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Show ( j ; ' American Hierarchy ' Congratulates Leo . 1 J Cardinal Gibbons Sends Message of Love, Loyalty and Affection to the Prisoner of the Vatican Greetings I Appreciated Leo Gives Praise to America. )i : Translated for the Freeman's Journal.) ; i TIk- following adress has been sent A by the ont're hierarhy of the United pi i;it's to his holiness on the occasion; l i .t" his pontifical jubilee. Tt has boon . i puhlis-hed in the original Latin text by ; s!;e s: ervatore Romano in oonsidera-l oonsidera-l t; ;i of the lofty position which the ; ; Vnif-d States of America l; iids among i I x',u nations: Mn?t Holy Father Let this letter be j an ,iir,'le testimony of the joy with i , whi h we ha ve hailed the auspicious J (1 ;y whi'-h has inaugurated the twenty-, twenty-, 5 Jifth yar of your pontificate. For, as .; t! church of Christ rejoiced when you 1 j bi . amc pilot of the bark of Peter, so : ili'i-s she rejoice today while the helm is still in your hands, for she knows ! tl..t you have always steered a safe ursi- through the many storms that i 5i::v. risen on all sides. Wherefore, j V ni'iSt holy father, we, too, your most : ol'tilicnt sons, rejoice, return thanks I .nil congratulate you on this truly ' I ,' wonderful event, almost unique in tha j hi:d"ry nf the long line of pontiffs. ; ; Kvery nne of us, the bishops of the i I'ritetJ States of North America, re- ; juli-e: and the clergy of both orders, to-P'tIit to-P'tIit with the flecks entrusted to us. ' share in our erladness. We thank Cod I for this great gift of his divine bounty ' conferred' only on you and one or two i othets of the long line of the succes-.5 succes-.5 nt? of the blessed Peter. .We con-1 con-1 tratulate you on having, by all your I labors for the church, brought glory to CM. salvation to the faithful and won 1c yourself a brighter crown and one -hich will never fade. ; Till- NEW SPLENDOR ADDED TO I THE CHURCH OF CHRIST BY ! LEO XIII. ; Kut t cannot consent to stop at the j .'.pression of these sentiments. For it J is fitting that sons should commemor- ;i father's glorious and illustrious ! (i'"is which have added with the flight ff years new splendor to the church of h'ist. Since you have worn the triplo , criv.n you have most worthily fulfilled f yt;r triple function as Victar of Christ, I the supreme king, master and priest. I Fir you. wisest of kings, have extended ; the kingdom of Christ on earth com-;i com-;i ir.ined to you, and brought it un- K.iithed through all the assaults that I l:;jv- heen made upon it; you, guardian n;nt faithful of unity, barkening to the j D-!nion;tion of Christ, have confirmed I your brethren and have left no means I untried to bring schismatics to due J fuli.i. rtion and heretics to the center of ' ..iholio truth: you. illustrious defend- fr of liberty, have b?rne aid to every In.li visual church when racked with ; tempests in your supreme desire to br,-e the- public powers recognize the i::;!n of the Cathoik- religion to be pro- I P'ated all over the world; you, ardent j low;- of peace, have striven amain that h.'.inony between pastors and their flu, l-u Ti ith thp beln of Gor. be 1 in :i jitained safe, tranquil, undefiled. That zeal for peace which shines out in you. together with an equal love for ju-iic.. has had such influence on the I nin-ls of the most potent rulers that tlK-y have not hesitated to select you fcs .mi arbiter of their rights and cn-in;:-tM to your verdict the solution of puted questions. And you have wil-linplv wil-linplv undertaken this noblest of tasks, I pr, : brought it to a happy termination v-i;h marvelous prudence and to the ompiote satisfaction of the contend-parties. contend-parties. THE POPE'S WISE TEACHINGS. No,- have vou been v.nminuful. most l"iv father, of that other charge which l ;is Pern laid upon you hy him, who. 'opst;tuted bv God as king over Sion, V.l- ho'v mountain, was at the same 1 the true fight that enliffhteneth --:v man that c-ometh into this world vou have done service by teach-: teach-: as well as by ruling: and would -i all those whom you have labored .tistru.-t in the. words of life had lent ' i ' il. ear to the voice of such a t .oher. For there is not a single er-J er-J threatening the welfare and the 1 1 .0 of modern society which' you 1 - . e not striven to root out by your j v is.