POPE LEO XIII. TO THE ITALIAN BISHOPS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIX, Issue 12, 19 December 1890, Page 27

POPE LEO XIII. TO THE ITALIAN BISHOPS.

(Special Correspondent of the Pilot.')

In an Encyclical Letter of Hie Holiness Leo XIII. to the bishops clergy, and people of Italy, the Pope sadly depicts tha present state of that conntry.

Beloved Brethren, Health and Apostolic Benediction : — From the height of this Apostolic See, where Divine Providence has placed Us to watch over the salvation of all nations, Our survey often rests upon Italy, in the bosom of which God, by a singular act of predilection, has placed the See of His Vicar, and from which, nevertheless, there come to Us at present multitudinous and deeply felt sorrows. It is not personal offences which sadden Us, nor the privations and the sacrifices which the actual condition of things imposes upon Us, nor is it the insults' and the contempt which an inßolent press has unbridled license to .launch against Us every day. If it were only a question of Our own person, and not of the universal rain, towards which We see Italy going forward, threatened in its faith, We would silently bear offences, gladieven We to repeat daily what one of Our most illustrious predecessors said of himself : "If my captivity upon this earth did not aggravate the weight of daily burdens, I would willingly be silent regarding the contempt and mockery of which lam the object." (St. Gregory the Great : Letter to the Emperor Mauritius. Regist. 5.) But without speaking of the independence and dignity of the Holy See, it is a question of religion itself and of the salvation of a whole nation, and of such a nation that from the first days opened its heart to the Catholic faith, and preserves it ever since with a jealous care. That seems incredible, and yet it is true ; We have come to this point in Italy for having to fear the loss of faith for this Italy of Ours. On several occasions We have given the alarm in order that note should ba taken of the danger, and yet We do not believe that We have done enough.

la presence of the unceasing attacks, ever increasing in ferocity, We feel more powerfully the voice of duty which urges Us to speak again to you, Venerable Brothers, to your clergy and to the ItaliaD people. As the enemy makes no trues, so it is not fitting that either We or you be silent and inactive, aa by the Divine grace We were constituted guardians and defenders of the religion of the people confided to Our charge, the pastors and vigilant sentinels of the flock of Christ, for which We should be ready ,if needed were, to sacrifice all, even Our life.

We will not say new things, for the facts, such as they hav e occurred, do not change ; and of these We have had to speak on other occasions, according aa toe opportunities arose. But here We propose to recapitulate these facts, to group them as in one single picture, and to draw from them for the common instruction the consequences derived from them. These are undisputed facts, which have happened in the tull light of day ; not isolated, but connected amongst themselves in such a way tbat, in their tot ihty, they reveal with evidence a whole system of which they are but the apr. lication and the development. The system is not new, but what is new is the audacity, the fury, the rapidity with which it is n>w applied. It is the plan of the sees which is n>w unfolded \a Italy, especially in that which touches the Church and tne Cathjlic religion; wicti the final and n >toriouß aim of reducing it, it taat were possible, to iiithtngneis. Now it is superfluous to draw up the indictment of the sects which declare themselves Maso lie ; judgmsnt has been passed upon them already; their aims, means, doctrines, actions, all is known with indisputable certainty.

Aaimated by the spirit of Satan, whose instrument they are, they are cornumud, like their inspirar with a mortal and implacable hatred against Jesus Corist and His work, and they do their utmost to overthrow or enchain it. Tbis war at present is waged in Italy more than elsewhere,— in Italy where the Catholic religion has laid the deepest roots, and especially in Rome, where is the centre of C*iholic unity and the See of the universal Pastor and Master of the Church.

It is advantageous to trace the various phases of this war from its origin. It began with the destruction, under a political guise, of the civil principality of the Popes ; but the fall of this, in the secret intentions of the real chiefs, — afterwards openly declared,— should serve to destroy, or at least to hold in servitude, the supreme spiritual power of the Roman Pontiffs. And in order that no doubt should remain upon the real scope they aiaaeril at, immediately came the suppression of the religious orders, which greatly reduced the number of evangelical labourers for the sacred ministry and for the assistance of ihe faithful, as likewise for the propagation of the faith amongst infidels. Later they desired likewise that to .clerics should be exteuded the obligation of military service, with the necessary consequence of grave and multitudinous obstacles placed to the recruiting and to the suitable formation of the secular clergy. They put their hands upon the ecclesiastical patrimony, confiscating absolutely part of it, and burdening part of it witb the most enormous charges, in order to impoverish the clergy and the Church, and to deprive the latter of the means of which it had need in this world to live aad to promote institutions and works iv aid of its divine Apostolate. The sectaries themselves have openly declared : " Todiminisb the influence of the clergy and of the clerical associations, one sole efficacious means is to be employed ; to despoil them of all their possessions and to reduce them to complete poverty."

