Year: 1871

the divDely-gven authority OF making laws regard
ing the mora and religious order-to us, who
constituted the interpreter throughout the world OF
natural and ulvine right


And what reg ards the relations OF the Church
and civil society you know perfectly well, venerable
brethren, that all the prerogatves and all the rights
Of authority neces airy to governing the universal
Church have been received by u.s. in the person OF
the most blessed Peter, directly from God himself
Nay, those prerogatlves and rights and the very


liberty OF the Church were born and acquired by the
blood OF Jesus Christ and are to be valued by the
infinite prite OF His divine blood. Ill, them would
we deserve OF the divine blood OF our Redeemer,
were we-whch God forbid-to borrow these our
rights espe ciay lessened and debased as they wish
10 ieno them from rulers OF tne eartn VINO are SONS
1ttngly, that great light OF sanctty and doctrine
Anselm, Archbishop Of Canterbury:-


"Think not that the Church OF God il given you
as to master, to make use Of her, but that she Is
commended TO you as her advocate and champion.
Nothing more pleases God than the liberty OF His


And the same saint wrote in another place, adding


''Never count that your dignity is lessened II you
defend and cherish the liberty Of the Church. Deem
not that it humbles you when you exalt her. Think
not that you are weakened when you strengthen
her. Lift up your eyes and look all about you
examples are at your hand. Mediate on the
princes who fight against the Church and trample
on her. See whether it is plotting them. What is
becoming Of them is too plain to need speaking OF.
Assuredly, they who promote her glory with her and
in her will find their own glorg."-(St Anselm Epp.
IL ct s2,) .-


And now, venerable brethren after what at other
times, and here we have explained to you, 1t surely
can be dark to no one that the wrong done In these
woeful times to the Holy See have redounded on
the whole Christian commonwealth. The wrongs
of the Apostles, as ST. Bernard says, since these are
the glorious rulers of the earth, affect every Chris
tian and since, as st. Anselm says, again, the Ro.
man Church works for all the Chu ches; whosoever
takes away any ythng belonging to her is recognized
as gn 81 5e saSg not o only against hsG out
doubt that the keeping Of the rights Of this Apostolic
See is most closely Joined and tied to the highest
purposes and interests OF the whole Church and to
the liberty OF your Episcopal ministry.


Thinking and meditating on all these matters, we
are bound anew to enforce and to profess what we
have oftentmes declared, with your unanimous
consent-that the civil sovereignty OF the Holy See
counsel Of Divine Providence; and that 1t is of ne
cessity in order that the Roman Pontif may exer-
else the supreme power and authority diviney given
to him by the Lord Christ himself, OF feeding and
ruling the entire flock OF the lord with fullest


liberty, and may consult fort he greater good OF the
Church, and its interests and needs, that he shall
never be subject to any prince or civil power.


You venerable brethren, and with you the faith
full committed to your care, knowing these things
well, are justly moved, all of you, for religions
sake and for the sake of justice and OF peace, the
foundation OF all other good things, snd you have
given to the memory OF future generations the
worthy sight Of faith and love, constancy and firm
ness, on behalf OF the Church of God and in her de-
ample. But since the God of all mercies is also the
Author of these good dispositions we lift our eyes,
our hearts, our hopes to Him: increasingly beseech-
ing Him that He win increase strengthen, and con-
firm the excellent dispositions and the piey that are
earnestly exhort YOU, and the people committed to
your watchfulness, that as the contest wakes in its
heat you Will call to the Lord, with u.s. more feI-
vently and with more efusion of heart, that He
may Himself hasten the days when he will again
smile on us.


God grant, also, that the rulers of the earth
whom 1t much imports that such perncious ex-
ample of usurpaton as we endure may not take
root and flourish to the destruction OF all power and
order-may JOIN with one consent of minds and
wills, and that hushing quarrels, the disturbances
Of rebeioDs being appeased and the deadly coun-
sells Of the sects abandoned, they may unite in one
movement for restoring to this Holy See Its
rights, and with these his full serty to the visible
Head Of the Church, and the desired calm to civil
divine mercy in your prayersl and In those OF the
faithful that the hearts OF the wicked, escaping from
the blindness OF their minds, may be converted be-
fore the great and fearful day OF the Lord shall
come, or else that He, In crushing their infamous
counsels, will show how foolish they are who strive
to overthrow the rock that Christ has set and to vo
late His divine privileges On these prayers our
hrmest hopes in God are founded. "Ihlnk
dear spouse when she shall have cried out to Him
while resisting those who have been torturing
her? How will He not recognize the bone OF His
bones and the flesh OF his fesh-ay, rather In some
sense, the spirit Of His Spirit? Now, indeed, is the
hour of malice, and the power OF darkness But the
hour is the last, the power is quickly passing.
Christ Is with US, the power OF GOO and the wisdom
| OF God, and the cause Is His Have confidence,
| He has conquered the world."-St Bern. Ed.
Meantime, with great courage and sure faith, let
us follow the voice OF eternal truth, which says:
Strive for Justice for thy soul; and even to death
fight for Justice and God will overthrow thine ene-
Finally, venerable brethren, praying to God from
our heart for the richest blessings OF heavenly gifts
ON you. and the faithful, clergy and aity, com.
mitted to your care as pledge OF onr especial and
and to the our beloved Children most lovingly
| the Apostolic benediction.


Given at Rome, at st. Peters, on the 18th OF May
A. D. 1s7l-the twenty-nfth of our Pontihcate.
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