- teaching; there is no truth-mak- , i -.j t"or the salvation of souls in our j which you have not inculcated to j '.uipht to the people from the pul- ; 1 : Your salutary guidance has been . . pl.iudcd bv all the faithful who have ! ived from you those principles; h so provide for human liberty: ; f" the sanctity and perpetuity of j !-istian marriage, for the t-ecure con-s'it'itinn con-s'it'itinn of states, that the individual : i.t of all are preserved inviolate. N-.v. even those out of union with the j Ionian se; have bestowed praise upon yo.i for these great documents of in-lt' in-lt' u'-tion. Then again, as vicar of the supreme ! st. yr.u have entered heart and eoul "i the lask of promoting divine wort-hip with zeal, and, by fostering piety in Hi" sacred ministers and increasing devotion of the faithful, of reveal-to reveal-to all the efficacious sanctity of the church. 1 or through vou the salutary devo-to devo-to the sacred heart has been ;-iead the most fruitful practice of rosarv has been sedulously pro-riotr-fl the" confidence of all, especially "r the working classes and those whom ihe poverty of Christ has glorified by fti-its. has been stimulated in the pat-rotiHge pat-rotiHge of the blessed Joseph, "ttithal ou have not only the supreme kind-v: kind-v: -s provided for the necessities and the advantages of the religious fami-3 fami-3 - s who follow the evangelical roun-and roun-and commended to all the faith-t"I faith-t"I for the increase of Christian per--r- tion the third order of St. Francis, 'he allcient laws of which have now l"-en wisely adapted to modern standards stand-ards of life but vou have also held up an oxamp'e to every Christian fam-iiy fam-iiy tho holy 'family of Nazareth, and hve confirmed devotion to it and imi tation of it by the sanction of your supreme authority. BENEFITS CONFERRED ON THE CHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES. These are absurdly striking evidences of your solicitude in ruling, teaching and sanctifying the church of Christ. But it is eminently fitting that those ' who have been honored with special tokens of your benevolence should call to .mind the proofs 'of your marked-paternal marked-paternal goodness to them, and to return re-turn heartfelt thanks for the benefits they have heceived at your hands. In truth, of all the main offices included in the solicitude of the supreme pastor, it would be difficult to find a single one which you have not exercised to j the especial and notable advantage of ' this American church. At the very beginning of your pontificate yor, turned your eyes to this part of the flock which has been entrusted to your keeping, and after a few years you convoked by your authority the plenary plen-ary council of Baltimore, and devoted all care and thought to the promotion of the welfare of this entire country. This council, from which we are still ( deriving happy and most abundant fruit, had scarcely been summoned when you graciously acceded to the . wishes of the bishops by confirming ; with a legal constitution the urban i college, already founded by your dis-! dis-! tinguished predecessor, Pius IX, for j the formation of youths of this repub-I repub-I lie for the sacred ministry. Tou deigned to bestow canonical sanctions sanc-tions upon it, to distinguish it with the name and title of pontifical, and to enrich it with all the prerogatives and privileges of pontifical colleges. JUORT PROOFS OF LEO'S SOLICITUDE SOLICI-TUDE FOR AMERICA. These were but the beginning of the benefits you have conefrred upon us. We will never forget the kindness with which vou received our plan for the founding in the heart of this republic ' of a Catholic university. For. Most j Holy Father, nobody questions that the I great center of study, founded several ! years ago at Wasington, is mainly your work. Without your approval and encouragement en-couragement we would never have put our hands to the task; and we knew that it never could have achieved completion com-pletion were it not for your sanction, and for your bestowal of the rights of a university. Besides al lthls, we must record still another proof of your beneveolence in , the annals of the American church. For, when vou heard that we were ! about to celebrate the centenary of the j establishment of the hierarchy in the Untied States of North America, you j sent letters of congratulation, in which you once more showed your special i "love for the bishops and the faithful. ' Nor was it strange that you should have been greatly rejoiced at those ! centenary celebrations after all you i have done for the increase of the hier-! hier-! a w.hu hsm Fnr nf the fourteen nrov- 1 inces, with their sixty-nine dioceses, I into which the church of the United States of North America is today dis-i dis-i tributed in hierarchical order, three i metropolitan sees and not less than i twentv-four episcopal sees glory in l having you, Most Holy Father, as .their founder. