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of ourselves as a Catholic COMMUNITY. We are such, if we would but own it. We are in the world, but not of it; and, saving that charity which knows no geographical boundaries, or distinctions of race or creed, we should seek, as far as possible, to concentre our interests and affections, our hopes and aspirations, our joys and our sorrows, within our own cherished Catholic community. Taking care, in relation to those without, to discharge all our duties as good citizens, kind neighbours, and faithful servants, we should regard ourselves as forming a commonwealth of our own, in which we live according to our own laws and usages. We are such a commonwealth, and the closer we draw its bonds, the better for us, the better for all. This accepted, we should have a public and a public opinion of our own, and our children would find a home at home, and soon come to restrict their aspirations to such rewards and honors as are in the gift of their own, their Catholic countrymen.

The world around us, no doubt, at first will rage or sneer at this ; but no matter. Take care to give them no just cause of complaint, and then heed them not. We are and must be, in some sort, a people apart, with our own aims, hopes, duties, and affections. Let us be so ; let us love and honor the meanest of our brethren beyond the most distinguished among the heretics ; cherish each other, aid and assist, protect and desend, each other as our religion commands; and soon the world without will look on in admiration. Seeing how closely we are knit together in the bonds of unity, and how we love one another, they will knock at our door for admission, and, with tears and entreaties, beg to be naturalized in our republic, to live under our laws, and to share the freedom, peace, and prosperity of our institutions.

Let all who undertake to write for us look to this desirable result, and write with a deep and tender love, not only for Catholicity, but for Catholics, and because they are Catholics ; and their works will have a salutary influence in checking the evils to which we are exposed. They will then write as Catholics for Catholics ; and our youth, if they read, will see and feel that not the clergy only, but all good Catholics, take an interest in them, and are willing to cast their lot in with theirs. The attention of the faithful will be turned more and more in upon themselves, and the work of our own conversion and progress will be accelerated ; and just in proportion as we ourselves are what we should be, the work of conversion will

go on without. Let the faithful only be good Catholics, obedient to their dear Mother, and attentive to their duties, and they will merit blessings not only for themselves, but for others. God will then hear and answer their prayers for the conversion of their Protestant friends ; and before they are aware of it, they will find the whole country is Catholic, that throughout its whole extent the Cross is planted, the choral chant is heard, the “clean sacrifice” daily offered, and the whole population, as it were, drawing near in faith and humility to receive the Bread of Life.

This glorious consummation, under God and the intercession of his Holy Mother, is undoubtedly to be brought about chiefly by the ministry of those whom the Holy Ghost has placed over us to govern and to feed us ; but we who are laymen, and write for the public, may, working in submission to them, with warm hearts, and fervent zeal, and strong faith, and ardent charity, in our humble degree contribute something towards it, - at least, we can pray for it, strive for it, and avoid doing any thing to retard it. But we almost feel that in what we have said we have exceeded the province of the layman, especially one who but yesterday was himself in the ranks of the enemies of the Church, and who is not worthy of the least consideration among the faithful ; but if so, may God and our brethren forgive us.

ART. V. - Sanctissimi Domini nostri Pii Divina Providentia

Papæ IX. Epistola Encyclica ad omnes Patriarchas, Primates, Archiepiscopos, et Episcopos. Romæ. Typis Rey. Cam. A post. apud Salvivecios. 1946.

We copy below the Encyclical Letter of our Holy Father, Pope Pius IX. We have no room for comments, and should not offer any if we had. In it God speaks to us by his Vicegerent on earth, and it is ours to listen, believe, and obey. We cannot, however, forbear remarking, that whoever would wish to understand what are the precise evils of the day, against which the Church and all the faithful are to struggle, will find them all here clearly enumerated and distinctly characterized. It leaves us at no loss as to what are the dangerous tendencies we are to struggle against, or under what forms and disguises the Enemy of souls now makes his appearance to seduce us from our love and fidelity to the Immaculate Spouse of NEW SERIES. VOL. 1. NO. II.

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God. Truly does St. Peter continue to watch over the flock, and to feed the sheep and the lambs of his Master.

