in honor of the vic
tory of Constantine. and opens the
treasury Of the Church in order that
her children may share in the fullest
measure his choicest gifts and bless
ings.
On this occasion it is proper to re-
call briefly the appearance of the La
barum and other historic events con-
nected with the Edict of Milan. The
following summary is furnished by a
contemporary historian, Eusebius: -
after three centuries Of terrible per-
secution, the last being the worst of
all, the Church Of Christ was to en-
joy respite; the day of her deliver
ance dawned with the coming of Con-
stantine who kept invoking God in his
prayers, beseeching and imploring that
He would declare Himself, and stretch
forth His hands over events. While
Constantine was thus engaged in pray
er, most extraordinary sign from
Heaven appears to him. I have the
story from his own lips, the story to
which -ha- -teatiaad on oath hefora, me:
About midday he told ne be saw II the
heavens, above the sea, the trophy
like figure of q cross, composed of
light, and that writing was attached
to it, which said by this Conquer"
seized upon both himself and all his
troops whom he was then leading on
an expedition. All the troops were.
like Constantine, spectators of the por-
tent. On that very night Christ Him
self appeared to Constantine in a
dream, with equally the same sign
which he had seen in the sky, and
bade him have an imitation Of it made,
and use it in war. Constantine sent
for gold workers and jewelers.. and
had a costly banner made, surmounted
by crown. And with this banner
borne at the head of his army, he
crossed into Italy, defeated Maxentius
in several battles, and became master
of Rome. Shortly afterward he issued
the Edict of Milan, granting freedom
of worship throughout the Roman en-
pire. After the defeat of Maxentius
Constantine always had the 'Labarum
or Banner of Victory" carried into
battle; fifty men chosen from his pri-
vate bodyguard bore the emblem
which never failed t, give victory tc
his arms"
The universal jubilee proclaimed by
Plus x recalls not only the mirac-
ulous victory of Constantine his
epoch-making proclamation of peace
but it also recalls the awful suffering
endured by the early Christian mar
tyrs.
The terrible drama of the persecu-
tions to which the early Christians
were subjected, sets forth the religion
preached by Christ in the full splen-
dor Of the Throne of the Almighty
from which it descends upon the
earth. This drama was to be remem-
bered in all subsequent ages. to be-
unto the end Of time, the evidence
that In believing in Christ Christians
believe in God.
The persecur.uns began in Jerusa-
lem on the first Christian Pentecost;
they ceased not until the year Of the
Christian era, 313. All tribes, all ma
tions were charged by the apostles OF
Christ to enroll themselves among His
disciples on the strength Of the miracle
of Easter morning, on the strength OF
the miracles that preceded the resur.
ection, of those still wrought in Hit
name, even when He was no longer OF
the earth. To be, however, the disci.
PIE Of Christ was to be candidate 70,
n1arty1don. Now martyrdom is nevel
eourted BY tnsfncerfty or fnconsider.
ateness. II the early Christians be.
ftsved firmly in the divine authority
Of Chrnt n was because they knew
the REASONS of their belief. The op-
porttniffes to k1mw thuse reasons