The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-08-04
THE POPE'S LETTER ON CANON LAW

whom the Holy Ghost had chosen to
rule the Church of God. Accordingly,
| by letter from the Cardinal Secretary
of State, all the Archbishops of the
Catholic world were invited to inter-
rogate their Suffragans and those
| prelates who had right to be present
| at the Provincial Councils, and to
carefully refer to this Holy See such
notifications as they might consider
necessary to be introduced into the
regulations of Canon Law.
Then, after having called to collab-
crate numerous experts in Canon
Law residing in Rome and other
places, he gave to our beloved son
Cardinal Gasparri, then Archbishop
of Cesarea, the task of directing, per
fecting, and, as far as necessary, com
pleting the work of the consultors.
He also constituted a Commission of
Cardinals and nominated on it Card
inals Domenico Ferrata, Casimiro Gen
mari, Benjamino Cavicchioni, Giu-
seppe Wives Tuto, and Felice Cav
agnis, who, in pursuance of sugges-
tions in report of Cardinal Gaspar-
ri, should diligently examine the pro-
posed canons, and change, correct,
and perfect them as their judgment
directed When these personages
passed away one after the other, there
were appointed in their place our be-
loved sons Cardinals Vincenzo Van
nutelli, Gaetano De Lai, Sebastiano
Martinelli, Basilio Pompili, Wilhelm
Van Rossum, Filippo Giustini and
Michele Lega, who have in an admir-
able manner completed the work con-
tided to them.
Finally, after again consulting the
prudence and authority of his vener-
able brothers in the episcopacy, he
directed that to them and the supe-
riors of religious orders who are ac-
customed to be summoned to an
Oecumenical Council there should be
sent copy of the new code finished
and corrected before being promul-
gated, so that they might freely mani
fest their opinions on the canons.
But since, meanwhile, to the sor-
row of the whole Catholic world, our
predecessor of immortal memory
passed away from life, it became our
duty, as soon as by the secret will of
P1osidence Ne began our pontiflcate,-
to receive with due honor the wishes
of the Church, teaching with US, col
lected in this way from every quarter
And then we acknowledged in all it's
parts, approved of and sanctioned the
Code of the whole of Canon Law,
which at the Vatican Council had
been asked for by many bishops and
which had been begun more than
twelve years previously.
Therefore having invoked the help
of Divine grace, and relying upon the
authority of the Blessed Apostles
Peter and Paul, of our own accord
and with accurate knowledge, and in
the fulness of the Apostolic power
with which we are invested, by this
our constitution, which we wish to be
valid ''in perpetuum," we promulgate,
decree and order that the present
Code, just as it is compiled, shall
have from this time forth the power
of law for the Universal Church, and
we confide it to your custody and
vigilance. But SO that all may be
enabled to have a knowledge of the
regulations cf the code before they
begin to be binding, we ordain that
they do not come into effect until
Pentecost Day next year, i.e., May
10, 1918. Every privilege. constitution
and custom to the contrary notwith-
standing.
For no one, therefore, is it lawful
to contradict or contravene in any
way these our. wishes. If anyone
should dare to do SO, let him know he
will incur the wrath of God and the
Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul.
Given at Rome from St. Peters on
the Feast Of Pentecost of the year
1917, the third year of our pontificate.