INTRODUCTION

Great Apostles of the Gospel (§01)

Expansion of Missions (§03)

Recent History (§05)

Purpose of This Letter (§07)

TO THOSE In CHARGE of the MISSIONS

Role of Superiors of Missions (§09)

The Superior and the Success of the Mission (§10)

A Primary Concern (§11)

An Effective Means (§11b)

Local Clergy (§14)

Church Not Alien (§16)

Concern for Training of Local Clergy (§17)

TO the MISSIONARIES

A Spiritual Goal (§19)

Selfless Work (§21)

TO the MISSIONARIES (cont.)

Training (§22)

Proficiency in All Branches of Learning (§23)

Knowledge of Language (§24)

Necessity of Sanctity (§26)

The Missionary’s Model (§28)

Praise of Nuns (§30)

TO ALL CATHOLICS

Three Ways to Help (§32)

Role of the Apostleship of Prayer (§33)

Fostering Vocations (§34)

Economic Help (§36)

Society for the Propagation of the Faith (§37)

Association of the Holy Childhood (§38)

Missionary Union of the Clergy (§40)

CONCLUSION

Introduction

To the Patriarchs, Primates, Archbishops and Bishops of the Catholic World, On the Propagation of the Faith Throughout the World.

Venerable Brothers, Health and Apostolic Blessing!

AD PATRIARCHAS, PRIMATES, ARCHIEPISCOPOS, EPISCOPOS ORBIS CATHOLICI: DE FIDE CATHOLICA PER ORBEM TERRARUM PROPAGANDA. 

VENERABILES FRATRES SALUTEM ET APOSTOLICAM BENEDICTIONEM

1. Before He returned to His Father, Our Lord Jesus Christ addressed to His disciples the words: “Go into the whole world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15). With these words He committed to them a duty, a momentous and a holy charge, that was not to lapse with the death of the Apostles but would bind their successors, one after another, until the end of the world - as long, that is, as there remained on this earth men whom the truth might set free. Entrusted with this mandate, “they went forth and preached everywhere” (Mark 16:20) the word of God, so that “through all the earth their voice resounds, and to the ends of the world, their message” (Psalm 18:5). From that time on, as the centuries have passed, the Church has never forgotten that command God gave her, and never yet has she ceased to dispatch to every corner of the world her couriers of the doctrine He entrusted to her, and her ministers of the eternal salvation that was delivered through Christ to the race of men.

Maximum illud sanctissimumque munus quod, suo iam instante ad Patrem reditu, Dominus Noster Iesus Christus discipulis demandavit, cum dixit: Euntes in mundum universum praedicate evangelium omni creaturae (1),  non erat sane Apostolorum vita terminandum, sed apud eorum successores perpetuandum usque ad consummationem saeculi, quoad scilicet futuri essent in terra homines, quos veritas liberaret. Ex quo igitur illi profecti praedicaverunt ubique verbum Dei (2), ita quidem ut in omnem terram exierit senus eorum: et in fines orbis terrae verba eorum (3); divini mandati memor, Ecclesia nunquam, labentibus saeculis, cessavit adhuc traditae divinitus doctrinae partaeque humano generi per Christum salutis aeternae nuntios et administros in omnes partes mittere.

Great Apostles of the Gospel

2. Even in the first three centuries, when persecution after persecution, inspired by Hell, fell upon the infant Church in a raging attempt to crush her, even then when the whole of civilization was deluged with Christian blood, out on the far frontiers of the Empire the heralds of the gospel journeyed, announcing their tidings. Then, after peace and religious freedom had been officially granted to the Church, her apostolate to the world made far greater progress. In this achievement a number of men of striking sanctity played outstanding roles. One of them was Gregory the Illuminator, who brought the Faith to Armenia. Another was Victorinus, the apostle of Styria. Frumentius, who evangelized Ethiopia, was a third. Later on Patrick brought forth the Irish in Christ; Augustine introduced the Faith among the English; and Columba and Palladius preached the gospel to the Scots. Later still Clement Willibrord, the first Bishop of Utrecht, brought the radiance of the gospel to Holland; Boniface and Anagar carried the Faith to the Germans; and Cyril and Methodius won Slavonia for the Church.

Illo ipso enim trium saeculorum spatio, quo ad Ecclesiam recens natam opprimendam, alia ex alia, excitata ab inferis persecutio desaeviit, cum omnia Christianorum sanguine redundarent, vox tamen Evangelii praeconum late Romani imperii fines pervagata est. Postquam vero pax et libertas publice est Ecclesiae data, multo maiores in apostolatu progressus toto orbe fecit: quo in genere praeclari vitae sanctimonia viri utilissime elaborarunt. Ex his Gregorius Illuminator Armeniam christiano nomini adiungit, Styriam Victorinus, Aethiopiam Frumentius; tum parit Hibernos Christo Patritius, Anglos Augustinus, Columba Palladiusque Scotos; deinde illustrat Evangelii luce Hollandiam Clemens Willibrordus, primus ille Ultraiectensium Episcopus, Germaniae populos Bonifacius et Ausgarius, Slavoniae autem Cyrillus et Methodius ad catholicam Fidem traducunt.

Expansion of Missions

3. With the further passing of time, a far wider field for missionary work began to appear. William of Rubruck pointed it out when he carried the fire of the Faith to the Mongols. Soon afterward Blessed Gregory X sent out the first missionaries to China. Disciples of Francis of Assisi followed them and founded there in China a sizable community of Christians, a community that a short time later, unfortunately, went down under the blows of a persecution.

 Deinceps multo latior campus hominibus apostolicis patere coepit, cum Gulielmus de Rubruquis Fidei facem Mongolis intulit, cumque beatus Gregorius X primos missionales legavit in Sinam: quos subinde Francisci Assisiensis alumni consecuti, non exiguam ibi constituerunt fidelium ecclesiam, quam haud inulto post persecutionis orta tempestas dissipavit.

4. Upon the discovery of America, an army of apostolic men set out for the New World. This great host, which included that glorious son of St. Dominic, Bartholomew de Las Casas, undertook there the twin tasks of protecting the unfortunate natives from human oppression and wresting them from their grinding subjection to the powers of darkness. To the same period belongs the work of Francis Xavier, a missionary worthy of comparison with the Apostles themselves. For Christ’s glory and the salvation of souls he spent himself relentlessly in the Fast Indies and in Japan. And when he died he was on the threshold of the Chinese Empire, attempting to enter it. It was as though, at the price of his death, he was breaking open for the Gospel a way into those vast territories that in years to come would be the arena where the sons of numerous religious orders and missionary congregations would, in the pursuance of their apostolate, contend with all the formidable obstacles thrown against them by shifting conditions and varying circumstances.

America autem detecta, virorum apostolicorum agmen, in quibus praecipue commemorandus est Bartholomaeus Las Casas, Dominiciani Ordinis decus ac lumen, miseros indigenas cum ab hominum dominatu improbo tuendos, tum ex daemonum durissima servitute eripiendos suscipiunt; intereaque Franciscus Xaverius, dignus is quidem qui Apostolis ipsis comparetur, cum in Indiis Orientalibus et in Iaponia pro Christi gloria animarumque salute mirifice desudasset, ad Sinensis limen Imperii, quo iam tendebat, em.oritur, quasi discessu suo aditum patefaciens novae Evangelii praedicationi in illam regionum immensitatem, in qua erat futurum ut e tot inclytis religiosorum Ordinibus et Missionalium Familiis homines Fidei propagandae studiosi, tantas per vicissitudines rerum ac temporum, apostolatum obirent.

Recent History

5. More recent years have seen the last of the unknown territories - Australia and the interior of Africa - yield to the relentless assaults of modern exploration. These years have also seen the emissaries of the Church follow the newly blazed trails into the new lands. In all the vast reaches of the Pacific it would now be difficult to find an island remote enough to have escaped the vigilance and the energy of our missionaries. In speaking of all these achievements, however, we must not overlook a very significant fact about the men who performed them. Very many of these men, while they were working for the salvation of their brethren, themselves attained the heights of sanctity, just as the Apostles did before them. And many of them too, crowned their apostolate with the glory of martyrdom, entrenching the Faith at the cost of their blood.

