INNOCENT XII, LETTER: ‘Cum alias ad apostolatus’, 12 March, 1699

Innocent XII, Bref ‘Cum alias ad apostolatus’, 12 mars

 The Errors of Francis Fenélon Concerning the Love of God

Errores Francisci de Fénelon de amore erga Deum

1. There is an habitual state of the love of God, which is pure charity and without any admixture of the motive of one’s personal interest. Neither fear of punishment nor desire of reward any longer has a share in it. God is no longer loved for the sake of merit, nor because of one’s own perfection, nor because of the happiness to be found in loving Him.

 1. Datur habitualis status amoris Dei, qui est caritas pura et sine ulla admixtione motivi proprii interesse. Neque timor poenarum, neque desiderium remunerationum habent amplius in eo partem. Non amatur amplius Deus propter meritum, neque propter perfectionem, neque propter felicitatem in eo amando inveniendam.

2. In the state of the contemplative or unitive life, every interested motive of fear and hope is lost.

 2. In statu vitae contemplativae sive unitivae amittitur omne motivum interessatum timoris et spei.

3. That which is essential in the direction of a soul is to do nothing else than to follow grace, step by step with infinite patience, precaution, and subtlety. One should restrain himself within these limits so that God may be permitted to act, and he should never aspire to pure love, except when God by an interior unction begins to open the heart to this word, which is so hard for souls heretofore attached to self, and can therefore scandalize them or cause them confusion.

 3. Id, quod est essentiale in directione animae, est non aliud facere, quam sequi pedetentim gratiam cum infinita patientia, praecautione et subtilitate. Oportet se intra hos limites continere, ut sinatur Deus agere, et numquam ad purum amorem ducere, nisi quando Deus per unctionem interiorem incipit aperire cor huic verbo, quod adeo durum est animabus adhuc sibimet affixis, et adeo potest illas scandalizare aut in perturbationem conicere.

4. In the state of holy indifference, a soul no longer has voluntary and deliberate desires for its own interest, with the exception of those occasions on which it does not faithfully cooperate with the whole of its grace

 4. In statu sanctae indifferentiae anima non habet amplius desideria voluntaria et deliberata propter suum interesse, exceptis iis occasionibus, in quibus toti suae gratiae fideliter non cooperatur.

5. In the same state of holy indifference we wish nothing for ourselves, all for God. We do not wish that we be perfect and happy for self interest, but we wish all perfection and happiness only in so far as it pleases God to bring it about that we wish for these states by the impression of His grace.

 5. In eodem statu sanctae indifferentiae nihil nobis, omnia Deo volumus. Nihil volumus, ut simus perfecti et beati propter interesse proprium; sed omnem perfectionem ac beatitudinem volumus, in quantum Deo placet efficere, ut velimus res istas impressione suae gratiae.

6. In this state of holy indifference we no longer seek salvation as our own salvation, as our eternal liberation, as a reward of our merits, nor as the greatest of all our interests, but we wish it with our whole will as the glory and good pleasure of God, as the thing which He wishes, and which He wishes us to wish for His sake.

 6. In hoc sanctae indifferentiae statu nolumus amplius salutem ut salutem propriam, ut liberationem aeternam, ut mercedem nostrorum meritorum, ut nostrum interesse omnium maximum; sed eam volumus voluntate plena, ut gloriam et beneplacitum Dei, ut rem, quam ipse vult, et quam nos vult velle propter ipsum.

7. Dereliction is nothing else than the abnegation or renunciation of oneself, which Jesus Christ requires of us in the Gospel, after we have left all external things. This denial of ourselves is only with regard to our own interest. . . . The extreme trials in which this abnegation or dereliction of self must be exercised are the temptations by means of which a jealous God seeks to purify love, by holding out to it no refuge, nor any hope for its welfare, even eternal.

