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Show j The Study of the j Sacred Scriptures Apostolic Letter of His Holiness Pope Leo XIII., Appointing Appoint-ing the Commission for Promoting the Study of j the Sacred Scriptures. I LEO XIII. j Tor Perpetual Memory of This Matter (Trar.sl .'iifl fur Freodman's Journal.) j Min-il'iil 'f the vigilance and zeal I v.hi.h "f all others, are bound lo I jiu: forih fur the proper custody of the j i. ;.,.sit uf faith, we published in 1SP3 ! the in -v.-liral letter "Providentissimus j li.us." in which we dilated upon many f j.nint!- I 'MHi'rmng the study of the Sa- I nvd sVripture. The importance and ; v'li.ty of this great subject demanded inat v." should devote the utmost at- pntion in our power to this matter. i;.n f specially when the progress of ; ti-.crii mi scholarship has opened the door I to s many new. and at times temer- hri'His questions. We therefore set j forth what ail Catholics, and especially I v.'hdt t hose in sacred orders, might do I in lli'-ir respective spheres on behalf i df these studies: and we described mi- i ; r.ui-ly the mode and manner in which I tla-sr studies might be advanced in ; harmony with the present time. Nor j v:is our document without fruit. It is ; ; ,;t;tsmt for us to remember the many I expressions of obedience on the part I of bishops and other learned men 3 whi.ii f 'Mowed that letter, in empha- i Fizir.g the necessity and importance of l I our injur -lions, and in promising their f ti-i to have them put into effect. And j it is equally consoling for us to remem- 1 I'ft ih" rff-irts made in this direction J l- Catholics who g.-?ve themselves with j enthusiasm to these studies. ' Hut it is lear to us that the causes k. I t. hi li impelled us to write that letter I j fti'.l exist and even increase in urgen- I cy, and we have therefore resolved to I wee ur previous? instructions with I Mill preater force, commending the I same ajra.in and again to tl zeal of j our venerable bj-oihers of the episeo- i l'"'. I Ami in order that our purpose may I he more easily and abundantly realized I v.? hive now determined upon adding I h new and authoritative aid for this 3 end. For, in view of the complexity 1 ef modern studies and the manifold er- tors which prevail, it has become im- j'ossihle for individual interpreters of ; the sac-red books to explain and defend s them as the needs of the hour require, j It has therefore become necessary that their common studies should receive I assistance and direction under the j Hit? pi - and guidance of the apostolic i Ki-. Ye think this can be done by I adopting in this matter the same plans I w- have followed in promoting other I HuriioN. AY e are, then, pleased to es-f es-f tahlish a species of council or commis- "ion. as it is commonly called, or seri-I seri-I ous m n. whose duty it will be to de-j de-j voto their entire energy to ensure that the divine words may receive that niort minute explanation of them demanded de-manded by the time, and may be not i only preserved free from all taint of error, hut even raised above rash opin-l opin-l ions. The fitting seat for such a coun-: coun-: oil is Kome, under the very eyes of the I Hipronic I'untiff himself, that inasmuch , i'S the city is the mistress and guard-' guard-' - iiiii of christian wisdom, so the teaeh-i teaeh-i ii.K of this necessary doctrine may flow 3Vo;n its cent.er4 sound and incorrupt, thtov.L-houi the whole body of the I chritian republic. In order that the s men composing this council may cols' col-s' l'-'tuely fulfill this most serious and s lionoraMf. of duties, they will have for j their special guidance the following j Kiimiples 1 Kii-st ..f all, they will carefully inves- ti,;'.e the modern trend of thought in j 'h s l.ratuh uf study, and regard noth- i ii t: d;seovcred by modern research as j Jor-iu:! to their purpose nay, they will j l.'ie utmost diligence and prompti- tii-:- :i t-jiung up and turning by their I v ' to public use whatever may f : .iay to day be discovered useful I i0' Ki-iieal exegesis. Thus they will I ) ;. i. ..- attention lo philology, with f i's l-.:r d sciences, and carefully fol- j 1,1 'h ir developments. For immedi- ! : ait-u-ks on the scriptures break j (, -; v n i;st look for weapons to pre- j v :,: :t)i from going down in the con- '' v error. So. too, we must see j 1,1 :' ?h;.t the study of the ancient ! (,.'! t.;i iMiguages, nd the knowledge j ' ! .'.!- es. especially of the earliest j ,. i. rot held in less estimation i ' i:" ih.-Mi by those who are not with 1;' t'-r i...;h these branches are of I .'-t laomeia in the studies in ques- I t:-L. t s'; xi -a Mb regard to the uneompro- j -.- !v: maintenance of the authority of j '" s. -r:i. tures, they must exercise I t .are and diligence. They must v. ' )"" ially to prevent among Cath- f J1,1; " l-revalence of that objection- j y,, , of thinking and acting which 1 I1'"-;: i cs undue weight to the opln- i ions ,,f heterodox, almost as though j ' i- tn;c knowledge of scripture were to j i" s ,t principally in the show of I 'ni!;;,,n Ina(h. hy those who do not J '"'""U ! us. For no Cathofle can have 1 j1' V I iht about the truth which we I ll;Ve a!;-iM,iy dwelt upon at greater I ''t!i. Mint G,,d did not deliver up the U'tiiies to the private judgment of "' '!.. Lin gave them to be inter- I ' w' ' rl 1 y ,nf leaching a;hority of the j nuvidy. 'in matters of faith and mor- I i.-lating to the formation of Chris- 1 J''" do, nine, that must be held lo be J '"' "'iic sense uf sacred scripture which j n.)d heen am1 jp hp)fj by no)v mother j Ju"1"'1- 1o wliom it belongs to judge of I h .'nif' S""S(1 an(i interpretation of the i f y ' J" ' U'tures; and so no one may 1 j -nvriiiiy inter. ret holy scripture conic con-ic 1-' ' 'his sense or even in opposi-- opposi-- f- tv, "u' unarimous consensus of the f i , rs:' 1 li-it the divine books arc of 1 1 . 