Postremo continens ea quae ultima patuit, Australia, itemque Africae interiores tractus, audacia constantiaque recentiorum explorati, christianae Fidei nuntios acceperunt; ac fere iam nulla est intra vastissimum mare Pacificum tam remota insula, quo non Missionalium nostrorum virtus actuosa pervaserit. Ex iis autem plurimi exstiterunt, qui cum fratrum salutem quaererent, ipsi, Apostolorum exemplo, ad sanctitatis fastigium pervenerint, nec pauci, qui, apostolatum martyrii laude cumulantes, Fidem profuso sanguine confirmarint.

6. Anyone who studies the facts of this great saga cannot help being profoundly impressed by them: by all the stupendous hardships our missionaries have undergone in extending the Faith, the magnificent devotion they have shown, and the overwhelming examples of intrepid endurance they have afforded us. And to anyone who weighs these facts the realization must come as a shock that right now, there still remain in the world immense multitudes of people who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death. According to a recent estimate, the number of non-believers in the world approximates one billion souls.

Iam vero tot tantosque labores a nostris in Fidei propagatione exantlatos, tanta studia posita, tanta invictae fortitudinis exempla edita considerantibus, vehementer demirari licet, innumerabiles tamen esse adhuc qui in tenebris et in umbra mortis sedeant; siquidem ethnicorum habita recenter ratione, ad decies millies centena millia numerantur.

Purpose of This Letter

7. The pitiable lot of this stupendous number of souls is for Us a source of great sorrow. From the days when We first took up the responsibilities of this apostolic office We have yearned to share with these unfortunates the divine blessings of the Redemption. So We are delighted to see that, under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, efforts to promote and develop the foreign missions have in many quarters of the world increased and intensified. It is Our duty to foster these enterprises and do all We can to encourage them; and this duty coincides perfectly with Our own most profound desires. Before writing this letter, venerable Brethren, We begged the Lord for His light and His aid. While writing it, We had two purposes in mind: to encourage you, your clergy, and your people in these efforts, and secondly, to point out methods you can adopt to further the fulfillment of this momentous undertaking.

Nos igitur, tam immensae anim.arum multitudinis lacrimabilem sortem miserantes, cum, pro Apostolici sanctitate officii, nihil habeamus antiquius quam ut beneficia eis divinae Redemptionis communicemnus, equidem plurifariam in orbe catholico increbrescere illa, Dei nimirum Spiritu commota, studia bonorum in Missionibus exteris`provehendis et explicandis, libenti sane gratoque animo videmus. Itaque ad ea ipsa studia fovenda usque quaque et incitanda, ut Nostro est muneri summisque votis consentaneum, lumine auxilioque Domini magnis precibus implorato, has vobis, venerabiles Fratres, mittimus litteras quibus vos vestrosque cleros ac populos hortamur, significantes quemadmodum huic gravissimae causae prodesse possitis.

To Those In Charge of the Missions

8. First We want to address those who are in charge of the missions, whether as Bishops or as Vicars or Prefects Apostolic. All the responsibility for the propagation of the Faith rests immediately upon them, and it is to them especially that the Church has entrusted her prospects of expansion. We know very well the burning intensity of their zeal for the apostolate, and We are also well aware of the immense difficulties they have had to overcome and the crises they have had to face, especially in the last few years. This was the price they had to pay to remain at their stations and outposts and to go on extending the Kingdom of God. And so they paid it willingly.

Primum omnium ad eos Nostra spectat oratio, qui, ut Episcopi aut ut Vicarii Praefective Apostolici, sacris praesunt Missionibus: ipsis enim cura omnis proxime. incumbit Fidei propagandae, in iisdem praesertim spem amplificationis suae habet Ecclesia repositam. Quamquam non ignoramus quo fere sint ardore apostolatus, probeque novimus quae quantaeque iis vincendae difficultates fuerint, subeundaque discrimina, his maxime postremis annis, non modo ne de suis praesidiis stationibusque decederent, sed ut regnum Dei etiam dilatarent.

Role of Superiors of Missions

9. Cognizant as We are, however, of their respect for this Apostolic See and their devotion to it, We do not hesitate to act as a father with his sons, and open Our mind to them. We want them to make this their guiding principle, that each of them must be, so to speak, the soul of the mission in his care. They should interest themselves deeply in the work of their priests, and in the work, too, of all others who assist them in the fulfillment of their duty. They should use every means they have - speech, action, writing - to encourage and stimulate these aides of theirs to ever higher achievements. Everyone who works in any capacity in the particular vineyard of the Lord over which He has authority should know by personal experience, and should know with complete conviction, that the government of the mission is in the hands of a true father - an alert, efficient man, a man filled with charity, deeply interested in everyone and everything, a man who rejoices when things go well with his subjects and sympathizes when things go badly. They must see him favor and promote those of their projects and undertakings that merit his approval. To put it briefly, they must see that he looks on everything that concerns his subjects as something that concerns him personally.

 Ceterum, eorum erga hanc Apostolicam Sedem observantia ac pietate perspecta, confidenter ipsis, ut filiis pater, animum Nostrum aperimus. Hoc igitur ante omnia cogitent, se suae quemque Missioni tamquam animam, ut aiunt, esse debere. Quamobrem suis sacerdotibus ceterisque sui muneris adiutoribus bono sint, verbis factisque, documento, animosque, ac stimulos addant ad sequenda usque meliora. Quotquot enim quoquo pacto in hac vinea Domini operantur, experimento cognoscant oportet, planeque sentiant Missioni praesidere patrem, vigilem, diligentem, caritatis plenum, omnes et omnia summo studio complectentem, qui suorum rebus gaudeat prosperis, condolescat adversis, conatus coeptusque laudabiles secundet atque adiuvet, qui de nique subditorum quaecumque sunt, ut sua propria respiciat.

The Superior and the Success of the Mission

10. It is indisputable that the condition and success of the missions depend on the way they are governed. They can suffer very severely if a man is put in charge of them who does not have the ability for the office or who is in some other way unsuitable for it. The individual missionary has given up his country and his family in order to aid in the extension of the Faith. When he sets out on his long and often dangerous journey he is, as a rule, eager and ready to brave the most grueling hardships, and all he asks is an opportunity to win for Christ as many souls as possible. Now if a man like this encounters an attentive superior who always treats him with prudence and charity, his work cannot fail to be fruitful. But if the contrary occurs, then there is every reason to fear that the labors and hardships he meets will gradually wear him out, until he finally loses heart and gives himself over to idleness.

Omnino, prout una quaeque gubernatur, ita varia est conditio et fortuna Missionum: quibus proinde valde perniciosum evenire potest, si quis ineptus minusve idoneus praeponatur. Plerumque enim quisquis patriam carosque propinquos deserit, christiani nominis propagandi causa, is longo saepiusque periculoso itineri se committit, alacer et promptus ad durissima quaeque toleranda, dum quam plurimas Christo animas lucretur. Qui si diligenti praeposito utitur, cuius sibi omnibus in rebus adsit prudentia et caritas, non est dubium, quin fructuosissima futura sit eius opera; sin autem, valde est timendum ne, laboribus incommodisque paulatim defatigatus, ad extremum deficiat animo desidiaeque se dedat.

A Primary Concern

11. Furthermore, the superior of a mission should make it one of his primary concerns to expand and fully develop his mission. The entire region within the boundaries of his mission has been committed to his care. Consequently, he must work for the eternal salvation of every person living there. If, out of an immense populace, he has converted a few thousand people, he has no reason to lapse into complacency. He must become a guide and a protector for these children he has brought forth in Jesus Christ; he must see to their spiritual nourishment and he must not let a single one of them slip away and perish. But he must do more than this. He must not consider that he is properly discharging the duties of his office unless he is working constantly and with all the vigor he can muster to bring the other, far more numerous, inhabitants of the area to partake of the Christian truth and the Christian life.