 7. Derelictio non est nisi abnegatio seu sui ipsius renuntiatio, quam Jesus Christus a nobis in Evangelio requirit, postquam externa omnia reliquerimus. Ista nostri ipsorum abnegatio non est nisi quoad interesse proprium ... Extremae probationes, in quibus haec abnegatio seu sui ipsius derelictio exerceri debet, sunt tentationes, quibus Deus aemulator vult purgare amorem, nullum ei ostendendo perfugium neque ullam spem quoad suum interesse proprium, etiam aeternum.

8. All sacrifices, which are wont to be made by souls who are as disinterested as possible about their eternal happiness, are conditional. . . . But this sacrifice cannot be absolute in the ordinary state. Only in the case of extreme trials does this sacrifice become in some manner absolute.

 8. Omnia sacrificia, quae fieri solent ab animabus quam maxime disinteressatis circa earum aeternam beatitudinem, sunt condicionalia. ... Sed hoc sacrificium non potest esse absolutum in statu ordinario. In uno extremarum probationum casu hoc sacrificium fit aliquo modo absolutum.

9. In extreme trials a soul can be invincibly persuaded by a reflex persuasion (and this is not the deep foundation of conscience) that it has been justly rejected by God.

 9. In extremis probationibus potest animae invincibiliter persuasum esse persuasione reflexa, et quae non est intimus conscientiae fundus, se iuste reprobatam esse a Deo.

10. Then a soul separated from itself expires with Christ on the Cross, saying: “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?” (Mt 27,46). In this involuntary expression of despair there is completed the absolute sacrifice of one’s own interest in so far as eternity is concerned.

 10. Tunc anima divisa a semetipsa exspirat cum Christo in cruce, dicens: ‘Deus, Deus meus, ut quid dereliquisti me?’ (Mt 27, 46.) In hac involuntaria impressione desperationis conficit sacrificium absolutum sui interesse proprii quoad aeternitatem.

11. In this state a soul loses all hope of its own interest; but never does it lose in its higher part, that is in its direct and inner acts, a perfect hope, which is a disinterested longing for the promises.

 11. In hoc statu anima amittit omnem spem sui proprii interesse; sed numquam amittit in parte superiore, id est in suis actibus directis et intimis, spem perfectam, quae est desiderium disinteressatum promissionum.

12. Then a director can permit this soul to acquiesce simply in the loss of its own interest, and in the just condemnation which it believes has been enjoined on it by God.

 12. Director tunc potest huic animae permittere, ut simpliciter acquiescat iacturae sui proprii interesse et iustae condemnationi, quam sibi a Deo indictam credit.

13. The inferior part of Christ on the Cross did not communicate his involuntary disturbances to his superior part.

 13. Inferior Christi pars in cruce non communicavit superiori suas involuntarias perturbationes.

14. In the extreme trials for the purification of love there takes place a certain separation of the upper part of the soul from the lower. . . . In that separation the acts of the lower part flow from a completely blind and involuntary disturbance, for, whatever is voluntary and intellectual is of the higher part.

 14. In extremis probationibus pro purificatione amoris fit quaedam separatio partis superioris animae ab inferiore. ... In ista separatione actus partis inferioris manant ex omnino caeca et involuntaria perturbatione: nam totum, quod est voluntarium et intellectuale, est partis superioris.

15. Meditation consists of discursive acts which are easily distinguished from one another. . . . The putting together of the discursive and reflex acts is the proper exercise of an interested love.

 15. Meditatio constat discursivis actibus, qui a se invicem facile distinguuntur. ... Ista compositio actuum discursivorum et reflexorum est propria exercitatio amoris interessati.

16. There is a state of contemplation so sublime and so perfect that it becomes habitual; so that, as often as a soul actually prays, its prayer is contemplative, not discursive. Then it no longer needs to return to meditation and to its methodical acts.

 16. Datur status contemplationis adeo sublimis adeoque perfectae, ut fiat habitualis: ita ut, quoties anima actu orat, sua oratio sit contemplativa, non discursiva. Tunc non amplius indiget redire ad meditationem eiusque actus methodicos.