PIVS PP. IX. Venerabiles Fratres, Salutem et Apostolicam Benedictionem.

Qui pluribus jam abhinc annis una Vobiscum, Venerabiles Fratres, episcopale munus plenum laboris, plenum sollicitudinis pro viribus obire, ac Dominici gregis partem curæ Nostræ commissam pascere nitebamur in montibus Israel, in rivis et pascuis uberrimis, ecce ob mortem clarissimi Prædecessoris Nostri Gregorii XVI., cujus certe memoriam, atque illustria et gloriosa facta aureis notis inscripta in Ecclesiæ fastis semper admirabitur posteritas, præter omnem opinionem cogitationemque Nostram, arcano divinæ Providentiæ consilio, ad Summum Pontificatum, non sine maxima aniini Nostri perturbatione ac trepidatione, evecti fuimus. Etenim si semper grave admodum et periculosum Apostolici ministerii onus merito est habitum atque habendum, bisce quidem difficillimis christianæ reipublicæ temporibus vel maxime formidandum. Itaque infirmitatis Nostræ probe conscii, et gravissima supremi Apostolatus officia, in tanta præsertim rerum vicissitudine, considerantes, tristitia et lacrimis Nos plane tradidissemus, nisi omnem spem poneremus in Deo salutari Nostro, qui numquamn derelinquit sperantes in Eo, quique, ut potentiæ suæ viriutem ostendat, ad suam regendam Ecclesiam infirmiora identidem adhibet, quo magis magisque omnes cognoscant Deum ipsum esse, qui Ecclesiam admirabili sua providentia gubernat atque tuetur. Illa etiam consolatio Nos vehementer sustentat, quod in animarum salute procuranda Vos socios et adjutores habeamus, Venerabiles Fratres, qui in sollicitudinis Nostræ partem vocati, omni cura et studio ministerium vestrum implere, ac bonum certamen certare contenditis. Hinc ubi primum in sublimi bac Principis A postolorum Cathedra, licet immerentes, collocati in persona Beati Petri gravissimum munus ab ipso æterno Pastorum Principe divinitus tributum accepimus pascendi ac regendi non solum agnos, universum scilicet Christianum populum, verum etiam oves, hoc est Antistites, nihil certe Nobis potius, nihil optabilius fuit, quam ut intimo caritatis affectu Vos omnes alloqueremur. Quamobrem vix dum ex more institutoque Decessorum Nostrorum in Nostra Lateranensi Basilica Summi Pontificatus possessionem suscepimus, nulla interposita mora has ad Vos Litteras damus, ut eximiam vestram excitemus pietatem, quo majore usque alacritate, vigilantia, contentione custo

dientes vigilias noctis super gregem curæ vestræ commissum, atque episcopali robore et constantia adversus teterrimum humani generis hostem dimicantes, veluti boni milites Christi Jesu, strenue opponatis murum pro Domo Israel.

Neminem vestrum latet, Venerabiles Fratres, hac nostra deplorenda ætate acerrimum ac formidolosissimum contra catholicam rem universam bellum ab iis hominibus confiari, qui nefaria inter se societate conjuncti, sanam non sustinentes doctrinam, atque a veritate auditum avertentes, omnigena opinionum portenta tenebris eruere, ea que totis viribus exaggerare, atque in vulgus prodere et disseminare contendunt. Horrescimus quidem animo et acerbissimo dolore conficimur, cum omnia errorum monstra, et varias multiplicesque nocendi artes, insidias, machinationes mente recogitamus, quibus hi veritatis et lucis osores, et peritissimi fraudis artifices omne pietatis, justitiæ, honestatis studium in omnium animis restinguere, mores corrumpere, jura quæque divina et humana perturbare, catholicam religionem, civilemque societatem convellere, labefactare, immo, si fieri umquam posset, funditus evertere commoliuntur. Noscitis enim, Venerabiles Fratres, hos infensissimos christiani