Praeterea qui Missioni praeest, curare in primis debet ut eam usque promoveat pleneque explicet. Etenim, cum ea regio cuius terminis sua Missio circurrtscribitur, omnis quam longe lateque patet, ipsius sit mandata curae, profecto omnium quotquot eadem in regione incolunt, ipsi omni.no quaerenda est salus sempiterna. Quamobr.em si ex ingenti multitudine aliquot millia ethnicorum ad Fidem traduxerit, non ei fas erit in hoc acquiescere. Accuret quidem, tueatur et foveat eos quos iam Iesu Christo peperit, nec sinat ex eis dilabi quemquam et interire. Verum ne putet se fungi, ut oportet, officio, nisi ceteros etiam, quorum fere est nimio maior numerus, veritatis vitaeque christianae compotes facere pro viribus et sine ulla intermissione contendat.

An Effective Means

In this connection, the preaching of the gospel can be brought more immediately and more effectively to everyone in an area if more mission stations and posts are established as soon as it is practible to do so. Then, when the time comes to divide the mission, these will be ready to serve as centers for new Vicariates and Prefectures. While We are on this subject, We wish to single out for commendation some Vicars Apostolic who have richly earned it: those who have kept this future development steadily in mind and are constantly engaged in the work of readying new provinces for the kingdom of God. If they find that their own order or congregation is not supplying enough manpower for the task, they are perfectly willing to call in helpers from other religious groups.

Itaque ut ad aures singulorum eo celerius meliusque Evangelii praedicatio perveniat, multum proderit alias subinde missionalium stationes et sedes constituere, futuras tamquam totidem centra Vicariatibus aut Praefecturis novis, in quas, cum opportunitas adfuerit, eadem Missio dividatur. Quo loco debitas tribuimus laudes Vicariis Apostolicis, quotquot sunt qui ea ratione, quam diximus, regno Dei nova semper incrementa parant: eamque in rem si doinesticorum adiutorum copia sibi non suppetat, eos ex aliena religiosorum familia vel societate libentissime accipere consueverunt.

12. On the other hand, We can hardly commend a man who takes the section of the Lord’s vineyard that has been allotted to him for cultivation, and proceeds to treat it as a piece of private property, a domain not to be touched by the hands of an outsider. Dwell for a moment upon the severity of God’s judgment on a man like this, particularly if the case is like some that have been brought to Our attention at different times - a rather small community of the faithful surrounded by an immense population of infidels, infidels whom the superior cannot catechize because he does not have enough men for the work and refuses to accept the help of others. The man entrusted with a Catholic mission, if he is working single-mindedly for the glory of God and the salvation of souls, goes out whenever it  is necessary and searches, searches everywhere, for helpers in his holy ministry. He does not care who they are; he does not care whether they belong to his order or to another, or whether or not they are of his nationality, “provided only that, in every way .. . Christ is being proclaimed” (Philippians 1:18). And he does not limit his welcome to men, either. He will bring in sisters to open schools, orphanages, and hospitals, to found their hostels and establish other charitable institutions. He is happy and eager to do this, because he realizes how remarkably works of this kind, with God’s help, contribute to the spread of the Faith.

At contra, quam non probandus ille foret qui Dominici agri partem, sibi assignatam ad excolendum, tamquam suam propriam possessionem haberet, quam prorsus nollet alienis manibus attingi. Quanta vero subeunda ei esset divini iudicii severitas, praesertim si — quod saepius contingere memoravimus — christianis non ita multis circumfusa esset multitudo ethnicorum, quibus quidem erudiendis quum ipse cum suis verbi ministris non sufficeret, nollet aliorum operam advocatam adhibere. Atqui catholicae Missionis praeses, cui nihil aliud cordi sit nisi Dei gloria et salus animarum, undique ad sanctissimum munus adiutores, cum opus fuerit, conquirit, nec ii qui sint, suae an alienae familiae aut nationis, quidquam pensi habet, dum omni modo ... Christus annuntietur (4): nec solum adiutores, sed adiutrices etiam, idest sorores religiosas adhibet ad scholas, ad orphanotrophia, ad nosocomia, ad domus hospitales, ad cetera caritatis instituta, in quibus novit, Dei providentis nutu, incredibilem quamdam vim ad fidem latius proferendam inesse..

13. In the pursuit of his objectives the conscientious mission head refuses, too, to limit his interests to the boundaries of his omission and to act as though he considered everything going on elsewhere as no concern of his. Fired with the charity of Christ, he feels that anything that affects Christ’s glory affects him, and he does all he can to develop close and friendly relations with his colleagues in neighboring districts. For situations frequently arise that affect all the missions in some particular area, and that demand joint action if they are to be handled successfully. But even apart from this, the Church would benefit a great deal if the men in charge of missions met at fixed intervals as frequently as they could to confer and to encourage one another.

Ad haec bonus Missionis praefectus non se intra suos fines continet, quasi aliena ducat omnia quae foris fiunt, sed, urgente caritate Christi, cuius ad gloriam quidquid intersit, sua multum interesse putat, cum collegis finitimis amicitiam et necessitudinem studet habere. Multa enim saepe exsistunt communia negotia ad eamdem regionem pertinentia quae, ut patet, nisi communiter, expediri non possunt.Sed praeterea magno cum Religionis emolumento Missionum praesides, quotquot poterunt, in unum statis temporibus convenient, ut consilia inter se conferant, mutuisque alloquiis confirmentur.

  Local Clergy

14. There is one final, and very important, point for anyone who has charge of a mission. He must make it his special concern to secure and train local candidates for the sacred ministry. In this policy lies the greatest hope of the new churches. For the local priest, one with his people by birth, by nature, by his sympathies and his aspirations, is remarkably effective in appealing to their mentality and thus attracting them to the Faith. Far better than anyone else he knows the kind of argument they will listen to, and as a result, he often has easy access to places where a foreign priest would not be tolerated.

Denique illud est quo quicumque Missionem regunt, ii suas praecipue curas oportet habeant conversas, ut sacrorum ministros de gente ipsa, in qua versantur, educent atque instituant: id quod novarum ecclesiarum spem maxime continet. Nani sacerdos indigena, utpote qui ortu, ingenio, sensibus studiisque cohaereat cum suis popularibus, mirum quantum valet ad Fidem eorum mentibus insinuandam: multo enim melius, quam quisquam alius, novit quibus modis quidpiam eis persuaderi queat. Ita salpe fit ut illuc faciles aditus habeat, quo advenae sacerdoti pedem inferre non licet.

15. If, however, the indigenous clergy is to achieve the results We hope for, it is absolutely necessary that they be well trained and well prepared. We do not mean a rudimentary and slipshod preparation, the bare minimum for ordination. No, their education should be complete and finished, excellent in all its phases, the same kind of education for the priesthood that a European would receive. For the local clergy is not to be trained merely to perform the humbler duties of the ministry, acting as the assistants of foreign priests. On the contrary, they must take up God’s work as equals, so that some day they will be able to enter upon the spiritual leadership of their people.

Iam vero clerum indigenam, ut speratos fructus afferat, omnino necesse est bene conformare et fingere. At nequaquam satin erit ad hoc institutio quaedam inchoata et rudis, talis videlicet ut quis ad sacerdotium ineundum evadat idoneus, sed piena debet esse perfectaque et numeris omnibus absoluta, qualis sacerdotibus cultarum gentium tradi solet. Neque enim clerus indigena eatenus parandus est, ut missionarios advenas, humilioribus ministeriis addicti, adiuvent, verum ut ipse, par divino muneri obeundo, rette possit populi sui gubernationem aliquando suscipere.

Church Not Alien

16. The Catholic Church is not an intruder in any country; nor is she alien to any people. It is only right, then, that those who exercise her sacred ministry should come from every nation, so that their countrymen can look to them for instruction in the law of God and leadership on the way to salvation. Wherever the local clergy exist in sufficient numbers, and are suitably trained and worthy of their holy vocation, there you can justly assume that the work of the missionary has been successful and that the Church has laid her foundations well. And if, after these foundations have been laid and these roots sunk, a persecution should be raised to dislodge her, there need be no reason to fear that she could not withstand the blow.

