The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-05-15
THE ANNUAL COLLECTION, ON
PENTEcosT SUNDAY, FOR THE
BENEFIT OF THE HOLY SEE.

6ENEFIl OF ! TIE F1OL1 DEE
To the Clergy and the Laity of the
Diocese of ST. Paul:
Beloved 5rethren:
| beg leave to make the announce
ment of the collection for the benefit
of the Holy See, to be taken up at the
several masses in all the churches of
the Diocese of st. Paul, on the forth
coming Pentecost Sunday, the twenty
third day of May.
While, on similar occasions in pre-
ceding years, have been, as in duty
bound, urgent i'll my appeals for gen
erous cooperation on the part of the
clergy and the laity of the Diocese,
feel | must be especially urgent, in
this present year, in view of the ex-
traordinary situation into which occur
ring events in the European world
have reduced the lot of the Holy See.
Heretofore the countries of Europe
now involved in dreadful wars-or at
least the greater number of them
were the chief contributors to the eX-
penses of the maintenance, in tenn
poral matters, of the Supreme Pontiti-
cate of the Church. Contributions
from those countries have ceased, and
for a long time are not likely to be
renewed. 1t is q critical moment in
the life of the Holy See. Means of
existence and of action it must have:
those means it must receive, if not
InIn hon
from another. America remains,
peace Frightening it's flag, prosperity
blessing it's fields and cities. The
privilege of coming to the help of the
Holy See, in it's hour of special need
is given to the Catholics of America
They will cherish the privilege, and,
true to themselves, to their faith and
their largeness of soul, they will prove
to the Holy See, that in them it may
confidently place it's trust. And, as
suredly, in this general outpouring of
love and devotion towards the spir-
itual chieftain of Christendom, the
Catholics of the Diocese of st. Paul
will be neither the last in their re-
sponse, nor the least in the abundance
of their giving.
A short while ago the Sovereign
Pontiff in name was Piux X: today he
is called Benedict XIV. The mortal
men holding in hand the sceptre of the
Sovereign Pontiff come and go, as do
all other sons of Adam. The Pontifi-
cate itself never dies it is immortal.
Into the Church and its Supreme Pom
tificate, the immediate creations of
His power and love, the Incarnate
God did breathe His own undying life.
The Saviour said: Thou art Peter"
the Rock-"and upon this Rock
will build my Church: and the gates
of hell shall not prevail against it.
And again-this time to the entire
apostolate, the entire Church: "And
behold, Il am with you all days, even
to the consummation of the world.
The Church lives unto the consumma-
tion of the world; and so, necessarily,
the Rock" upon which the Church is
built, the firmness- of which is de-
signed as the source of the frmness
of the whole structure, lives until the
world shall be no more. Peter, the
man, dies: Peter, the Rock is bid
den by Omnipotence not to die. In
the beginning the 'Rock" was named
Peter: yesterday it was Plus X: today
it is Benedict XIV.
To Benedict XIV we pledge our alleg
lance, our love, our Whole-hearted
obedience. He is the supreme chief
tain, the teacher, the counselor, the
guide-Peter himself, the Rock upor
which is built the Church. the Church
of our souls, the Church of the In
carnate God. He is the shepherd
commissioned to feed lambs anC
sheep: the strengthener of the faitl
"once delivered to the saints t.
whom the command is given: Con
firm thy brethren"
Our earnest prayers ascend to th'
Throne of Grace for Benedict XIV, tha
his pontificate be long and fruitful il
deeds for the glory of God and tn
welfare of religion, that, deep anC
perilous as are the pillows of the seas
over which he must steer the Ship o
State, the sunshine of the skies illun
inc his pathway, bringing to himsel
the solace of divine peace and to tn
sacred interests entrusted to his car
felicitous prosperity.
And so far as help may be give
to Benedict XIV, we win give it
gladstone generosity.
me
The burthens imposed upon tn
Holy See, in the administrations of tn
affairs of it's spiritual government
weigh heavily upon its temporal r
sources The immediate agencies
must employ are numerous and costly
it has the care and the interests
the whole Catholic world: to those
must often reach out helping hant
its dignity demands no low degree
princely munificence. What are i
temporal resources? The filial offe
ings of the faithful subjects that reco
nize its sway and draw profit fro
its spiritual adnfinistrations-tho
and only those. 1t is with regard
the Supreme Pontificate of the Chur,
as it is with regard to the civil SO
ereignty of the nation: the cover
ment is for the people: the peoT
maintain and support it. This is t
law of justice, as it is the law of ]
Yealed religion. The measure of t