17. Contemplative souls are deprived of a distinct, sensible, and reflex vision of Jesus Christ at two different times: first, in the newborn fervor of their contemplation; secondly, when the soul loses the vision of Jesus Christ in extreme trials.

 17. Animae contemplativae privantur intuitu distincto, sensibili et reflexo Jesu Christi duobus temporibus diversis: primo in fervore nascente earum contemplationis; secundo anima amittit intuitum Jesu Christi in extremis probationibus.

18. In the passive state all the distinct virtues are exercised without any thought that they are virtues. At every moment no other thought is in the mind than to do that which God wishes, and a zealous love likewise brings it about that no one any longer desires virtue for himself nor is he ever so endowed with virtue as when he is no longer attached to virtue.

 18. In statu passivo exercentur omnes virtutes distinctae, non cogitando, quod sint virtutes. In quolibet momento aliud non cogitatur, quam facere id, quod Deus vult, et amor zelotypus simul efficit, ne quis amplius sibi virtutem velit nec umquam sit adeo virtute praeditus, quam cum virtuti amplius affixus non est.

19. In this sense it can be said that a soul in a passive and disinterested state no longer wishes even love itself, in so far as it is its perfection and its happiness, but only in so far as it is that which God wishes of us.

 19. Potest dici in hoc sensu, quod anima passiva et disinteressata nec ipsum amorem vult amplius, quatenus est sua perfectio et sua felicitas, sed solum quatenus est id, quod Deus a nobis vult.

20. In confession transformed souls must detest their sins and condemn themselves, and desire the remission of their sins not as a personal purification and liberation, but as the thing which God wills and which He wills us to will because of His glory.

 20. In confitendo debent animae transformatae sua peccata detestari et condemnare se et desiderare remissionem suorum peccatorum non ut propriam purificationem et liberationem, sed ut rem, quam Deus vult et vult nos velle propter suam gloriam.

21. Holy mystics have excluded from the state of transformed souls the practices of virtues.

 21. Sancti mystici excluserunt a statu animarum transformatarum exercitationes virtutum.

22. Although this doctrine (about pure love) was designated a pure and simple evangelical perfection in universal tradition, the ancient pastors did not propose it indiscriminately to the multitude of the just, unless the practice of their interested love was proportionate to their grace.

 22. Quamvis haec doctrina (de puro amore) esset pura et simplex perfectio evangelica in universa traditione designata, antiqui pastores non proponebant passim multitudini iustorum, nisi exercitia amoris interessati eorum gratiae proportionata.

23. Pure love itself alone constitutes the whole interior life; and thence arises the only principle and the only motive of all acts which are deliberate and meritorious.

 23. Purus amor ipse solus constituit totam vitam interiorem; et tunc evadit unicum principium et unicum motivum omnium actuum, qui deliberati et meritorii sunt.

BECAUSE by the reading and use of the aforesaid book . . .the faithful could be gradually led into errors already condemned by the Catholic Church and also because it contains propositions that, in the obvious sense of their words or in the context of the ideas expressed are respectively rash (1 f, 8, 10 15-20, 22) scandalous (7,10,12, 19-21) evil sounding (4-6, 23), offensive to pious ears (8, 18) pernicious in practice (12, 14, 17), and also erroneous (1-7, 10 f. 13, 17-19 22) by the tenor of those present writings We condemn and reject ... and prohibit the printing of this book

 (Censura:) ... Librum praedictum ..., quippe ex cuius lectione et usu fideles sensim in errores ab Ecclesia catholica iam damnatos induci possent, ac insuper tamquam continentem propositiones, sive in obvio earum verborum sensu sive attenta sententiarum connexione, temerarias (1s8 10 15-20 22), scandalosas (7 10 12 19-21), male sonantes (4-6 23), piarum aurium offensivas (8 18), in praxi perniciosas (2 14 17) ac etiam erroneas (1-7 10s 13 17-19 22s) respective, tenore praesentium damnamus et reprobamus ipsiusque libri impressionem... prohibemus.