Nam ut Ecclesia Dei catholica est nullamque apud gentem vel nationum extranea, ita consentaneum est ex una quaque gente sacrorum administros exsistere quos divinae legis magistros viaeque ad salutem duces sequantur populares sui. Ubicumque igitur adsit quantum sat est indigenae cleri eiusque bene instituti et vocatione sua sancta digni, ibi Mìssionarii opus feliciter expletum ecclesiamque praeclare esse fundatam iure dixeris. Quod si forte ad eam labefaciendam procella dein persecutionis oriatur, non verendum est ne, eo fundamento iisque radicibus, non sit hostiles impetus latura.

    Concern for Training of Local Clergy

17. The Apostolic See has always urged the directors of missions to realize that this is a very serious obligation of their office and vigorously to put it into action. Here in Rome the colleges - both the old colleges and the newer ones - that train clerics for the foreign missions, have already shown their earnestness in the matter. This is particularly true of those training men for the Oriental rites.

Hoc enimvero tam grave muneris officium ut ex veritate aestimarent diligenterque exsequerentur, semper apud Missionum rectores institit Apostolica Sedes: cuius quidem in hoc genere studium Ilare indicant vetera et recentia huius Urbis Collegia clericis exterarum nationum instituendis, praesertim Orientali ritu.

To the Missionaries

18. Now We turn to you, beloved sons, the working-men of the Lord’s vineyard. In your hands lies the immediate responsibility for disseminating the wisdom of Christ, and with this responsibility the salvation of innumerable souls. Our first admonition is this: never for a moment forget the lofty and splendid character of the task to which you have devoted yourselves. Your task is a divine one, a task far beyond the feeble reach of human reasoning. You have been called to carry light to men who lie in the shadow of death and to open the way to heaven for souls that are hurtling to destruction. Assure yourselves that God was speaking to you, to each one of you, when He said: “Forget your people and your father’s house” (Psalm 44:11). Remember that your duty is not the extension of a human realm, but of Christ’s; and remember too that your goal is the acquisition of citizens for a heavenly-fatherland, and not for an earthly one.

Iam vos alloquimur, dilectissimi Nobis Filii, quotquot estis, Dominicae vineae cultores, quorum in manibus proxime posita est, cum christianae sapientiae propagatione, tot salus animarum. – Principio versetur vobis semper ante oculos excellentia magnitudoque muneris, in q uod vester insumitur labor. Divinum est prorsus longeque ab humanarum rationum exiguitate remotum, quod vobis propositum est, ia centibus in mortis umbra lucem admovere et ruentibus in interitum caeli viam aperire. Intelligentes igitur vestrum unicuique dictum a Domino: obliviscere populum tuum,, et domum patris tui (5), memineritis non hominum debere vos imperium propagare, sed Christi, nec patriae quae hic est, sed patriae quae sursum, cives adiicere.

A Spiritual Goal

19. It would be tragic indeed if any of our missionaries forgot the dignity of their office so completely as to busy themselves with the interests of their terrestrial homeland instead of with those of their homeland in heaven. It would be a tragedy indeed if an apostolic man were to spend himself in attempts to increase and exalt the prestige of the native land he once left behind him. Such behavior would infect his apostolate like a plague. It would destroy in him, the representative of the Gospel, the sinews of his love for souls and it would destroy his reputation with the populace. For no matter how wild and barbarous a people may be, they are well aware of what the missionary is doing in their country and of what he wants for them. They will subject him in their own way to a very searching investigation, and if he has any object in view other than their spiritual good, they will find out about it. Suppose it becomes clear that he is involved in worldly schemes of some kind, and that, instead of devoting himself exclusively to the work of the apostolate, he is serving the interests of his homeland as well. The people immediately suspect everything he does. And in addition, such a situation could easily give rise to the conviction that the Christian religion is the national religion of some foreign people and that anyone converted to it is abandoning his loyalty to his own people and submitting to the pretensions and domination of a foreign power.

Ac miserum sane foret, si qui ex Missionariis ita suae dignitatis immemores viderentur, ut potius de terrena patria quam de caelesti cogitarent, eiusque plus aequo studerent potentiam dilatare gloriamque super omnia extendere. Esset haec quidem apostolatus pestis teterrim.a, quae in Evangelii praecone omnes caritatis animarum nervos elideret, ipsiusque vulgo debilitaret auctoritatem. Homines enim, quantumvis barbari et immanes, satis bene intelligunt quid sibi velit, quid ab eis quaerat Missionarius, sagacissimeque odorando perspiciunt, si quid aliud, ac ipsorum spirituale bonum, expetat. Fac vero eum terrenis aliqua ex parte inservire consiliis, nec se virum undique apostolicum gerere, sed suae quoque patri.ae negotia procurare videri: continuo omnis eius opera in suspicionem veniet multitudini: quae quidem facile adduci poterit in eam opinionem ut christianam religionem putet propriam cuiusdam externae nationis esse, quam religionem qui amplexus sit, subiecisse se tutelae imperioque civitatis exterae, propriaeque civitatis ius exuisse videatur.

20. We have been deeply saddened by some recent accounts of missionary life, accounts that displayed more zeal for the profit of some particular nation than for the growth of the kingdom of God. We have been astonished at the indifference of their authors to the amount of hostility these works stir up in the minds of unbelievers. This is not the way of the Catholic missionary, not if he is worthy of the name. No, the true missionary is always aware that he is not working as an agent of his country, but as an ambassador of Christ. And his conduct is such that it is perfectly obvious to anyone watching him that he represents a Faith that is alien to no nation on earth, since it embraces all men who worship God in spirit and in truth, a Faith in which “there is no Gentile, no Jew, no circumcised, no uncircumcised, no barbarian, no Scythian, no slave, no free man, but Christ is everything in each of us” (Colossians 3:12).

Magnae Nobis quidem aegritudini illa sunt de rebus Missionum commentaria, quae hisce postremis annis vulgari coepta sunt, in quibus non tam studium apparet Dei regnum dilatandi, quam propriae civitatis amplitudinem augendi: miramurque in eis nihil curari quantum haec abalienent a religione sancta animos ethnicorum. Haud ita Missionarius catholicus, hoc dignus nomine: sed is, perpetuo recogitans, se nequaquam pro sua ipsius natione, verum pro Christo legatione fungi, ita se gerat ut quilibet sine ulla dubitatione agnoscat eius ministrum religionis quae, cum omnes complectatur homines, in spiritu et veritate Deum adorantes, nulli est nationi extranea, atque ubi non est Gentilis, et Iudaeus, circumcisio, et praeputium, Barbarus et Scytha, servus, et liber: sed omnia, et in omnibus Christus (6).

Selfless Work

21. There is another failing that the missionary must scrupulously avoid, and that is the desire to make any profit beyond the acquisition of souls. There is, of course, no need to delay on this point. If a man is the victim of a craving for financial gain, how can he fulfill his obligations of working single-mindedly for the glory of God? And how can he, for the increase of God’s glory, hold himself ready to sacrifice everything he has, even his life, to the work of calling other men back to a state of spiritual health? There is also the fact that this weakness would cost him a great part of his influence with unbelievers - a fact especially cogent if his craving should descend, as it tends to do, to the level of avarice. For as men judge things, this is the meanest of vices. Nothing is more unworthy of the kingdom of God. In this matter then, the truly apostolic man will again follow the advice of the Apostle of the Gentiles, who in a wellknown passage wrote to Timothy: “Let us be content if we have food and clothing” (I Timothy 6:8). He will remember too, that St. Paul set such great store by self-denial that, despite the demands of his arduous ministry, he used to provide for his own needs by manual labor.

