The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1960-07-08
Should Link
DeVOtiOns
Pope Saws

10 popular deV0tl0nS TO the
Holy Name and the Sacred
Heart.
The Pope's letter, to be
known from the first words
Ct its Latin text as indie A
frimiS," was dated on the eve
June so Of the Feast of the
Precious Blood. 1t came with
IN little more than a week OF
the publication of a new
Iitany of the Precious Blood
approved by Pope John.
Pope John addressed the
letter to all the bishops of the
world and charged them with
communicating its contents to
their clergy and faithful.
He began by observing that,
after watchfulness over sound
doctrine, the manifestations
of l~iturgical and private wor-
ship should have a privileged
place" in a pope's ministry.
He said: at therefore
seems to Us to be particular
~ opportune to recall the at
tention of Our beloved chill
dren TO the indissoluble con-
nection which must unite the
two devotions to the Most
Holy Name of Jesus and TO
His Most Sacred Heart, which
are already widespread among
Christian people, to that
which honors the Most Prec-
iouS Blood Of the lncarnate
Word. shed for many unto
the forgiveness Of sins
Matt, IS. 28).
Pope John said that just as
there is harmony and an es-
sential relation between doc
trine and liturgical practice,
iii is also right that a similar
harmony flourish among the
various deyotions." It should
be thus, he said, so that there
will be no conflict and dis
ISOLATION between those de-
votions which are considered
fundamental and more Sancti-
flying. and also so that those
devotionS which have to do
with the economy Of universal
salvation hold primacy in
esteem and practice over per-
sonal and secondary de-
yotions.
The Pope then proceeded to
cite various practices of the
Holy See over the past CEN
turtles which had given 'clear
and repeated proofs of CON
sent and encouragement for
the three aforementioned de-
yotions."
HE RECALLED how ST.
Gaspare del Buffalo. a Roman
priest who founded the Mis-
sionaries of the Most Precious
Blood, promoted devotions TO
the Precious Blood in the last
century, how Pope Benedict
XIV ordered the Mass and the
office of the Most Precious
Blood. how Pope Plus TX ex-
tended the Feast of the Most
Precious Blood to the UniVer-
sal Church, and how Pope
Plus XI raised that feast to
the rank of double of the first
class.
Pope John continued:
Following, therefore, the
example of Our predecessors
with the purpose of sub
sequently favoring the wor-
ship of the Most Precious
Blood of the Immaculate
Lamb. Jesus Christ, We ap-
proved the Litsny Of the Most
Precious Blood according TO
the order compiled by the
Congregation of Rites, en-
couraging also its recitation
throughout the Catholic
world, both in public and in
private, with the concession
Of special indulgences.
MAY 1T THEN BE that the
care of all the churches
proper to the Supreme Pom
tiff. in times of more serious
and spiritual needs, will re-
awaken in the souls of be-
levers the conviction Of the
perennial, universal and SUI
premely practical value of
the three deyotions which We
have praised above"
The Pope said that the wor-
ship due 1.-THE chalice of the
Blood of the New Testament"
is all the more salutary when
practiced in Holy Commun-
ion. where it is "indlssolubly
united to the Body of Our
Saviour in the Sacrament of
the Eucharist"
He concluded: Were all
men to heed the invitation of
the Grace of God-who de-
sires them all to be saved be-
cause He wanted them all to
be redeemed by the Blood Of
His only begotten Son and
calls them all members of a
single Mystical Body of which
Christ is the head how
much more brotherly would
the relations between in
dividuals, people and nations
become; how much more
peaceful, more worthy of God
and of human nature, created
in the image and likeness of
the Almighty, would social CO.
existence come to be-"