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| Pope Clement XIII |
Venerable
Brothers, Greetings and Apostolic Blessing.
Since
that day when the unbelievable and unexpected happened, when God took Our
unworthiness and placed it in the Holy See of St. Peter, the summit of all the
churches, We have been troubled by a bitter and constant concern. A much
heavier burden of sorrow has been placed on Us than We are able to bear. We
would certainly have given Ourselves over to weeping if something had not
deterred Us from this excessive sadness-something similar to what happened to
the most holy prophet, the dynamic leader of Israel. Moses exclaimed to the
Lord: "Why do you treat your servant so badly? And why have you placed the
weight of all this people on me? I am not able to carry this nation by myself;
the weight is too much for me."[1] In order that Moses might not fail in
spirit and that he might bear the burden he had assumed, God commanded him to
gather seventy men from the elders of Israel. He granted the spirit of Moses to
them so that they could be teachers of the people and share the burden with
Moses. That same consolation alone sustains Us now, Venerable Brothers. God
himself chose you much sooner from among the multitude of the faithful to care
for souls. He gave you to Us as Our helpers and assistants. When you were
ordained to the episcopacy, He abundantly filled you with His own spirit so
that We might be confident in the aid and excellence of God and supported by
your singular wisdom. You are on fire to fulfill your duties, and We conclude
that much of Our sorrow and concern has been removed. Therefore, in order to find
encouragement in our mutual faith[2] and to arouse your sincere mind to
remembrance,[3] We write this letter to you. We know that you are ardent and
upright against the foul enemy of the human race and have organized yourselves
as in a battle line. Nevertheless We exhort you to meet the enemy more quickly
and courageously, to wage the war well. Standing in battle, may you fight for
the house of Israel.[4]
2.
In so many and such dangerous battles, the hope of victory is that much better
and that much more certain if we preserve unity in the close bond of peace.[5]
Therefore, Venerable Brothers, may your love in all its strength remove from
the hearts of the faithful the seeds of any kind of dissension. It is your
responsibility that everybody seeks peace,[6] that everybody searches for the
elements of peace.[7] The Lord Jesus, a short time before He gave himself up to
die, said to His apostles, "Peace I give you; my own peace I give
you."[8] He does not leave the inheritance of peace only to the apostles,
but also to us. He says "Not only for these but for those also who through
their words will believe in me. May they all be one, Father, may they be one in
us as you are in me and I am in you."[9] Venerable
Brothers, see to it that by eliminating spiritual dissensions, we constantly
and continually preserve so great and so precious an inheritance which the Lord
Jesus transmitted to us. The apostle says that the Holy Spirit is a
pledge of this inheritance. When we place ourselves before Him and beseech Him
to make holy the sacrifice of the Church, we ask nothing more than that the
bond of love be preserved unbroken in the Church by spiritual grace. It is good
for us all to remember that when the Lord
asked "who do men say the Son of Man is" and whom the disciples
believed He was, they answered that there were various opinions about Him. But
St. Peter confessed that He was the son of the living God, not revealed by
flesh and blood but by the Father.[10]
3.
From this, you can easily see that there is a
difference between the sons of light and the sons of the world. The latter disagree among themselves with various and diverse opinions,
while the former, initiated into the mysteries of unity, profess the one faith
of all by the mouth of one, through the head of all. Therefore,
concentrate all your attention on increasing peace among the faithful. Uproars,
contentions, rivalries, animosities, and dissensions should be silenced.[11] In
this way those who go by the name of Catholic can all be perfect in the same
sense, in the same opinion,[12] saying the same thing together,[13] knowing the
same thing and understanding it thoroughly. They should understand that if they
want to be members of Christ, they cannot have concord with the head if they
want to be in disagreement with the members. Nor can those who have not lived
in fraternal love be counted as brothers by the Almighty Father.
4.