Alterum autem perdiligenter Missionario cavendum, hoc est ne alios quaestus velit facere quam animarum. Verum hac de re non attinet plura dicere. Nam quem cupiditas teneat lucri, quomodo ille divinae gloriae studebit unice, ut oportet, in eamque promovendam, alios revocans ad san itatem, paratus erit sua omnia vitamque ipsam impendere? Accedit quod ob eam causam multum ei decederet auctoritatis apud infideles, maxime si, quod proclive factu est, studium rei qu aerendae in avaritiae vitium iam abiisset; cuius quidem sordibus nihil est nec hominibus contemptibilius nec Dei regno magis indignum. Bonus igitur Evangelii propagator perstudiose in hoc etiam sequetur gentium Apostolum, cuius non solum est illa ad Timotheum hortatio:habentes alimenta, et quibus tegamur, his contenti simus (7), quandoquidem usque eo laudem abstinentiae magni fecit ut, operosissimi muneris distentus curis, tamen labore et manu sibi victum compararet.

Training

22. Before he enters upon his apostolate the missionary should have a very careful training. This is true despite the possible objection that a man destined to preach Christ in places far removed from civilization has no need of a broad education. It is beyond dispute, of course, that for the work of converting the minds of men the refinements of virtue are more valuable than a knowledge of the fine points of literature. If, however, a man has not been supplied with a creditable provision of learning, it is going to be brought home to him quite frequently that he lacks what could have been an important asset in the fruitful fulfillment of his ministry. It is not a rare occurrence for a missionary to find himself without books and with no opportunity to consult someone more learned than himself. Yet he has to reply to any arguments against the Faith that are brought to him and he is often required to provide answers to very difficult questions. The more learned he proves himself in circumstances like these the greater will be his reputation and his authority, especially if he is dealing with people who hold scholarship and learning in high regard. In such a situation it would be a shocking anomaly to see those entrusted with the message of truth bested by teachers of error.

Sed enim Missionario, priusquam ad apostolatum accedat, adhibenda est praeparatio diligens: quamquam quispiam dicat non esse tot rerum scientiam ei necessariam qui gentibus ab humanitate remotissimis sit Christum nuntiaturus. Nam, licet controversia esse non possit quin ad salutarem animorum conversionem plus virtutum ornamenta valeant quam litterarum, tamen si qui bono tamquam commeatu doctrinae non sit instructus, multum sibi saepe sentiet deesse praesidii ad sancti ministerii fructum. Neque enim is raro et librorum copia caret et doctorum, quos consulat, consuetudine, cum tamen respondere rogantibus, quidquid contra fidem obiecerint, quaestionesque dissolvere, vel perdifficiles, debeat. Ad haec, quo is se eruditiorem ostendet, eo maior eius erit vulgo opinio, praesertim si in populo versabitur, apud quem in honore et in pretio sint studia doctrinae; quo quidem in genere nimium sane dedeceret veritatis nuntios a ministris errorum superari.

Proficiency in All Branches of Learning

23. Because of these demands of the apostolate, the students whom the Lord has called to sacred studies must acquire proficiency in all the branches of learning while they are being trained for their future work. These branches will include both sacred and profane subjects, anything they might need on the missions. We want this precedure adopted, as is proper, in the courses given at the Urbanianum, the Pontifical College of the Propagation of the Faith. We also enjoin the directors of this College to. make adequate provision for the teaching of the science of missiology , a branch of study that from now on is to be included in their curriculum.

 Itaque, dum alumni sacrorum, quos Dominus advocet, ad apostolicas expeditiones rite instituentur, omnino eos in omnibus disciplinis, tum sacris tum profanis, quae Missionariis opus sint, erudlri oportebit. Id ipsum fieri, uti par est, in scholis Pontificii Collegii Urbaniani christiano nomini propagando, volumus: in quibus etiam proprium magisterium scientiae rerum quae ad Missiones pertinent, tradendae posthac esse iubemus.

  Knowledge of Language

24. Among the attainments necessary for the life of a missionary, a place of paramount importance must obviously be granted to the language of the people to whose salvation he will devote himself. He should not be content with a smattering of the language, but should be able to speak it readily and competently. For in this respect he is under an obligation to all those he deals with, the learned and the ignorant alike, and he will soon realize the advantage a command mand of their language gives him in the task of winning the confidence of the populace. If he is earnest about his work, he will be particularly reluctant to delegate the explanation of Christian doctrine to his catechists. He will insist upon reserving this duty to himself. Since he has been sent to the missions for no other purpose, after all, than to preach the gospel, he will even come to look on these instruction periods as the most important part of his work. There will also be occasions when, in his position as representative and interpreter of our holy Faith, he will have to associate with the dignitaries of the district. Or he may be invited to appear at scholarly gatherings. How will he maintain his dignity under these circumstances if he cannot make himself understood because he does not know the language?

In iis vero quae Missionarius percepta et cognita habeat necesse est, praecipue est numerandus, ut apparet, sermo populi, cuius se saluti devovebit. Nec enim contentus esse debebit levi quadam huius cognitione sermonis, sed tanta ut expedite atque emendate loqui possit. Siquidem omnibus, imperitis aeque ac doctis, debitor est, nec ignorat quam facile quis possit, bene loquendo, allicere ad benevolentiam animos multitudinis. Ac praesertim explicationem doctrinae christianae non catechistis committat diligens Missionarius, sed hanc provinciam, velut sibi propriam, atque adeo ut potissimam sui muneris partem, ipse retineat, qui non est aliam ob causam missus a Deo, nisi ut Evangelium praedicaret. Eidem autem interdum continget ut, tamquam religionis sanctae nuntius et interpres, primoribus populi se sistere debeat, aut in coetus doctorum hominum invitetur : tum vero qua ratione is suam tuebitur dignitatem, si sermonis inscitia exprimere sua sensa prohibeatur?

25. We made some provision for this need a short time ago when We were planning for the increase and expansion of the Church in the East. We established here in Rome a special house of studies for those who are destined for the apostolate in that part of the world. There they will acquire fluency in Eastern languages and an intimate acquaintance with Eastern ways, along with a thorough mastery of various other skills that will be of use to them. Our enthusiasm for the advantages afforded by the work of this institute prompts Us to take this opportunity to urge the superiors of all religious orders doing mission work in the East to take advantage of this training and use it to bring to full maturity the abilities of those of their students who have been chosen for these missions.

— Nos igitur hoc ipsum attendimus nuper, cum, catholici nominis apud Orientales incremento et propagationi consulentes, peculiare in Urbe studiorum domicilium instituimus, ubi qui apostolatum in iis regionibus obituri essent, gnari scientesque linguarum morumque Orientis, ceterisque praesidiis instructissimi evaderent. Quod quidem Institutum cum magnae opportunitatis Nobis videatur, hac utimur occasione ad exbortandos, quotquot sunt, moderatores religiosarum familiarum, quibus Orientales Missiones sunt demandatae, ut suos alumnos, iisdem Missionibus destinatos, ea disciplina excolendos expoliendosque curent.

Necessity of Sanctity

26. But for the man who enters upon the apostolic life there is one attribute that is indispensable. It is of the most critical importance, as We have mentioned before, that he have sanctity of life. For the man who preaches God must himself be a man of God. The man who urges others to despise sin must despise it himself. Preaching by example is afar more effective procedure than vocal preaching, especially among unbelievers, who tend to be more impressed by what they see for themselves than by any arguments that can be presented to them. Give the missionary, if you will, every imaginable talent of mind and intellect, endow him with the most extensive learning and the most brilliant culture. Unless these qualities are accompanied by moral integrity they will be of little or no value in the apostolate, On the contrary, they can be the cause of disaster, both to himself and to others.

At, qui se ad apostolicum munus recte accingit, unum necesse est ante omnia sibi comparet, utpoto maximi momenti ac ponderis, videlicet, quod supra memoravimus, vitae sanctimoniam. Etenim homo Dei sit oportet, qui Deum praedicat; oderit peccatum, qui odisse peccatum iubet. Maxime apud infideles, qui sensu potius, quam rationibus, ducuntur, multo plus proficitur fidem exemplis praedicando quam verbis. Esto igitur Missionarius omnibus mentis animique laudibus praeditus, omnibus doctrinis excultus, omni humanitate politus; nisi haec cum morum innocentia cohaereant, parum aut nihil efficacitatis habebunt ad salutem populorum, imo plurimum et ipsi et ceteris obesse possunt.

