Therefore when men say that the Church views with disfavor all modern statecraft, and repudiates without distinction all modern progress, it is an empty and contemptible calumny. She does, indeed, repudiate the madness of opinion; she reprobates the wicked plans of sedition, and especially that habit of
morum, in quo initia perspiciuntur voluntarii discessus a Deo: sed quia omne, quod verum est, a Deo proficisci necesse est, quidquid, indagando, veri attingatur, agnoscit Ecclesia velut quoddam divinæ mentis vestigium. Cumque nihil sit in rerum natura veri, quod doctrinis divinitus traditis fidem abroget, multa quæ adrogent, omnisque possit inventio veri ad Deum ipsum vel cognoscendum vel laudandum impellere, idcirco quidquid accedat ad scientiarum fines proferendos, gaudente et libente Ecclesia semper accedet: eademque studiose, ut solet, sicut alias disciplinas, ita illas etiam fovebit ac provehet, quæ positæ sunt in explicatione naturæ. Quibus in studiis, non adversatur Ecclesia si quid mens repererit novi: non repugnat quin plura quærantur ad decus commoditatemque vitæ: immo inertiæ desidiæque inimica, magnopere vult ut hominum ingenia uberes ferant exercitatione et cultura fructus: incitamenta præbet ad omne genus artium atque operam: omniaque harum rerum studia ad honestatem salutemque virtute sua dirigens impedire nititur, quominus a Deo bonisque cælestibus sua hominem intelligentia atque industria deflectat. mind in which the beginnings of a voluntary departing from God are visible; but since every true thing must necessarily proceed from God, whatever of truth is by search attained, the Church acknowledges as a certain token of the divine mind. And since there is no truth in the world which can take away belief in the doctrines divinely handed down and many things which confirm it, and since every finding of truth may impel man to the knowledge or praise of God himself, therefore whatever may happen to extend the range of knowledge, the Church will always willingly and joyfully accept; and she will, as is her wont in the case of other studies, steadily encourage and promote those also which are concerned with the investigation of nature. If the mind finds anything new in them, the Church offers no opposition; she fights, not against the search after more things for the grace and convenience of life--nay, a very foe to inertness and sloth, she earnestly wishes that the talents of men should, by being cultivated and exercised, bear still richer fruits; she offers inducements to every sort of art and craft, and directing by her own innate worth all the pursuits of these things to virtue and salvation, she strives to save man's own intelligence
Sed hæc tametsi plena rationis et consilii, nimis probantur hoc tempore, cum civitates non modo recusant sese ad Christianæ sapientiæ referre formam, sed etiam videntur quotidie longius ab ea velle discedere. and industry from turning him away from God and the good things of heaven.
But these things, although full of reasonableness and foresight, are not so well approved of in these days, when States not only refuse to defer to the laws of Christian wisdom, but seem even to wish to depart each day farther from them.