The apostle shows us remarkable signs of love and reliable pointers, so that
nobody strays in a matter which contains the salvation of the human race. He
says: "Love is patient and kind; it is never jealous; love is never
boastful or conceited; it is never rude or selfish; it does not take offense
and is not resentful."[14] From this, we should clearly understand that
where love is absent, there reigns that malice which we men have brought about
from the beginning of the human race. Arrogance and proud contempt,
stubbornness and avarice, intolerance and ambition, envy and the inordinate
desire for glory-these and other depravities of the spirit flare up from this
like the torches of our soul. All of these things are produced by the
corruption of lust in the world.[15]
5.
Let swelling of the spirit and stubborn customs depart from episcopal
government. We who say we dwell in Christ
should walk just as He walked.[16] We should not seek an example anywhere else
than from the Lord Jesus, whom we should imitate. (We should not seek truth in other faiths for they
have no missing truth; Christ is the truth)
For when the disagreement among the disciples arose
about who should be reckoned the greatest, He said: "Among pagans it is
the kings who lord it over them. This must not happen with you. No; the greatest among you must behave as the least; the
leader as if he were the one who serves. Here I am among you as one who serves."[17]
Therefore, just as the Lord Jesus Christ forbade the apostles to rule, we
believe that we have come not to rule the Church but to serve it.
May we concentrate all our thoughts, labors, and counsels to that purpose, so
that we might preserve safe and sound in the Church those sheep entrusted to us
by the Lord. We should desire nothing more than their welfare.
6.
Therefore, elders, We speak to you in the words of the prince of the apostles:
"I am an elder myself and a witness to the sufferings of Christ, and with
you I have a share in the glory that is to be revealed. Be shepherds of the
flock of God."[18] Watch over the sheep, not like the hired hand who sees
the wolf coming, abandons them, and runs away,[19] but gladly, because God
wants it.[20] Be like the shepherd who gives his life for his sheep,[21] not
for sordid money but freely.[22] Do not lord
over the clergy, but become examples for the flock. There is no more offensive
or dangerous poison than the desire to rule. If a bishop is corrupted by this,
it is inevitable that the church entrusted to him will be shaken, if not
destroyed. Therefore, a bishop should not want to be powerful, but
rather to be useful. Having made himself an example for the flock, he should
like a torch radiate blameless conduct, moral integrity, piety, and religion.
When the people see this, they will walk happily and quickly in the way of the
Lord, for they will see that they have been given a leader and not a master.
7.
It is especially characteristic of love to be
lifted up with joy when someone in the Church of God flourishes in piety and
learning, someone who longs to save
souls and fulfills his priestly duty with industry, labor and diligence.
We have often thought that such a man is exposed to the envy of his
neighbor.[23]. Every sane man sees that he is being destroyed by the
disparagement of the envious, and it is not fitting that this happen. When
Eldad and Medad were prophesying in the camp,[24] Joshua, son of Nun, warned
Moses that he should prohibit them. Moses responded that he very much wanted
everybody to prophesy. He said: "are you jealous on my account? If only
the whole people would prophesy and the Lord gave his Spirit to them
all!"[25] The love of the bishop considers it a crime to burn with anger.
It does not consider the man led astray by harmful desires as an enemy but
rather lays hold of him as a brother, coaxing him, encouraging him, and warning
him.[26] It calls him back from error and leads him back to the path of
righteousness. If something should happen which requires a more serious verbal
castigation, beware lest the words cut too harshly. Let severity abstain from
every affront.
8.
We cannot be silent concerning the useless
desire for glory which a certain bishop correctly called hidden destruction.
Once it has shown itself, there is perhaps nothing more hostile to love.
