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Show ENCYCLICAL REGARDING THE GOLDEN JUBILEE ; Of the Promulgation of the Dogma of the I Immaciute Conception, aui! Granting Extraordinary Indulgence. I The Holy Fath. r has -id-Ircs,. -,J i,, ?!. bMi.m of the Catlr.lie worbi an u- . lie.-d l. tt- r regarding the golden jubilee of liie pr .11 1 111 ! 1 of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the ! Blessed .Virgin. He says, in part : ; In the eotir-e of :i few mouths tin::- will brimr-us brimr-us to the joyful day when, lil'iy years ag.-, ..or pre- : deet-ssor. Pope Pitts IX. of holy memory, surround- : ed by a large group of eardinals ami bishop-, wiMi the authority of ihe infallible .Maii-terium. pr -- j claimed and promulgated that il was revealed by' God that the Ble-se.i Virgin at the ri s-. i i:i.-l;;nt of ' her conception was free h-om aii stain of original sin. There is no one who (iocs not know wiih what disposition, with what, a display of public gratitude grati-tude and joy, the faithful lhrotighout ihe world received that proclamation: so thai truly, wiliti!: the memory of man. iheiv was ..ft". -red towards the venerable Mother of Cod and the Vicar of Jo-us Christ no testimony of good will which was more universal or of more general accord. Now. venerable vener-able brethren, have we not sound nmthe to hope, although half a century h;:s passed, that in renewing renew-ing the: remembrance of the Immaoul.ite (.(inception (.(incep-tion of the Blessed Virgin an echo, a- if were, of that holy joy will resound in our soul, and that the grand elisplays made at lhat. di.-tant day, of faith and love towards the venerable Mother of God will be repeated? Such an earnest desire is in truth iiispire'el by the d votion which we have at all times entertained towards the Ule-eel Virgin, with the deepest gratitude for her favors; and we have- an assurance of the accomplishment of eur desires in the fervorof all Catholics, ever ready and anxious to multiply proofs and testimonies of 'affection "and homage tovards the great Mother of God. But Ave do not wish to conceal the fact that our desire has. above all. been -tinutlate.l by a certain cer-tain secret instinct that we are not fsr from the fulfillment, of the great hopes with which the minds of both Pius, our predecessor, and of all the bishops bish-ops of the universe were inspired, not rashly, by thft .promulgation of the dogma of the Ininiactila'e Conception Con-ception of Mary. Neit a few are there who complain lhat up to this day these hopes have not been realized, and .they repeat the words of Jeremias: "We looked for peace and no good came ; for a time-of healing and behold fear" (Jer. viii. 15). But who is there that will not censure these as "men ef little faith." who neglect to recognize the works of Com! or to judge of them by the lirhr. of truth? In point of fae-t. who can enume rate the secret gifts of grace which, through the inteivossion ef the Virgin. God Inn bestowed on His Church throuirh all this space of time? Continuing, the Holy Father observes that Pius IX had scarcely proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception when the- Blessed Virgin commenced at Lourdes those marvelous apparitions ' which led to the erection of grand buildings in her honor, where the wonders which came to pass every . day through the intercession of .Mary were splendid splen-did arguments against the incredulity of the age. But the principal reason why the fiftieth anniver- 'sary of the proclamation .of the dogma of ihe Immaculate Im-maculate Conception ought to excite singular fer- J vor amongst Christians was what His Holiness p spoke of in his first letter the ne-cessity for the restoration of all things in Christ; for every one could see that there was no more secure, no speedier way than through fary to unite all to Christ and to obtain from Him the perfect adoption of sons, so. that we might be holy and sinless in the sight ef God. No one could doubt this who remembered ' that, she was the only one- amongst all with whom Jesus, as was fitting in the case of a son and his mother, was united by a familiar intimacy and in- ' tercourse of thirty years. 3fary. the .Mother of Christ, was also our .Mother, for we' should all bear ; in mind that Je-sus, who was the Word made: Fleh. was also the Savior of the human rae.'e. Devotion to ; the Blessed Virgin is. His Holiness says, a great means of defense against the errors and eorrup- j tions of the yiresent time and against attacks on j the Faith, and he asks that during the celebration j , of the jubilee ef the Immaculate Conception all S should pray anel beg of God through the interces- j sion of the Blessed Virgin that those who have j abandoned the truth should again embrace it. We j know by experience that such a prayer springing ; from charity and supported by the prayers of Our .Lady was never in vain. i Anel that heavenly grace may he-lp us more j abundantly than usual during this year in which ! we pay her fuller honor, to attain the imitation of the Virgin, and that tints we may more easily se- I cure our object of restoring all things in Christ, we have determined, after the- example of our pre- j (loeessjors at the beginning of their pontificates to grant to the Catholic world an extraordinary in-dulge-nce in the form of a jubilee. ! Wherefore, confiding in the -mercy of Almighty . j God ami in the authority of the Blessed Apostles ; Peter and Paul, by virtue ef that power of binding 'and. loosing, which, unworthy though we are, the Lord has given