The Irish standard., 1915-10-30
1 three Masses to Be
Offered All Souls D1v
Privilege Enjoyed by Priests Of Spain
and Portugal Extended
to All.

Privilege Enjoyed by Priests Of Spain
and Portugal Extended
to All.
APOSTOLIC CONSTITUTION.
Concerning Triple Celebration on the
Day Of Solemn commemoration
Of All Souls.
Benedict, Bishop, Servant Of the serv-
ants Of God.
That the unbloody sacrifice of the
Altar, seeing that of its very nature it
differs nothing from the sacrifice of
the Cross, not only gives glory to
those who are in heaven, and is profit
able for healing and health to those
who are immersed in the miseries of
this life, but also avails in the highest
degree for the cleansing of the souls
of the faithful who have passed to
their rest in Christ, has been the per-
petual and constant teaching of Holy
Church. Express and manifest traces
and proofs of this teaching, which in
the course of the centuries has been
afforded such signal solace to all Chris
tians and has excited all the excel
lent amongst them to admiration of
the infinite love of Christ, may be
found in the very ancient Liturgies of
the Latin and of the Eastern Church,
in the writings of the Holy Fathers,
and, in fine, in many DEGREES of an
cient Synods.
But the Ecumenical Synod of Trent
In certain very solemn definition
proposed the same to be believed,
when it taught that the souls de-
tanned in Purgatory are assisted by
the SURFACES of the faithful, especially
by the true acceptable sacrifice of the
Altar" and inflicted an anathema on
those who should say that the Mass
must not be offered "for the living and
the dead, for sins, punishments, salts
factions and other necessities" Nor
has the Church ever followed line
of action at variance with this teach
ing, for at no time has it ceased to
exhort Christians not to suffer the
souls of the deceased to lack those
advantages which flow most abun-
dainty from the same sacrifice of the
Mass. In this matter, however, it must
rebound to the praise of Christians
that their zeal and effort on behalf
of the deceased has never been want
ing; and the history of the Church is
witness that, as the virtues of faith
and charity became the more deeply
rooted in mems minds, both kings
and peoples, wherever Catholicity was
known, then devoted themselves the
more actively to the cleansing of the
souls in Purgatory.
Indeed that very ancestral piety be-
came so intense that, many centuries
ago, in the kingdom of Arragon, by q
custom gradually introduced, secular
priests celebrated twice and regulars
thrice, on the day of Solemn Commem-
Grafton of All Souls; this privilege Our
predecessor of immortal memory
Benedict XIV, not only, for just rea-
sons, confirmed, but also, at the re-
quest of Ferdinand vi, Catholic King
of Spain, and likewise of John v, King
of Portugal, by an Apostolic Letter
dated the rs August, 1748, so extended
that to every priest whomsoever in
the dominions subject to either Prince
he granted the faculty of celebrating
thrice on the same Solemn Commem-
Grafton.
But as time advanced, very many,
both Bishops and civilians of every
grade, again and again petitioned the
Apostolic See to allow this privilege
to be used in all nations; and more
than once have petitions on the same
matter been presented both to Our
immediate predecessors and to Our
selves in these first days of Our Ponti-
ficate.
Nor let it be said that the reasons
which formerly inspired this purpose
have even now been lacking; indeed,
they both still exist and are becoming
graver every day. For it is to be
lamented that those pious foundations
and requests of the faithful, who have
either in anywise arranged or provided
by will that Masses should be cele-
brated for the relief of the deceased,
have in part been abolished, and in
part been neglected by those who
should least of all do so. Add to this,
that of those very persons whose devo-
tion is we'll known, not few are COM
PEELED by diminution of revenue to
petition the Apostolic See to reduce
the number of Masses.
We, therefore, again laying a grave
burden on the conscience of those who
are strongly impelled by the charity
1t Is a Hol y and "