Servility creeps up on whatever bishop this deadly plague gets hold of and
infects; it attacks his most noble part, the soul. It captures him with
its poisonous flatteries and constantly besieges him. It drives the wretch to the point that he no longer seeks the glory of
God but only his own, increasing enormously that distorted and excessive
self-esteem by which each of us is greatly deceived. Even the Lord Jesus denied
that He sought this.[27] Detraction and lying
follow flattery as
destructive attendants and ministers, so that nothing is left safe and
sound for the eminent and virtuous men in the company of the bishop. For this
reason, Solomon in his wisdom warns that it is better to be seized by wisdom
than deceived by the flattery of fools.[25] He also says: "Turn your back
on the mouth that misleads; keep your distance from lips that
deceive."[29] Bishops should always keep this in mind: "When a ruler
listens to false reports, all his ministers will be scoundrels."[30] We
must stop being envious of glory.[31] Thus, glory will be the downfall of those
who think earthly things are important.[32] Let us look higher-let us look upon that heavenly
home of eternal glory. Let us not think that our true, solid, and
serious glory comes from the lips of men.[33] We have all sinned, and we all
need the glory of God. Having died to our sins,[34] we should not glory in
ourselves. The Father should be glorified in the Son,[35] so that we might be
filled with the fruit of justice through Jesus Christ for the glory of God,[36]
to whom alone belong all glory, majesty, authority, and power.[37]
9.
Among the fruits of justice, mercy to the poor
should certainly be considered the most important. That justice which
comes from faith belongs to Jesus Christ.[38] It is true that "if one of
the brothers or one of the sisters is in need of clothes and has not enough
food to live on, and one of you says to them, 'I wish you well; keep yourself
warm and eat plenty' without giving them these bare necessities of life, then
what good is that?"[39] Thus, the apostle James questions all Christians. Every faithful person, especially everyone who is a
little more wealthy than the others, should out of mercy come to the assistance
of the poor. They require our generosity as their principal right, for
we hold the goods of the Church, which are the prayers of the faithful, the
price of sins, and the inheritance of the poor, not as our own but as if in
trust. It is not justifiable to use it for ourselves in such a way that nothing
remains for those who could rightfully cry out, "What you spend is
ours!" Where does such a great abundance of things come to us from, if not
from the gifts of the Church? Like a bride, we
should be content[40] with the good things we receive, that is, food and
shelter,[41] considering piety with sufficiency as a great profit. It is
certainly a special gift when it replenishes more abundantly those things which
we need to protect, nourish, and embellish the bride. It is certainly
everybody's great gain, because we obtain grace from God by almsgiving. Our
blind mind is illuminated by it and we who are broken and fallen with a natural
weakness are raised up and supported. When we pour forth our souls in desire
and replenish our afflicted spirit, our light will rise in the darkness and our
shadows will become like noon, for the Lord will fill our souls with his
splendors.[42]
10.
Actually to obtain light for the mind from God and to obtain the grace and
devotion without which the episcopal duties would languish, almsgiving has great power. But it is no more
efficacious than prayer and the most holy sacrifice of the Mass. The
apostle orders us to pray without interruption and to give thanks to God in
everything because it is the will of God that we not extinguish the spirit of
faith and love.[43] This spirit helps us in our weakness and expresses our plea
through groans that could never be put into words.[44] If a certain bishop needs
wisdom, he should ask God for it and God will give it to him.[45] Let him not
hesitate to seek anything in faith. He should ask that God arouse in his soul
as great a faith as Moses had when he saw the invisible God.[46] It is
necessary to have humility to attain that faith. David cried: "I am poor
and needy. God help me."[47] These
words of the Lord show us how great
is the power of perseverance and persistence in prayer: "It is
necessary to pray always without ceasing."[48] In that constancy
and perseverance, let us wait for the majesty of God if there is a delay: it
will appear and will not deceive us because it comes gradually.[49] We should
not be concerned only about our weaknesses, but we should also consider that
the problems of others afflict us and are on the same level as our own. Our
prayers should be addressed more ardently and more perseveringly to God. It is
through this prayer that we obtain from the Lord, as a decisive intermediary of
the Church's faithful, the faith, hope, and love of all-virtues which are
necessary for each and every one of us and for all the faithful in the world. The holy sacrifice of the Eucharist will build the
road for us to beseech God and will open the way to obtain anything we want.