27. Let us have him, then, an example to those he deals with. Let him be humble and obedient and chaste. And especially let him be a devout man, dedicated to prayer and constant union with God, a man who goes before the Divine Majesty and fervently pleads the cause of souls. For as he binds himself more and more closely to God, he will receive the grace and assistance of God to a greater and greater degree. Particularly applicable here are the words of St. Paul: “Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and well beloved, clothe yourselves with sentiments of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering” (Colossians 3:12). With these virtues the missionary will open for the Faith he preaches a smooth and unobstructed entrance into the hearts of men. All obstacles will melt from his path, for no man’s will is obdurate enough to oppose their attraction with equanimity.

Sit ille igitur in exemplum humilis, obediens, castus, sit praecipue pius, sanctaeque orationi ac perpetuae cum Deo coniunctioni deditus, sedulo apud eum causam agens animarum. Quanto enim fuerit Deo coniunctior, tanto plus ei divinae gratiae et adiumenti impertietur. Audiat autem Apostolum sic hortantem: Induite vos ergo sicut eletti Dei, sancti, et diletti, viscera misericordiae, benignitatem, humilitatem, modestiam, patientiam (8). Harum ope virtutum patens planusque in animos hominum est veritati aditus, quibusvis submotis impedimentis; neque enim ulla est adeo contumax voluntas quae eis facile. obsistat.

The Missionary’s Model

28. Like his model, the Lord Jesus, the good missionary burns with charity, and he numbers even the most abandoned unbelievers among God’s children, redeemed like everyone else with the ransom of the divine blood. Their lowly difference does not exasperate him; their immorality does not dishearten him. His bearing toward them is neigher scornful nor fastidious; his treatment of them is neither harsh nor rough. Instead, he makes use of all the arts of Christian kindness to attract them to himself, so that he may eventually lead them into the arms of Christ, into the embrace of the Good Shepherd. He makes it a custom to ponder the thought expressed in Holy Scripture: “Thy kindly influence, Lord, Thy gracious influence is all about us. At the first false step, none is so ready to rebuke us, to remind and warn us of our error, bidding us come back and renew our loyalty to Thee... With such power at Thy disposal, a lenient judge Thou provest thyself, riding us with a light rein, and keeping Thy terrors in reserve” (Wisdom 12:1-2, 18). What obstacle can arise, what annoyance or danger exists that could deter this emissary of Jesus Christ from fulfilling the task he has begun? There is none. This man, who has attained great favor with God by his free choice of the lofty work he has taken upon himself, will cheerfully endure whatever adversity or hardship befalls him. Toil, scorn, want, hunger, even a dreadful death - he will gladly accept them all, as long as there remains a slight chance that he can free even one soul from the jaws of hell.

Ergo Missionarius, qui quidem ad similitudinem Iesu Domini flagret caritate, cum vel perditissimos ethnicorum numeret inter filios Dei, utpote eodem divini sanguinis pretio redemptos, non eorum vel inhumanitate irritatur, vel morum perversitate percellitur, non eos despicit aut fastidit, non acerbe atque dure tractat, verum omnibus christianae benignitatis officiis studet allicere, ut ad complexum Christi, Pastoris Boni, aliquando perducat. In quo illud Scripturae Sanctae meditaci consuevit: O quam bonus, et suavis est, Domine, spiritus tuus in omnibus! Ideoque eos, qui exerrant, partibus corripis: et de quibus peccano, admones et alloqueris, ut relicta malitia, credant in te, Domine.... Tu autem dominator virtutis cum tranquillitate iudicas, et cum magna reverentia disponis nos (9). Quid vero est aut difficultatis aut molestiae aut discriminis, quod talem Iesu Christi legatum ab incoepto remoretur? Nihil sane: nam, gratissimus in Deum qui se tam Gelso muneri destinavit, omnia quaecumque inciderint adversa et aspera ad tolerandum, labores, contumelias, inopiam, famem, mortem ipsam quamvis crudelem, magno complectitur animo, dum vel unam ex infernorum faucibus animam eripiat.

29. The missionary who is motivated and inspired by the example of Christ Our Lord and of the Apostles can go out confidently to his ministry. But he must recognize that the basis of his confidence rests entirely on God. As We have said before, this whole work is a divine work. Only God can enter men’s hearts and illumine their minds with the radiance of truth; only God can enkindle their wills with the spark of virtue; only God can give them the strength to pursue the truth and do the good they have seen. The emissary will spend himself in vain unless his Lord helps him as he works. Yet he has every reason to go bravely on with the task allotted to him, for he can rely on divine grace that grace which is never withheld from the man who asks for it.

Ita affectus animatusque, Christi Domini et Apostolorum exemplo, ad suum munus fungendum fidenter Missionarius aggrediatur: sed omnem fiduciae suae rationem in Deo collocabit. Divinum est hoc totum, ut diximus, christianam propagare sapientiam, cum solius Dei sit penetrare in animos, ut et mentes splendore veritatis illustret, et voluntates igniculis virtutum inflammet, et idoneas vires homini, ad sequendum efficiendumque id quod verum bonumque cognoverit, adiiciat. Quare, nisi ministro elaboranti Dominus adfuerit, is frustra contendet. Idem nihilo minus tamen strenue pergat pro instituto contendere, auxilio nimirum fretus divinae gratiae, quae nunquam, eam roganti, defutura est.

Praise of Nuns

30. We must not go further without saying something about the work that is being done by women, for since the very earliest days of the Church they have always been remarkable for their diligence and zeal in assisting the preachers of the gospel. We want to single out here, and single out for Our highest praise, those many women who have vowed their virginity to God and have gone to pursue their vocation on the missions. There they have devoted themselves to the education of children and to a great many other works of charity and devotion. This recognition of their achievements will, We hope, encourage the sisters and inspire them to further efforts on behalf of the Church. We hope too that they will hold fast to the conviction that the usefulness of their work will increase in proportion to the care they give to their own spiritual perfection.

– Quo loco praetereundae silentio non sunt mulieres, quae iam inde a rei christianae primordiis egregiam operam studiumque Evangelii praeconibus navare consueverunt. Ac dignae sunt quae praecipua cum laude hic commemorentur virgines illae Deo devotae, quae in sacris Missionibus frequentes versantur, puerorum educationi, pietatisque et beneficentiae multiplicibus institutis addictae; volumusque haec suorum commendatio meritorum illis ad bene de Ecclesia sancta merendum animos addat et alacritatem. Illae autem pro certo habeant tanto suam operam fore utiliorem, quanto magis suae ipsarum perfectioni spiritus studuerint.

To All Catholics

31. And now We would like to address all those who, thanks to the mercy of God, possess the true Faith and participate in the innumerable benefits that flow from it. First We should like to point out the fact that the sacred obligation of assisting in the conversion of the infidels applies also to them. For “He (God) gave to every one of them commandment concerning his neighbor” (Ecclesiasticus 17:12); and the strictness of this command varies in proportion to the seriousness of the neighbor’s need. Now what class of men is more in need of fraternal help than unbelievers, who live in ignorance of God, and consequently, bound by the chains of their blind and violent desires, are enslaved in the most hideous of all the forms of slavery, the service of Satan? Anyone then who contributes whatever services he can to the work of bringing the light of faith to them - and helping the work of the missions is the best means - would accomplish two purposes at the same time. He would be fulfilling his obligation in this important matter, and he would also be thanking God in a particularly appropriate way for the faith that has been given to him.

Affari iam libet universos omnes, quicumque, magno Dei miserentis munere, verae sunt Fidei compotes et innumerabilia, quae inde manant, beneficia participant. Ac primum attendant oportet quam sancta teneantur lege sacris ad infideles Missionibus opitulandi. Etenim mandavit (Deus) unicuique de proximo suo (10); quod mandatum eo quidem urget gravius, quo proximum premit maior necessitas. At vero quod genus hominum magis fraternae opis indiget, quam infidelium, qui, cum Deum ignorent, caecis effrenatisque cupiditatibus devincti, pessimam omnium, sub diabolo, serviunt servitutem? Quotquot igitur his illuminandi ~ opem pro facultate attulerint, praesertim Missionalium operam adiuvando, ii et maxima in re officii partes expleverint et grates Deo acceptissimum in modum de Fidei beneficio persolverint.