Nihilominus quia in lucem prolata veritas solet sua sponte late fluere, hominumque mentes sensim pervadere, idcirco nos conscientia maximi sanctissimique officii, hoc est apostolica, qua fungimur ad gentes universas, legatione permoti, ea quæ vera sunt, libere, ut debemus, eloquimur; non quod non perspectam habeamus rationem temporum, aut repudianda ætatis nostræ honesta atque utilia incrementa putemus, sed quod rerum publicarum tutiora ab offensionibus itinera ac firmiora fundamenta vellemus: idque incolumi populorum germana libertate; in hominibus enim mater et custos optima libertatis veritas est: Veritas liberabit vos. [389]
Nevertheless, because truth brought to light is wont of its own accord to spread widely, and by degrees to pervade the minds of men, we, therefore, moved by the consciousness of our exalted and most sacred office, that is our apostolic commission to all nations, speak the truth freely as we ought to speak: not that we have no perception of the spirit of the times, or that we think the honest and useful improvements of our age are to be repudiated, but because we would wish the highways of public affairs to be safer from attacks, and their foundations more stable, and that without detriment to the true freedom of the peoples; for amongst men the mother and best guardian of liberty is truth: "The truth shall make you free." [390]
Itaque in tam difficili rerum cursu Catholici homines, si nos, ut oportet, audierint, facile videbunt
Therefore at so critical a juncture of events, Catholic men, if, as it behooves them, they will listen to us,
quæ sua cujusque sint tam in opinionibus, quam in factis officia.--Et in opinando quidem, quæcumque pontifices Romani tradiderint vel tradituri sunt, singula necesse est et tenere judicio stabili comprehensa, et palam, quoties res postulaverit, profiteri, ac nominatim de iis, quas libertates vocant novissimo tempore quæsitas, oportet Apostolicæ Sedis stare judicio, et quod ipsa senserit, idem sentire singulos. Cavendum, ne quem fallat honesta illarum species: cogitandumque quibus ortæ initiis, et quibus passim sustententur atque alantur studiis. Satis jam est experiendo cognitum, quarum illæ rerum effectrices sint in civitate eos quippe passim genuere fructus, quorum probos viros et sapientes jure poeniteat. will easily see what are their own and each other's duties in matters of opinion as well as of action. And as regards opinion, it is necessary both to hold all things whatsoever the Roman pontiffs have delivered, or shall hereafter deliver, with firm grasp and clear apprehension, and also as often as occasion demands openly to profess the same. And, to give an instance, concerning those things which are called recently acquired liberties, it is proper to stand by the judgment of the Apostolic See, and for every one to hold what she holds. Take care lest any man be deceived by the honest outward appearance of these things; and think of the beginnings from which they are sprung; and by what desires they are sustained and fed in divers places. It is now sufficiently known by experience what they produce in the State; for in many a place they have borne fruit, over which wise and good men justly grieve.
Si talis alicubi aut reapse sit, aut fingatur cogitatione civitas quæ Christianum nomen insectetur proferre et tyrannice, cum eaque conferatur genus id reipublicæ recens, de quo loquimur, poterit hoc videri tolerabilius. Principia tamen, quibus nititur, sunt profecto ejusmodi, sicut ante diximus, ut
If there were in any place a State, either actual or hypothetical, that wantonly and tyrannically waged war upon the Christian name, and if such a modern kind of State as we are speaking of were compared with it, it is possible that this might be considered more tolerable; yet the principles
per se ipsa probari nemini debeant. upon which it rests are absolutely such that, of themselves, they ought to be approved by no men.
Potest tamen aut in privatis domesticisque rebus, aut in publicis actio versari. Privatim quidem primum officium est, præceptis evangelicis diligentissime conformare vitam et mores, nec recusare si quid Christiana virtus exigat ad patiendum tolerandumque paulo difficilius. Debent præterea singuli Ecclesiam sic diligere, ut communem matrem: ejusque et jura salva velle: conarique ut ab iis in quos quisque aliquid auctoritate potest, pari pietate colatur atque ametur.
Now the field of human conduct may lie either in private and domestic or in public affairs. In private life the first duty is to conform one's life and manners to the precepts of the Gospel, and not to refuse if Christian virtue requires of us to bear something more difficult than usual. Moreover, individuals are bound to love the Church as their common mother; to keep her laws obediently; to give her the service of due honor, and wish her rights respected, and endeavor to have her fostered and beloved with like piety by those over whom they may exercise authority.
Illud etiam publicæ salutis interest, ad rerum urbanarum administrationem conferre sapienter operam: in eaque studere maxime et efficere, ut adolescentibus ad religionem, ad probos mores informandis ea ratione, qua æquum est Christianis, publice consultum sit: quibus ex rebus magnopere pendet singularum salus civitatum.
It is also of great importance to the public welfare diligently and wisely to give attention to education and culture; to bestow careful attention upon them, and to take effectual care that public provision be made for the training of youth in religion and morality, as Christians are bound to provide; for upon these things depend very much the welfare of every State.