For this reason, entangled in the great preoccupations of our office, we shall
not refuse to offer the holy body and blood of Jesus Christ frequently to God. We do not think that we have been given any greater
task than to offer repeatedly a sacrifice of appeasement to God the Father for
our sins and those of the faithful.
11.
As We are in a certain manner intermediaries between God and mankind, We offer
to God the prayers of the people, and in the same way We communicate the will
of God to them. This is the will of God: Our sanctification.[50] Thus it is Our
duty to proclaim and reveal the mystery of Christ,[51] just as it is fitting
for Us to speak. It is necessary, first of all to teach this to the people: The
body of Christ was similar to ours, with the exception of sin. It is not only
but also sanctifying, capable of suffering, exposed to death, and able to stand
in the stead of all of us. Christ offered his body, and us at the same time, to
satisfy divine justice.[52] He handed himself
-- and us at the same time -- to all the torments which our crimes merited. He
was condemned to the sorrows of death and suffered the curse given to sinners
by the law: death under the harshest tortures. He satisfied the law, for the
death and burial of Jesus Christ abolished all sin. The Lord Jesus rose from
the grave with the same flesh but it was stripped of its mortality and adorned
with glory of eternity. In order that they may be justified, it is necessary
for sinners to die with Christ, who died in their place and in their name.
Then they must enter the grave with Christ, in order to leave behind the flesh
defiled by sin. They must hand over the old man to the wrath of God and to the
death of the sinner, so that by baptism a new man might return to life in us
and live again with Christ in immortality and eternal glory. Therefore all
Christians should think about that eternal life and not this brief one.
They should remove from their hearts the
desire for pleasures and riches which are the instruments of pleasure. Cast off
pride, in which all harmful desires are contained. The world is passing
away, as well as what it craves for; however, he who keeps the will of God will
endure forever.[53]
12.
You can easily see, Venerable Brothers, how important it is for you yourselves
to teach the people these and all other things which pertain to God's
mysteries. Therefore, you should carefully
consider that those whom you choose to exercise the priestly ministry and to
teach the people the fundamentals of Christianity should possess great purity
of life, moral integrity, chastity, justice, piety, and devotion. How serious it would be if something
bad, if something vicious, if something perverse were to infect their character
with bad habits. Cautiously and prudently remove this danger
from the pastors. Help and instruct each of your neighbors with salutary
advice. Give the soul of the faithful wings with which to fly from the earth to
contemplate heavenly matters; once it is snatched away from the world, give
that soul to God and recall the divine image in it to its original purity. On
the other hand, it should not be said that pastors who ask to give an account
of their lives cannot themselves bear this scrutiny. Nor should they reproach
the character of another, so that they themselves must be contradicted. The learning which is perceived as worthy of a clergyman should attain pure and
holy habits. They should have a
knowledge of the Scriptures: "All Scripture is inspired by God and
can profitably be used for teaching, for refuting error, for guiding people's
lives and teaching them to be holy that the man of God may be complete,
equipped for every good work."[54] They should go to both testaments
of the Bible, to the traditions of the Church, and to the writings of the holy
fathers, as if they were going to springs from which pours forth a pure and
undefiled teaching of faith and character. They should read
often and reflect upon the Roman Catechism, the summation of Catholic teaching,
which provides holy sermons to give to the faithful.
13.
In considering someone's suitability for the ministry, do not rely only on
individual enthusiasm or on someone's recommendation. You should consider as
best suited to be a faithful minister and to receive a part of the Lord's flock
the man whose timid virtue shirks the ministry. "Do not be too quick to
lay hands on any man"[55] which happens if we do not consider and test the
men over and over again. Lest we pay the price to God for imprudent rashness
and share in another's sin,[56] let him be tested carefully and accurately and
judged severely. It should not weary you if We dwell a little longer on this
matter which requires great attention. In whatever manner the priests behave, the majority
of the people will behave in the same way. Everyone looks upon them -- especially if they are parish priests --
as if in a mirror. For this reason, nobody
deserves anything more destructive from the Church than evil priests, who
infect the people with their vices and so corrupt the Church that they seem to
harm it more by their example than by their sin.