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE APOSTOLIC APOS-TOLIC DELEGATION AT WASH- t IXGTON. Yet not even here do the manifesta- 1 tions of your paternal love for us stop, j For among others there is one which cannot be passed by in silence I mean the establishment of the American le- j gation. You yourself have more than j once enlightened us as to the import- ance of this, giving many reasons why the presence of an apostolic delegate j i ; to be regarded as a proof of your af- fection for us.' But if the institution of this delegation has in a sense crown-I crown-I e i the edifice of ecclesiastical ministra- , tion, it has not, however, put a term to . your benefits to us. For we think it worthy of mention that even after the institution of the apostolic delegation, : vour holiness has been pleased to ad- 1 dress us by letter time and again, and ! iii that wav to aid us in those matters j which you have so often ppnroved. ' As we ponder on these and other such tnoiights, we see ciearly. Most Holy F.-aher. that it is not enough for us merely to call to mind all the benefits 1 we have received from you. but that we j must show our gratitude in deeds, rather than in words. We pray Your Hoiliness to accept this manifestation of our filial love and deenet veneration, which we declare to be in the name of all the faithful of j .i.:.. Tn maintain unity maone I ourselves unimpaired, to defend the right of the Apostolic See, to profess the truth of the Catholic faith for this we strive for this we shall strive to the i shedding of our blood. Such. Most Holy Father, are the sentiments we would express to you in our joy and in token rf our filial" devotion and our due reverence, rev-erence, while we pray the divine maj- : city to preserve and prosper you and tc. keep you to the years of Peter and ' bevond as the good father of the Christian Chris-tian family, bringing forth from the j treasury of the supreme primacy new things and old for your children, j J. CARDINAL GIBBONS, j In his own name and in that of all the Archbishops and Bishops of the Unit-I Unit-I ed States. j Baltimore, March 3. 1902. i POPE LEO'S RESPONSE TO THE ! AMERICAN BISHOPS. To our Beloved Son James, of the title of Santa Maria in Trastevere Cardinal Cardi-nal Priest of the Holy Roman Church, Gibbons, and to the other Archbishops and Bishops of the United States of America: Beloved Son and Venerable Brothers, Broth-ers, Health and Benediction Certainly 1 we have reason to rejoice, and the 1 j Catholic w-orld, through reverence for 1 the apostolic see, has reason to rejoice at the extraordinary fact that Ave are to be reckoned as the third in the I long line of Roman pontiffs to whom it I has been happily given to enter upon ; the twenty-fifth year of the supreme ! priesthood. But in this circle of con- gratulations, while the voices of all are j welcome to us, that of the bishops and ! faithful of the United States of North America bring us special joy, both on account of the prominent merit of your country and of the special love we entertain en-tertain for you. You have been pleased, beloved son and venerable brothers, in your joint letter to us to mention in detail what we have done for your churches prompted by charity, during the course of our pontificate. We. on the other hand, ar glad to call to mind the many and various ways in .which you have ministered to our consolation throughout through-out this period. If we found pleasure in the state of things which prevailed among you when we first entered upon the charge of the supreme apostolate, j now that we have advanced beyond J twenty-four years in the same charge, we are constrained to confess that our I first pleasure has never been dimin-j dimin-j ished, but, on the contrary, has in-! in-! creased from day to day by reason of the increase of Catholicity among you. The cause of this increase, although first of all to be attributed to the providence prov-idence of God, must also be ascribed to your energy and activity, You