Three Ways to Help

32. There are three general ways in which a Catholic can assist the missionary effort, and missionaries themselves constantly remind us of them. The first is within everyone’s capacity. This first means is prayer, prayer that God may grant the missions His merciful aid. We have already insisted that the toil of our missionaries would be futile and barren unless divine grace rendered it vital and fruitful. St. Paul referred to this fact when he said, “It was I who planted the seed; it is Apollo who waters it; but it is God Who makes it grow “(I Corinthians 3:6). We must remember, however, that we have a way of obtaining this grace - the way of humble and persevering prayer. As Our Lord said, “. .. regarding anything they ask for, their prayer shall be granted by My Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:19). This kind of prayer cannot fail, especially in this cause. For no cause is dearer or more pleasing to God than this one. While the Israelites fought their battle with Amalech, Moses took his stand on a great hill and, lifting up his hands, implored God’s aid for his people. The teachers of the gospel are manfully at work in the Lord’s vineyard, and it is the duty of all the faithful to follow the example of Moses and grant them the support of their prayers.

Iamvero triplicis generis sunt adiumenta quae Missionibus afferri possunt, quaeque Missionales ipsi rogare non desinunt. Primum est, quod quidem cuique praestare Iicet, ut propitius eis Deus invocetur. Semel iterumque iam diximus inanem atque irritum, a Missionariis insumptum, laborem fore, nisi eum divina gratia fecundarit, Paulo testante qui ait : Ego piantavi, Apollo rigavit, sed Deus incrementum dedit (11). Fluius autem gratiae impetrandae una via est eaque in perseverantia humilium precum consistit, nam de omni re, quamcumque petierint, fiet illis a Patre meo (12) dicit Dominus. Quae preces, si unquani alias, sane effectu carere non possunt in hac causa, qua nulla praestantior, nulla gratior Deo est. Quemadmodum igitur dum Israelitae cum Amalec praeliabantur, interea Moyses in summo colle divinam eis opem sublatis manibus impetrabat, ita Evangelii propagatoribus laboriose in vinea Domini se exercentibus omnes debent Christifideles sanctarum precationum ope suffragaci.

Role of the Apostleship of Prayer

33. It was to carry out this duty properly that the organization called The Apostleship of Prayer was established, and We take this occasion to recommend it warmly to all devout Christians. It is our hope that none of them will neglect to join this organization. We pray that they will all want to participate in the mission effort, and if they cannot assist in the field, they will, nevertheless, be willing to contribute their zeal and their devotion.

Cui quidem officio rite exsequendo cum proprie institutus sit Apostolatus precationis qui dicitur, eum hic vehementer bonorum universitati commendamus, optantes ut nemo se ab eius consortione abstineat, sed velini, quotquot sunt, apostolici laboris si non re at studio esse participes.

Fostering Vocations

34. Secondly, something must be done about the scarcity of missionaries. Their number was small enough a few years ago; but now, since the war, it has been so reduced that many areas of the Lord’s vineyard are without laborers. We appeal to you, venerable Brethren, for a particularly vigorous approach to this problem. You will be performing a service eminently worthy of your love of the Faith if you take pains to foster any signs of a missionary vocation that appear among your priests and seminarians. Do not bedeceived by the claims of a false prudence; do not let human reasoning deter you with the plea that what you send to the foreign missions you will be subtracting from the resources of your diocese, To fill the place of each priest you send to the missions, God will give you many priests, and very able priests, for your work at home.

Secundo loco, Missionalium paucitati medendum est; quae cum antea non exigua esset, summa iam fatta est confetto bello, ut multae Dominici agri partes a cultoribus vacent. In quo vestram praecipue, venerabiles Fratres, advocatam desideramus diligentiam; vosque rem fatturi estis vestro religionis amore in primis dignam, si et in clero et in Seminario dioecesano apostolatus semina, quae quis forte sibi inesse ostenderit, studiose foveatis. Nec vos ulla species retti decipiat aut humana aliqua ratio permoveat, quasi, quod exteris Missionibus permiseritis, id de utilitate dioecesis vestrae detraxisse videamini. In locum enim unius quem dimiseritis foras, plures domi sacerdotes perutiles Deus vobis suscitabit.

35. To the superiors of religious orders and institutes that serve the missions We address a most earnest request that they choose for this critical work only the best of .their men, those who are outstanding in virtue, in devotion, in zeal for souls, And whenever it becomes evident that their missionaries have succeeded in converting a particular people from superstition to the divine wisdom of Christianity, and that the Church has been securely established there, then it is time for superiors to send their men on, so that these picked troops of Christ can wrest still another people from the clutches of the devil. What they have won they won for Christ. Do not balk now at leaving the harvest to be reaped by others. And remember that this type of procedure, this continual preparation of harvests, will bring down upon your congregations the richest gifts of God’s divine goodness.

Qui vero Ordinibus Institutisve religiosorum praesunt exteras colentibus Missiones, oramus et obsecramus, ne ad tantum opus nisi sodalium lectissimos destinent, eos scilicet qui et vitae innocentia et devotionis ardore et animarum studio praestare videantur. Iidem autem cum Missionarios suos cognoverint in aliquo populo ab impura superstitione ad christianam sapientiam traducendo feliciter esse versatos, ecclesiamque ibi satis firme fundasse, eos, ut electos milites Christi, ad aliam gentem ex diaboli manibus eripiendam transferant, et quicquid ab illis iam quaesitum Christo sit, aliis, cultura promovendum in melius, haud inviti relinquant. Quo pacto, opimam facientes tamquam messem animarum, uberrima quoque suis Familiis divinae bonitatis munera acquirent.

Economic Help

36. Finally, the missions need economic help, and a substantial amount of it. The war has enormously increased their difficulties. It has wiped out a great number of schools, hospitals and hostels, has destroyed organized charities and put an end to many other types of foundation they once operated. In this crisis We appeal to all good Christians for whatever liberality they can afford. “How can the love of God abide in him who possesses worldly goods, and, seeing his brother in need, closes his heart to him?” (I John 3:17) . When he said this the Apostle John was referring to people who suffer physical need. But does not the law of charity bind even more strictly when there is even more at stake than the rescue of enormous numbers of people from hunger and destitution and the other forms of physical suffering? Does not this law bind us more stringently when the issue is also, and primarily, the rescue of this stupendous multitude of souls from the arrogant domination of Satan, and their entrance into the freedom of the children of God?

Denique opes et eae non ita tenues requiruntur ad Missiones tuendas, maxime cum earum necessitates ex bello in immensum creverint, tot scholis et nosocomiis et domibus hospitalibus et gratuitis rerum diribitoriis aliisque sublatis exstinctis. Hic enimvero bonos omnes appellamus, ut liberales pro facultatibus exsistant. Nam Qui habuerit substantiam huius mundi, et viderit fratrem suum necessitatem habere, et clauserit viscera sua ab eo; quomodo charitas Dei manet in eo ? (13) Ita quidem Ioannes Apostolus, de illis loquens qui rerum externarum necessitate premantur. At quanto est sanctius observanda caritatis lex in hac causa, cum agitur non solum ut inediae et inopiae ceterisque miseriis infinitae multitudinis subveniatur, sed etiam et in primis ut tam ingens animarum numerus e superbo Satanae dominatu in filiorum Dei libertatem vindicetur?

Society for the Propagation of the Faith

37. We warmly urge Catholics to give generous assistance to the organizations that have been established for the support of the missions. The first of these is the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, an organization that has repeatedly earned the commendation of Our predecessors. In the hope that its work will be even more fruitful in the future We recommend it to the particular attention of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith. For this organization has to supply a goodly proportion of the funds needed for the missions, both the missions already established and those that will be organized in the future. We are confident that in times like these when spokesmen for erroneous doctrines are numerous and affluent the Catholic world will not permit its own missionaries, the sowers of the seeds of truth, to go without resources.

