PAPAL ENCYCLICAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1054, 18 February 1911, Page 9

PAPAL ENCYCLICAL.

v ■ . : ■- . - • ■ ... , | REUNION OF-THE CHURCHES.An Encyclical Letter of his Holiness ,I'ope-Pitts X on the reunion, of the Cliurelies • M"ns" L pjibliehcd; on - January 2 iu"' the Romano." ' It is addressed to the ■ Eastern- Patriarchs of tho 1 Copic,'. Syrian, , Maronite, f Greek; Melchite, Chaldean, and Armenian rites, of Turkoy, Egypt, Mesopotamia, • and Persia. The Holy/Father gives at considerablo length tlio history <of the efforts, made Tjy tho Roman.Pontiffs to bring about religious: unity between East and' West:' The supremo head of the Catholic Church, despite the gravest difficulties, had never ceased, to devote a part of his activity to tho work of enlightening the separated Christians and endeavouring to realise the promiso of Christ, "Fiat., unum. ovile." Then, alluding to! Prince'Max!s article, hisHoliness says : '..'Whilst •wo wero considering'these'' subjects;seriou3 paiii: was given to us. by the appearanco of a certain! art-iclo !in the review, • 'Romo and the East,' under tho titlo 'Thoughts on the Union of the Churches.' The contribution was so full of errors, not only theological but . historical, that nover did any-ono before accumulate such a large, number, in- such, a few pages."' , The, Holy Father gives further expression to tho sorrow ho felt'on read-, ing tho articlo and then, refutes .tho principal affirmations' it contains. Ho deals particularly with tlirce points: tho dogma of the Holy Spirit, that of tlio Immacitlato Conception, and also that of the' Eucharist; upon ; which Princo'Max touched. After having'reaffirmed'.tlio traditional truth as to tho primitive constitution in - tlio' Church', a: matter as to which the article ' is gravely in error, his Holiness asks tho Oriental Bishops t-o-prevent, statements "so false, so rash,v'so' contrary to tho Catholip- faithj" from- being' circulated amongst,"tho.' peoples of: tho East. It is,' ho points out, intact tho essential doctrines of tho f Roman VClinrch that the; desired union can be effected.- '..-y,:.v- ;

' In.concluding, .liis' Holiness'says ho is very gin d to bis ablo 'to announce; that the author lias retracted his errors. In proseneo of tlio Sovereign Pontiff ho declared • that he adhered . in all sincerity and from, his heart to tlio present Encyclical, showing that ho was ready to condemn and reprobato everything in tlio article contrary .'to ~ tho doctrino profossed by tho Church..