On the other band, the action of the State by itself is wholly directed to cancel the imprint of religion and Christianity from the

nation ; from the laws, and from all that is official life, every religious idea and inspiration is systematically banned, when it is not directly antagonised ; the public manifestations of Catholic faith and piety are either prohibited, or under vain pretexts hampered in a thousand ways. The family is deprived of its foundation and its religious constitution by proclaiming what they call " civil matrimony," and by the instruction which they require shall be altogether secular, from the primary elements even to the higher instruction of the Universities ; so that the new generations, so far as depends on the State, are, as it were, obliged to grow up without any idea of religion, wholly devoid of the first and essential notions of

their duties towards God. This is putting the axe to the root, nor can there be imagined a meaoß more univereal and more effective to withdraw society, the family and individuals from the influence of the Church and of the faith. "By all manner of means sap clericalism Cor Catholicity) in its foundations, and in the very sources of its life, that is, in the school and in the family," is the authentic declaration of Masonic writers. It will be said that this happens not alone in Italy, but that it is a system of government to which States are generally conforming. We reply that this doeß not destroy, but rather confirms what we say of the intentions and of the actionß of Masonry in Italy. Yes this system is adopted and put in practice wherever Freemasonry exercises its impious action, and as this sect is widely spread, hence it follows that the anti- Christian system also is very largely applied.

But its application is more rapid and more general, and is pushed more to extremes in those countries whose governments are more under the action of the sect and promote its interests more. And, by evil fortune, in the number of these countries is at present new Italy. It is not a thing of to-day that it is subject to the impious, maleficent influence of the sects ; but for some time past these having become absolutely dominant and most powerful, tyrannise over it at will. Here the direction of public affairs, in that which concerns religion, is wholly conformable to the aspirations of the Beds; which for their carrying- jut, find in the depositoiiea of the public powers declared abetors and docile instrument. The laws adverse to the Church and the measures offensive to it are first proposed, decreed, and resolved in the bosom of the assemblies of ihe

sects ; and it is sufficient tnat anything whatsoever may have a sort of appearence, though distant, of bringing scorj or evil to tue Church, to see it forthwith favoured and promoted. Amongst the most recent facts we will recall to mind the approval of the new Penal Code ; in which that which they desired with the greatest tenacity, notwithstanding all reasons to the contrary, was the adoption < f the articles againßt the clergy, which constitute for that body as it were, an exceptional law, and they go s j far as to consider as criminal some acts which are for it mo^t sacred duties of the ministry. The law upon the opere pie (charitable institutions), by wnich the whole patrimony of charity, accumulated by the piety and by the religion of our ancestors in the shadow and under tbe tutelage of the Church, has been withdrawn from all its action and interference ; that law had been already, during many years, promoted in the meetings of the sect,!jußt because itshould iuflict a new injury on the Cburch, diminish her social influence, and suppress at one blow a great quantity of bequests for purposes of worship. To this is