have, in your prudent policy, promoted every kind of Catholic organizations with i such wisdom as to provide for all ne- cessities and all contingencies, in 'har-1 'har-1 mony with the remarkable character of t the people of your country. THE WONDERFUL PROGRRESS OF CATHOLICITY IX AMERICA. Your chief praise is that you have promoted and sedulously continue to foster the union of your churches with this chief of churches and with the vicar of Christ on earth. Herein, as you rightly confess, is the apex and center of government, teaching ani priesthood; the source of that unity which Christ destined for his chureb, and which is one of the most powerful notes distinguishing it from all human sects. The fruitful exercise of this government gov-ernment and teaching has never been left wanting to any nation by us, and we have never permitted that you or your people should suffer the lack of it. For we have gladly availed ourself of every opportunity to testify the constancy con-stancy of our solicitude for you and for the interests of religion among you. And our daily experience obliges us to confess that we have found your people, peo-ple, through your Influence, endowed with perfect docility of mind and alac-lity alac-lity of heart. Therefore, while the changes and the tendencies of nearly all the nations which have for long ages been in possession of Catholicism give cause for sorrow, the state of your churches, in their flourishing youthful-ness, youthful-ness, cheers our mind and fills us with gladness. True, you are shown no J special favor by the lawfof the land, but on the other hand your lawgivers are certainly entitled to praise for the fact that they do nothing to restrain you in your Just liberty. You must, therefore, and with you the Catholic I hose behind, make strenuous use of the 1 favorable time for action which is now at your disposal by spreading abroad I as far as possible the light of truth against the errors that prevail and the j sects of absurd opinions that continue to spring up. . THE GREAT WORK DONE IN THE UNITED STATES BY CATHOLIC EDUCATORS. We are not unaware, venerable brothers, bro-thers, of all that has been done by every ev-ery one of you for the establishment and the success of schools and acad- emies for the proper education of chil-; chil-; dren. By your zeal in this respect you , have clearly acted in conformity with the exhortations of the apostolic see and the prescriptions of the council of I Baltimore. Your magnificent work on I behalf of ecclesiastical seminaries has assuredly been calculated to increase j the prospects of good to be done by the I clergy and to add to their dignity. Nor I is this all. You have wisely taken measures to enlighten dissidents and to draw them to the truth by appointing I learned and worthy members of the I clergy to go about from district to dis-I dis-I trict to address them in public in familiar famil-iar style in temples and other buildings, and to solve the difficulties that may be advanced. An excellent plan, and one which we know has already borne abundant fruit. Nor has your charity been unmindful of the sad lot of the negro and the Indian you have sent them teachers, helped them liberally, j and you are most aealously providing for their eternal salvation. We are glad to add a stimulus, if such be ! necessary, to enable you to continue these undertakings with full confidence that your work is worthy of commendation. commenda-tion. Finally, not to omit the expression of our gratitude, we would have you know what satisfaction you have caused us by the liberality with which your people are endeavoring to contribute con-tribute by their offerings to relieve the penury of the holy see. Many indeed, and great are the necessities for which the vicar of Christ as supreme pastor and father of the church is bound to provide in order to avert injury and to promote the faith. Hence your generosity gen-erosity becomes an exercise and a testimony tes-timony of your faith. For all these reasons we wish to de-niar de-niar tn vou aeain and again our affec tion for you. Let the apostolic blessing, bless-ing, which we bestow most lovingly in the Lord upon you all and upon the flocks entrusted to each one of you. be taken as a token of this affection and an augury of divine gifts. Given at Rome at St. Peter's, on the I5th day of April, in the year MPCCCII, the twenty-fifth of our pontificate. pon-tificate. . LO XIII, Pope. |