The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-05
COMMEMORATE THE
ED|CT OF MILAN
Catholic Churches to Cele-
brate Next Sunday
is 18TH CENTENARY
Bishop Allen Issues Request for Cele-
bration of Emperor Constantine's
Famous Edict in 313-Letter
Read at st. Paul's
is 18TH CENTENARY

In the Catholic churches of this diocese
yesterday pastoral letter was read from
the bishop in all the churches. At st.
Paups it was read at high mass in lieu
of sermon. The letter is as follows:
ITO the Clergy and Laity of the Diocese
of Mobile:
Dear Beloved Brethren-Your atten-
ton is called to the solemn commemofa-
tion of the sixteenth centenary of the
peace of the church, secured by the fam
Gus edct of Milan, which was proclaimed
by the Roman Emperor Constantine the
Great, in March, 3l3.
Our holy father, Plus Y, calls upon us
to celebrate this remarkable event with
special joy and thanksgiving, for it was
an event of far-reaching consequences to
the church of God. until then not only
denied a legal existence but also tried.
almost continuously, by most cruel perse-
cutions This edict shows the first Chris
tan Emperor to have been just ruler
and wise and far-seeing statesman
the first, in fact, to proclaim to the world
and to guarantee to every man freedom
of conscience.
Conflict Ended
BY this edict Constantine brought 10 an
end the bitter conflict between the Chris
tian and the pagan view of life and its
responsibilities. From the foundation of
the church at Pentecost the Christian re-
ligion began to exercise a powerful infiu-
ence over mankind and this necessarily
brought it into contact and fierce con-
t,t
code rebelled against the universal cor
ruption and Righteousness of the period
and in particular against divorce and the
degradation of family life which followed
as consequence. The national sent-
ment, the traditional belief in false gods,
precipitated one persecution after another,
so that Christian had no standing or
protection before the law. He was
social outcast and might at any mo-
ment, be dragged before tribunal and.
if he refused to offer sacrifice to pagan
deities, be Condemned to DEATH Three
centuries of vigorous warfare came to
an end in the victory of Constantine over
MaXentlus at the Milvian bridge, October
Is, A. d. 3D. Although not yet baptized,
Constantine took from the first decided
stand in favor of Christianity, the truths
of which he doubtless learned from his
pious mother, st. Helena. Moreover, be-
ing a close observer of men, he noted
the results of the doctrines of Chris
tianity in the upright lives of the best
and the braVest of his followers. He saw
no reason why men leading such noble,
God-fearing lives should be hampered in
their religious belief. Therefore, to safe
guard and protect them in future he de-
creed that freedom of religion ought not
to be limited in any way but each one
should be permitted to follow in divine
matters the dictates of his own con-
SCIENCE" Thus did the principles of Chris
| tianity triumph, thus did the church come
forth triumphantly from the Catacombs
and enter upon a new era of usefulness
to mankind. To recall this glorious
event. TO return thanks to God for this
blessing, to show our deep appreciation
OF religious liberty, in our own times
wantonly abused In some once Christian
lands, we shall celebrate this event in
the manner desired by the holy father.
Commemorate May IL
1--WE request that it be commemorated
in the usual novena to the Holy Ghost
before Pentecost and that a solemn COM
memoration of the event be made in the
masses offered up on Pentecost Sunday
May II, and that the prayer of Bishop
Carol for the civil authorities be said
after each mass on that day. The faith
full are requested to receive the sacra-
ments and TO make their communions a
thank offering to Almighty God. The
annual collection for the holy father will
be taken up on this day at all the masses.
81 take this opportunity to ask the
clergy to organize the Holy Name So
ciety in every parish of the diocese. 1t
is already organized in many and doing
effective work. but we would like to see
its great influence extended.
This society owes its origin to the
second council of Lyons. which decreed
that the faithful should show more rev.
erence for that name above all names,
the only name in which we claim saliva
tion-the name of Jesus Christ The Holy
Name society is enriched by many spirit
ual favors and privileges. 1t does much
to train young and old to reverence God
and His holy name. For this reason we
are anxious to see a branch established
in every parish of the diocese, and to
facilitate the work of organization we
have appointed the Rev. Thomas Nc
Donald C. NJ, of Opelika, diocesan di-
rector, to whom all communications re-
gardjng the society and its work should
be addressed
..The society should have not only a
senior but junior branch. FIRST, because
an ounce of prevention of profanity and
every kind of unbecomlng language is
worth a pound of cure And, secondly, it.
lxeeps a boy faithful to his religious duties
during the most critical period OF his life
and it usually anchors him to his reig-
ion, so that he remains afterward faith
full and devout Catholic This letter
should be read at all the masses ON Sun
day and the faithful urged to celebrate
the neace of the church at Pentecost as
desired by Piux X Faithfully yours in
christ EDWARD P. ALLEN,
"Bishop of Mobile.
March q 1913.'