us. we do concede ami impart the ; j most plenary indulgence of all their sins to the " ( ; faithful, all and several of both sexes, dwelling in : this our lieloved city, or coming into it. who from 's the first Sunday in Lent, that is from the 21st of February.'to the Jeoond day of June, the solemnity : of the ilost Sacred Body of Christ, inclusively. ) shall three times visit one of the four patriarchal basilicas, and there for some time pray Goel for the f liberty and exaltation of the Catholic Church and Jhis apostolic see. for the extirpation of heresies -and the conversion of all who are in error, for the concord of Christian princes and the peaee and unity of all the faithful, and according to our ,'n- : tent ion; and who. within the said period,, shall fast, once, using only meagre fare, rxe-epting the days : not included in the Lenten indult: and. after eon- i fessing their sins, shall receive the most holy Sac- ; ; ramcnt of the Eucharist; and to all others, where- ? I I cvr-r llicy may be. dwc-llhifr oufle this city, who, I witbin iiie lime above mentioned or during1 ii space I f three months?, oven not continuous, to bo definire- I y :ipn:ntej by the ordinaries according to ihe I ' M convfiiiem-e of the iaithful, hut before ihe Sth day I of jVccnibor. shall three times vi.-it the cathedral I i-hurch. if There be. one, or, if not, the parish 1 church; or. in ihe rtbsence of this, the principal I church; and shall devoutly fulfill the other works ?3 above mentioned. And we do at the same time per- I mil that this indulgence which is to be gained only I nce may be npdicl in suffrage for the souls which I ! have passed from this life united in charity with ti Cxi. j ,a We do, moreover, concede that travelers by land . or sc-a may pain the &aine indulgence immediately ;j lliey return to their homes provided they perform 01 the works already noted. j'1 To confessors approved by their ref-pective or- d;i:.nies we grant faculties for commuting the j jtbuve works enjoined by us fur other works of ! pi' ly. and tiiis concession shall be applicable not only to regulars of both sexes, but to 11 others who " t-; nijOl perform the works prescribed, and wo do nuit fucuhies also to dispense from Communion ei children who have not yet been admitted to it. (i "But, we do not intend by the present letters to j' dispense from any irregularities whatsoever, or ,1 from crime or defect, public or private, contracted ii jn any manner through notoriety or other incapac- in- or inability; tir lo we intend to derogate from ' enlitution willi it accompanying declaration, " puulidiod by IJen.Mliet XIV. of happy memory, .i. winch Itegins with the words Saeramentuin poeni- 11 ic iitiae; nor is it. our intention that these present letters may, or can, in any way avail those who, by j, n- and the Apotolic See, or by any ecclesiastical n judge have been by name excommunicated, sus- !" ponded, interdicted or declared under other sen-i.n.-es or censures, or who have been publicly de- r iiouneeu.. unless they do within the allotted time v sutisfy. or. when necessary, come to an arrangement villi the parties concerned. '" To all this we are pleased to add that we eon- I cede and will that all retain during this time of I j jubilee the privilege of gaining all other indulg- I v oners, not excepting plenary indulgences, which I j lutve been granted by our predecessors or by our- I wives. 1 t We close ihose letters, venerable brethren, by I manif sting anew the great hope we earnestly cher- I 1 i-li that through this extraordinary gift of jubilee I I granted by us under the auspices of the Immacu- I i bite Virgin, large numbers of those who are un- I happily separated from Jesus Christ may return I c to him, and that love of virtue and fervor of de- I vol ion may flourish anew among the Christian peo- I i pie Fifty years ago. when Pius IX. proclaimed as I t ;m article of faith the Immaculate Conception of I 1 ihe Blessed "Mother of Christ, it seemed, as we I' 1 have already said, as if an incredible wealth of j gra-e were poured out. upon the earth; and with I 1 ihe increase of confidence in the Virgin Mother of I 1 !od, the old religious spirit of the people was 1 j everywhere greatly augmented. Is it forbidden us ! : io hope for still greater things for the future 1 True, we are passing through disastrous times, ! ' when we may well make our own the lamentation j .if the prophet: "There is no truth and no mercy ; : ;i nd no knowledge of (iod on the earth. Blasphemy I iind lying and homicide and theft and adultery ? have inundated it'' (Os. iv 1-2). Yet in the midst i , of tins deluge of evil, the Virgin Most Clement . Irises before our eyes like a rainbow, as the arbiter l of peace between God and man: "I will set my ; . bow in the clouds and it shall le the sign of a I covenant between me and between the earth" (Gen, ' j ix.. Let ihe storm rage and the suy uarKen not for lhat shall we be dismayed. "And the bpw: shall be in ihe clouds, and I shall see it and shall renu mber the everlastiug ' covenunf' (Ibid. 1G), "And there shall.no more waters of 3 flood .destroy :" tlesh" (Ibid. Oh, yes,.ifwe "trust as. we should in "Mary, now especially, when we are about i.i celebrate, with more than usual fervor, her Immaculate Im-maculate Conception, we shall recognize in her that Virgin most powerful "who with virginal foot did . rush the head of the serpent"' (Off. Immac. Cone.) I In pledge of these graces, venerable brethren, we impart, ihe Apostolic, benediction lovingly in the Lord to you and to your people. i. |