added the eminently sectarian work, that is, the erection of the monument to the notorious apostate of Nol-i, promo'ed, determined on and carried out by the assistance and the favour of the ruling authorities of Freemasonry, which by the very mouth of the most authoritative interpreters ot the thought of the sect, did not blush to confess its aim and declare its significance. The scope was to scorn the Papacy the significance is that it is now desired to substitute for the Catholic faith the most absolute liberty of examination, of criticism, of thought and of conscience ; and it is well known what such language means in the mouths of the sectaries. And the seal was put upou it by more explicit declarations publicly made by him who is the head of the Government ; declarations which sound exactly thus : The real and true struggle, which the Government has the merit of having comprehended, is the struggle between faith and toe Church on the one side, free examination anl reason on the other. Let tbe Chnrch seek to react, to enchain again reason and liberty of thought and to conquer. As to the Government, in the struggle, it declares openly in favour of reason against faith, and it attributes to itself the task of acting so that the Italian State may be the evident expression of this reason and liberty — a sad task, which inaa analagous occasion we lately heard audaciously reasserted. By the light of such facts and of such declarations, it is more than ever evident that the muster idea which presides over the maich of public affairs in Italy is, in what concerns religion, the putting into execution of the Masonic programme. We see what part of the programme has been already realised ; it is known what still remains to be executed, and We mayforos^e wih certainty that, es long as the destinies of Italy will be in the hands of sectarian rulers, or dependent on the sects, its execution will be pushed forward more or less rapidly, according to circumstances, even to Ub fullest development. Their action now is directed to reach the following aims, according to the vows and the resolutions taken in their most authoritative assemblies — vows a id resolutions all inspired with hate to the death against the Church :— " Abolition iv the schools of any religious instruction wh usoever, and the founding of institutions in whicQ ai&o female you h may be withdrawn from every clerical lntiueuce, of wbatt-oever sort it may be ; since the State, which should be absolutely atheistic, has the inalienable right and duty of forming the heart and mind of the citizens, and no school should be withdrawn either from its inspiration or its vigilance. Rigorous application of all the laws io vigour directed to insure absolute independence of civil society from clerical influences. Rigorous observance ot the ldws wmck suppress the religious corporations and ut-e of all means to render thtm effective. Systemaiisation of all the ecclesiastical patrimony, starting from tbe principil that the proprietorship of it belongs to the State and the administration of it to the civil powers. Exclusion of eveiy Catholic or clerical element from all public administrations, from the opere pie, from hospitals, from schools, from councils ia which they

might prepare the destinies of the country, from accademiaa, circles, associations, committas, families ; exclusion from all, everywhere, for always. Instead, the Masonic influence should make itself felt in all the circumstances of social life, and become mistress and arbitress of all. With this, tbe way will be smoothed for the abolition of the Papacy; thus Italy will be freed from her implacable and mortal enemy, and Rome, which was in the past the centre of universal secularisation, whence should be proclaimed in the face of the whole world tbe Magna Charta of human liberty." These are so many authentic declarations, aspirations, and resolutions of Freemasons or of their assemblies.

Without at all exaggerating, this is the present and the future state which is being provided for religion in Italy. To dissimulate the gravity of it would be a fatal error. To recognise it such as it is, and to confront it with evangelical prudence and fortitude, to deduce the duties from it which it imposes on all Catholics, and on Us especially, who as pastors should watch over them and conduct them to salvation, is to enter into the designs of Providence, and to fulfil a work of pastoral wisdom and zaal. For what regards Us, the Apostolic Office imposes on Us, to protest again loudly against all that has been done to the prejudice of religion, is done, or is attempted to be done, in Italy ; defenders and guardians as We are of the sacred rights of the Church and of the Pontificate, opealy We repel, and to all the Catholic world W« denounce, th* offences which the Church and the Pontificate receive continuously, especially in Rome, and which render the Government of Catholicity more difficult to Us, and more heavy and unbecoming Our condition. For the rest We are firmly resolved to omit nothing on Our part which may avail to maintain the fnith alive and vigorous ia the midst of the Italian people, and to protect it against the assaalts of enemies.

We therefore also make appeal, Venerable Brothers, to your zeal find your love for souls, in order that, comprehending the gravity of the danger they run, you may prepare tbe remedies, and put everything in operation to ward them off. No means in Oar power is to be neglected ; all the resources of speech. all the industries of action, all the immense treasure of assistance and of graces which the Church places in Oar hands, are to be employed for the formation of a clergy instructed and filled with the spirit of Jesus Christ ; for the Christian education of youth, for the extirpation of evil doctrines, for the defence of Catholic truths, for the preservation of the Christian character and spirit in families.

As to tbe Oatholic people, it ia necessary, before all, that they may be instructed in the true state of aff iirs ia Italy in the matter of religion, of the tendency, essentially religious, which the struggle against the Pontiff has in Italy, and of the true scope it constantly aims at, in order that they may see with the cvi ience of facts iv how many ways snares are held out iv a religious point of view, and that they may be persuaded of the dangers they run of being despoiled of the inestimable treasure of faith. Being convinced of tins truth, aud sure, besides, that without faith it is impossible to please God and to Sdve themselves, the faitnful will understand that it is a question of the greatest, not to say of sole interest, that each has the duty of guaranteeing here below, and putting in security before all, at the price of any sacrifice, under pain of incurring eternal misery. The remainder of the Encyclical deals chiefly with the moral duties of Italians under the circumstances referred to by Leo XIII. P. L. (JONNELLA.N.