Item Catholicorum hominum operam ex hoc tanquam angustiore campo longius excurrere, ipsamque summam rempublicam complecti,
And further, to speak generally, it is useful and honorable for the attention of Catholic men to pass beyond this narrower field, and to embrace
generatim utile est atque honestum. Generatim eo dicimus quia hæc præcepta nostra gentes universas attingunt. Ceterim potest alicubi accidere, ut, maximis justissimisque de causis, rempublicam capessere, in muneribusque politicis versari, nequaquam expediat. Sed generatim, ut diximus, nullam velle rerum publicarum partem attingere tam esset in vitio, quam nihil ad communem utilitatem afferre studii, nihil operæ: eo vel magis quod Catholici homines ipsius, quam profitentur admonitione doctrinæ, ad rem integre et ex fide gerendam impelluntur. Contra ipsis otiosis, facile habenas accepturi suntii quorum opiniones spem salutis haud sane magnam afferant. Idque esset etiam cum pernicie conjunctum Christiani nominis: propterea quod plurimum possent qui male essent in Ecclesiam animati: minimum qui bene. every branch of public administration. Generally, we say, because these our precepts reach unto all the nations. But it may happen in some particular place, for the most urgent and just reasons, that it is by no means expedient to engage in public affairs, or to take an active part in political functions. But generally, as we have said, to wish to take no part in public affairs would be wrong in proportion as it contributed neither thought nor work to the common weal; and the more so on this account, because Catholic men are bound by the admonitions of the doctrine which they profess, to do what has to be done with integrity and with faith. If, on the contrary, they are idle, those whose opinions assuredly do not give any great hope of safety will easily get possession of the reins of government. This would be attended with danger to the Christian name, because they who are badly disposed towards the Church would become most powerful; and those least powerful who are well disposed.
Quamobrem perspicuum est, ad rempublicam adeundi causam esse justam Catholicis: non enim adeunt, neque adire debent ob eam causam, ut probent quod est hoc tempore in rerum publicarum rationibus non honestum; sed ut
Wherefore it is evident there is just cause for Catholics to undertake the conduct of public affairs; for they do not assume these responsibilities in order to approve of what is not lawful in the methods of government at this time; but in
has ipsas rationes, quoad fieri potest, in bonum publicum transferant sincerum atque verum, destinatum animo habentes, sapientiam virtutemque Catholicæ religionis, tanquam saluberrimum succum ac sanguinem, in omnes reipublicæ venas inducere. order that they may turn these very methods, as far as may be, to the unmixed and true public good, holding this purpose in their minds, to infuse into all the veins of the commonwealth the most healthy sap and blood as it were--the wisdom and virtue of the Catholic religion.
Haud aliter actum in primis Ecclesiæ ætatibus. Mores enim et studia ethnicorum quam longissime a studiis abhorrebant moribusque evangelicis: Christianos tamen cernere erat in media superstitione incorruptos semperque suî similes animose, quacumque daretur aditus, inferre sese. Fideles in exemplum principibus, obedientesque, quoad fas esset, imperio legum, fundebant mirificum splendorem sanctitatis usquequaque, prodesse studebant fratribus, vocare ceteros ad sapientiam Christi, cedere tamen loco atque emori fortiter parati, si honores, si magistratus, si imperia retinere, incolumi virtute nequivissent.
Such was the course adopted in the first ages of the Church. For the ways and aspirations of the heathen were as widely divergent as possible from the ways and aspirations of the Gospel; yet Christians were seen to be incorrupt in the midst of superstition, and always true to themselves, entering with spirit every walk in life which was open to them. Models of fidelity to their princes, obedient, where lawful, to the sovereign power, they exhibited the wonderful splendor of holiness everywhere; they sought the good of their neighbor, and to call others to the wisdom of Christ; bravely prepared to renounce public life, and even to die, if it was impossible for them to retain their offices, or magistracies, or commands with unsullied virtue.