V nominis hostes, cæco quodam insanientis impietatis impetu misere raptos, eo opinandi temeritate progredi, ut inaudita prorsus audacia aperientes os suum in blasphemias ad Deum * palam publiceque edocere non erubescant, commentitia esse, et hominum inventa sacrosancta nostræ religionis mysteria, catholicæ Ecclesiæ doctrinam humanæ societatis bono et commodis adversari, ac vel ipsum Christum et Deum ejurare non extimescant. Et quo facilius populis illudant, atque incautos præsertim et imperitos decipiant, et in errores secum abripiant, sibi unis prosperitatis vias notas esse comminiscuntur, sibique philosophorum nomen arrogare non dubitant, perinde quasi philosophia, quæ tota in naturæ veritate investiganda versatur, ea respuere debeat, quæ supremus et clementissimus ipse totius naturæ auctor Deus singulari beneficio et misericordia hominibus manifestare est dignatus, ut veram ipsi felicitatem et salutem assequantur. Hinc præpostero sane et fallacissimo argumentandi genere numquam desinụnt humanæ rationis vim, et excellentiam appellare, extollere contra sanctissimam Christi fidem, atque audacissime blaterant, earn humanæ refragari rationi. Quo certe nihil dementius, nihil magis impium, nihil contra ipsam rationem magis repugnans fingi, vel excogitari potest. Et si

* A pocalyp. xiii. 6.

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enim fides sit supra rationem, nulla tamen vera dissensio, nullumque dissidium inter ipsas inveniri umquam potest, cum ambæ ab uno eodemque immutabilis æternæque veritatis fonte Deo Optimo Maximo oriantur, atque ita sibi mutuam opem ferant, ut recta ratio fidei veritatem demonstret, tueatur, defendat ; fides vero rationem ab omnibus erroribus liberet, eamque

divinarum rerum cognitione mirifice illustret, confirmet atque perficiat. Neque minori certe fallacia, Venerabiles Fratres, isti divinæ revelationis inimici humanum progressum summis laudibus efferentes, in catholicam religionem temerario plane, ac sacrilego ausu illum inducere vellent, perinde ac si ipsa religio non Dei, sed hominum opus esset, aut philosophicum aliquod inventum, quod humanis modis perfici queat. In istos tam misere delirantes percommode quidem cadit, quod Tertullianus sui temporis philosophis merito exprobrabat : Qui Stoicum, et Platonicum, et Dialecticum Christianismum protulerunt.* Et sane cum sanctissima nostra religio non ab humana ratione fuerit inventa, sed à Deo hominibus clementissime patefacta, tum quisque vel facile intelligit, religionem ipsam ex ejusdem Dei loquentis auctoriate omnem suam vim acquirere, neque ab humana ratione deduci aut perfici umquam posse. Humana quidem ratio, ne in tanti momenti negotio decipiatur et erret, divinæ revelationis factum diligenter inquirat oportet, ut certo sibi constet Deum esse loquutum, ac Eidem, quemadmodum sapientissime docet Apostolus, rationabile obsequium exhibeat. Quis enim ignorat, vel ignorare potest omnem Deo loquenti fidem esse habendam, nihilque rationi ipsi magis consentaneum esse, quam iis acquiescere firmiterque adhærere, quæ à Deo qui nec falli nec fallere potest, revelata esse constiterit ?

Sed quam multa, quam mira, quam splendida præsto sunt argumenta, quibus humana ratio luculentissime evinci omnino debet, divinam esse Christi religionem, et omne dogmatum nostrorum principium radicem desuper ex cælorum Domino accepisse, I ac propterea nihil fide nostra certius, nihil securius, nihil sanctius extare, et quod firmioribus innitatur principiis. Hæc silicet fides, vitæ magistra, salutis index, vitiorum omnium expultrix, ac virtutum fecunda parens et altrix, divini sui auctoris et consummatoris Christi Jesu nativitate, vita, morte, resurrectione, sapientia, prodigiis, vaticinationibus confirmata,

* Tertull. de Præscript., cap. VIII.
# S. Joan. Chrysost. Homil. I. in Isai.

† Ad Rom. xiii. 1.

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