Quare illa praesertim quae in sacrarum Missionum commodum sunt instituta, adiuvari catholicorum liberalitate cupimus. Primum est Opus quod appellatur a Propagatione Fidei, pluries iam a decessoribus Nostris dilaudatum; ex quo ut vel maior fructuum optimorum ubertas exsistat in posterum, volumus sacrum Consilium christiano nomini propagando diligentissime curet. Maxime enim ex eo copiae suppetant oportet unde Missiones tum quae iam sunt conditae tum quae posthac condendae erunt, sustententur: confidimus autem non permissurum catholicum orbem ut, cum alii ad errore s diffundendos abundent affluantque opibus, nostri verum disseminantes cum inopia luctentur.

Association of the Holy Childhood

38. A second organization that We strongly recommend to the charity of all Catholics is the Association of the Holy Childhood, a group that arranges for the administration of Baptism to dying children of non-Christian families. This organization is particularly commendable because of the fact that our Catholic children can take part in it and in this way learn to appreciate the value of the faith that has been given to them. If they learn this, they will also learn to associate themselves with the work of sharing this gift with others. Still another organization We wish to mention is the Society of St. Peter the Apostle, an organization that aids in the education and training of local clergy for the missions.

Alterum, quod etiam vehementer omnibus commendamus, est Sanctae Infantiae Opus, cuius est vigilare ut infidelium parvulis decedentibus baptismus ministretur: idque eo est commendabilius, quia pueri quoque nostri ipsum participare possunt, itaque, mature intelligentes quanti sit Fidei donum, suam operam ad illud cum aliis communicandum discunt conferre. Nec vero praetermittendum est Opus Sancti Petri, ut aiunt, quo educationi atque institutioni cleri indigenae Missionum consulitur.

39. Our predecessor of happy memory, Leo XIII, prescribed a means of assisting these various organizations, and it is Our will that this prescription be faithfully observed. We are speaking of the custom of taking up in all churches on the Feast of the Epiphany, a collection “for the ransom of captives from Africa,” and sending the proceeds to the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith.

— Ad haec diligenter observari volumus quod est a decessore Nostro fel. rec. Leone XIII praescriptum, ut in festo Epiphaniae Domini in omnibus orbis terrarum sacris aedibus stipes « pro redimendis captivis ex Africa » corrogentur, et quantum collectum erit pecuniae, ad S. Consilium Fidei Propagandae mittatur.

Missionary Union of the Clergy

40. But if these hopes of Ours, venerable Brethren, are to be assured of very great success, you must adopt some special measure to direct the thoughts of your clergy toward the missions. The faithful are generally ready and willing to come to the assistance of this willingness so that the missions will gain as much as possible by it. To accomplish this end, We desire the establishment, in all the dioceses of the Catholic world, of the organization is called the Missionary Union of the Clergy. This organization is under the direction of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, and We have given the Congregation all the authorization necessary for its work. The Union was organized a short time ago in Italy, and has rapidly taken root in other places. Its work has Our complete approval, and We have already demonstrated Our pontifical approbation by granting it a number of privileges. With good reason, for the Union’s methods are admirably suited to the task of fostering among the clergy the readiness and ability to instill in Christian hearts a concern for the salvation of the non-Catholic multitudes and to promote the various enterprises that the Holy See has approved as effective channels for assistance to the missions.

Sed quo certius uberiusque optata Nostra eveniant, debetis omnino, venerabiles Fratres, vestri cleri disciplinam peculiari quodam modo ad Missiones dirigere. Vulgo enim fideles ad opitulandum hominibus apostolicis inclinane et propendent; vosque hac animorum propensione sapienter utamini, ut quam maximo Missionibus sit emolumento. Scitote igitur Nos cupere, in omnibus orbis catholici dioecesibus eam quam vocant Missionalem cleri consociationem, institui, quae in dicione sit Sacri Consilii christiano nomini propagando, cui quidem Sacro Consilio omnem iam huius rei fecimus facultatem. Orta ea nuper in Italia, brevi in alias regiones diffusa est; Nostroque studio cum fioreat, multis iam est a Nobis pontificalis indulgentiae muneribus ornata. Et merito; nam eius instituto clericorum actio optime ordinatur, cum ad iniiciendam christianis curam de tot ethnicorum salute, tura ad opera ea cuiusvis generis provehenda, quae in Missionum utilitatem Apostolica haec Sedes iam probarit.

Conclusion

41. We have now said, venerable Brethren, what We wanted to say to you about the work of propagating the Catholic Faith through the world. If all Catholics, both the missionaries in the field and the faithful at home, meet the obligations of this task as they should, then We have good reason to hope that our missions will quickly recover from the severe wounds and losses inflicted by the war, and that they will in a short time again show their old strength and vigor. As We look into the future, We seem to hear the Lord’s voice, urging Us to “Launch out into the deep water” (Luke 5:4), as He urged Peter long ago. Our paternal charity spurs Us to the work of leading into His welcoming arms the multitudes now living with Us in this world. For the Church is sustained by the Spirit of God, and under the influence of this Spirit she remains always strong and vigorous. Then too, the work of the thousands of apostolic men who have labored in the past and are laboring now to promote her growth cannot fail to have its effect. And their example will attract numerous others to imitate them, and to go out, supported by the generosity and devotion of the good Christian people, to reap for Christ a rich harvest of souls.

Haec, venerabiles Fratres, de fidei catholicae toto orbe propagatione scribere ad vos habuimus. Iam vero, si suo quisque officio, uti par est, omnes satisfecerint, Missionarii foris, Christifideles domi, bona nitimur spe, futurum ut, ex maximis belli vulneribus damnisque refectae, celeriter sacrae Missiones revirescant. Atque hic, tamquam hortante Nos, ut olim Petrum, ea Domini voce: duc in altum (14), quanto urgemur paternae caritatis ardore, ut innumerabiles, qui nunc sunt, homines ad ipsius complexum adducamus. Etenim alitur vigetque semper Dei Spiritu Ecclesia; nec suo possunt effectu carere tot hominum apostolicorum studia, qui ad eam amplificandam laboraverunt adhuc et laborant. Horum autem exemplis excitati, exsistent subinde plurimi, qui, bonorum et pietate et munificentia suffragante, laetissimam parient Christo copiam animarum.

42. May the great Mother of God, the Queen of Apostles, hear our united prayers and call down upon the heralds of the gospel the graces of the Holy Spirit. As a token of these graces, venerable Brethren, and as a proof of Our cordial good will, We very affectionately impart to you, and to the clergy and people in your charge, Our apostolic benediction.

Faveat communibus votis Magna Dei Parens, Regina Apostolorum, Evangelii praeconibus effusionem Sancti Spiritus conciliando; cuius auspicem et benevolentiae Nostrae testem, vobis, venerabiles Fratres, et clero populoque vestro apostolicam benedictionem peramanter impertimus.

Given in Rome at St. Peter’s, on the 30th of November, 1919, the sixth year of Our Pontificate.

Datum Romae apud sanctum Petrum, die XXX Novembris MCMXIX, Pontificatus Nostri anno sexto.

BENEDICTUS PP. XV

THE LIFE of ANTONY
(Chapters 1-7: Antony the young ascetic)

Youth and

Family

 
ANTIRRHETIKOS: PROLOGUE
 

THE LIFE of ANTONY

THE LIFE of ANTONY

THE LIFE of ANTONY

THE LIFE of ANTONY

TEACHER,
DISCIPLE, and 
INSTRUCTOR
 

TEACHER,
DISCIPLE, and 
INSTRUCTOR
 

TEACHER,
DISCIPLE, and 
INSTRUCTOR
 

TEACHER,
DISCIPLE, and 
INSTRUCTOR
 

TEACHER,
DISCIPLE, and 
INSTRUCTOR
 

TEACHER,
DISCIPLE, and 
INSTRUCTOR