1 a imture the laws of hermeneut-I hermeneut-I A '"" av;lil to dispel the religious I h,!' l.!:,y in u hieh they are wrapped, I ul .1his a euide and teacher has ' fin' n ir;''!y Kiven in the church: and. f fl 'ly, that the legitimate sense of ! tn yT '''M'ture is not by any means I It 1 v."uni1 r'utc:ie the church, nor can J w handed down by those who have ! j 1 repudiated the church's teaching power and authority. J The men who form the council will, j therefore, have to be sedulous in the I guardianship of thos principles, and j endeavor to win over by persuasion all I those who are prone to an excessive I admiration for the heterodox, in order that they may more studiously hear and obey the true teacher, the church. And although it has now become an established Catholic practice to take advantage of the writings of others, especially es-pecially in criticism, this must be done always with caution and a judicious spirit. Our own workers will, with our emphatic .sanction, cultivate the art of criticism as being of prime importance for the understanding of the opinion of hagiographers. Me have no objection objec-tion that in this branch they make use of aid furnished by the heterodox. They must be on their guard, however, not to be led thereby to intemperance of judgment, judg-ment, for this is frequently the result of the system known as the higher criticism, crit-icism, and dangerous temerity of which we have more than once denounced In the third place, with regard to that branch of the study directly concerned with the exposition of the scriptures seeing that this is a subject of the greatest utility for the faithful, the council will have to devote special care to it. It is hardly necessary to say that in texts, the sense of which has been determined either by the sacred authors au-thors or has been authentically declared hy the church; men must be convinced that this is the only interpretation that can be approved according to sound hermeneutics. ' On the other hand, there are quite' a number of texts on which there has hitherto been given no certain and definite exposition by." the church, and here' private 'doctors may follow and defend that opinion which seems to them individually - to-lx the most reasonable, but in these cases the analogy an-alogy -of faith.- and "Catholic teachings are to be followed as a guiding principle. prin-ciple. . When the questions of this kind come under discussion great care must be taken not to allow the heat of argument argu-ment to outstep the bounds of Christian Chris-tian charity, and the revealed truths and divine traditions themselves to seem to be made a. matter of doubt. For it would- be idle to hope for great results from the divers studies of man-; individuals without a certain principle of agreement and the frank recognition recogni-tion of fundamental principles. Wherefore Where-fore it will also form a part of the work of the council to ensure a due and dignified dig-nified treatment of the principal questions ques-tions discussed between Catholic doctors, doc-tors, and to afford all the light and authority au-thority of which they are possessed to the attainment of a decision. One important im-portant result Of this policy will be that it will afford the apostolic see time to declare at the proper moment what is to be inviolably held by Catholics, what is to be reserved foclfurther investigation, in-vestigation, and what is to be left to the judgment of private individuals. We therefore by these letters institute insti-tute in this "alma Urbs" a council or commission for promoting the study of the sacred scriptures according to the laws above defined, in the hope that it may conduce to the preservation of Christian truth. It is our wish that this council be composed of a number of the cardinals of the holy Roman church to be named by our authority, and' it is our intention to add to these with the tjtle and office of "consultors," as in other sacred councils, a number of distinguished dis-tinguished men of different nationalities, nationali-ties, noted for their sacred, and especially espec-ially Biblical knowledge. It will be the task of this council to hold regular meetings, to publish reports either on certain days or as opportunity may require, re-quire, to. reply to those who may Task its opinion, and finally to promote in every way possible the defense and the increase of those studies in question. It is our wish, too, that all matters treated by the council in general be referred to the pontiff by that one of the consultors whom the pontiff shall have appointed for this purpose. In order to afford a timely aid for these labors in common. We have now set apart a certain portion of our Vatican Vati-can library: and we shall see to it shortly that a large collection of codices cod-ices and volumes dealing with Biblical I subjects be here placed so as to be at hand for consultation. To carry out this plan it would be very desirable that Catholics of means should render their assistance by contributing funds or by forwarding useful books so doing do-ing they will be co-operating by timely service with God, the author of the scriptures, and with the church. We have, indeed, full confidence that this undertaking of ours, inasmuch as it concerns the preservation of the faith and the eternal salvation of souls, will be abundantly favored by the divine goodness, and that through it all Catholics Cath-olics who have devoted themselves to the sacred books will respond with full and unlimited obedience to these prescriptions pre-scriptions of th apostolic see. All the provisions that it has seemed gooJ to us to make in this matter, we herebv ordain and decree to have the full 'force of statutes and decrees, sll other provisions to the contrary notwithstanding. not-withstanding. " ; Given at Rome at St. Peters under the rii g of the fisherman, on October 3f, in the year 1302, the twenty-fifth of our por tificate. ,,,, A. CARD. MACCHI. -Cons. Vatic, sess. III. cap. II.) |