14.
Associate with distinguished men in the sacred ministry, not because we
consider ourselves inadequate in the duty of preaching the gospel, but rather
so that we might seem to leave in the hands of others the nets which the Lord
gave to us to become fishers of men.[57] The
principal duty of the bishop is to preach the word of God, for the apostle
cried: "Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel. It is a duty which has
been laid on me."[58] The Lord Jesus Christ did not send him primarily to
baptize- -even though this is a holy action -- but especially to preach the
gospel.[59] We know that the ministry of the word held first place in
the minds of the apostles and that these holy men did not neglect this
duty.[60] For this reason they thought it fitting to entrust to deacons the
rest of the charitable works toward their neighbors. St. Paul writes to
Timothy: "Make use of the time until I arrive by reading to the people,
preaching, and teaching."[61] If someone feels that he lacks the ability
to preach or says that his talents do not measure up to the responsibility, do
not allow him to neglect his duty in other matters which pertain to the word of
God. Therefore, if the bishop commands the priests to teach the basics of
Christian doctrine to the children, he should also give his assistance in that
work. He should join himself as an assistant to the pastors in teaching the
faithful, so that his duty of preaching the word might be preserved on all
sides. This should make everybody hasten to fulfill his duty. Thus, he should
not feel it burdensome to administer the sacraments to the faithful
occasionally with his brother priests, to enter the choir in the meantime and
sing the psalms with the canons, and to preside over the meetings which he has
convened. From this the priests will receive a great share in the spirit of his
holy ministry, just as the seventy men received the Spirit in the time of
Moses. The people who witness this will be filled with the greatest esteem for
divine worship, and the tainted men will be frightened away from the sacred
ministry by the same venerable spectacle, so that they will not dare in the
least to aspire to it.
15.
Because the bishop cannot manage the Church
and supervise his flock if he is away, you should not be absent from your
churches for any length of time. This was solemnly ratified by natural law and
by the holy canons, especially by the decrees of the Council of Trent. The
bishop should visit all the places in his diocese to protect the power of their
laws when they begin to fail, either through the laziness of the ministers or
through the stubbornness of the faithful. If there is a serious
and necessary reason for you to leave your diocese and if it is necessary to be
absent for any length of time, We ask you not to allow the Church to be
weakened by the desire of her pastor. Whenever you are absent, this danger is present.
16.
In
addition, example should accompany words. We should show ourselves in all
things as an example of good works[62] so that our opponents
will respect us and not have anything bad to say about us.[63] Deeds should not
be silent without words, nor should the lack of deeds shame the words. In
addition, we believe in our heart that the perfect leader of the Church has been
furnished with the perfect goods of the greatest virtue, so that his life might
be adorned by what he says and his teaching by what he lives. The home of modesty should be our own, as well as
the teacher of modesty. The ecclesiastical discipline which we follow
should be full of dignity and harmony. If we are not committed to anybody's
will and pleasure, we will not indulge in the softness and weakness of our
spirit and we will not single out anyone for special treatment. This often
creates great turmoil in the administration of the Church and gives serious
offense, providing contempt and envy for the bishop.
17.
As for what concerns Us, We have already taken care[64] that We establish as
bishops in the various countries those who bring to the episcopacy a sound
doctrine, a life beyond reproach, and a mind prepared for all things for the
sake of Jesus Christ. We believe that the
responsibility should go to him who presides over it; let him not swell up with
the greatness of the honor but diminish in humility. In scrutinizing and
testing men whom We want to place over such a great responsibility, We shall
use you as witnesses and authorities, trusting in the holy devotion of your
testimony and in your faith. We do not doubt
in the least that you will not use any human rationale, but only thoughts for
Him who has called you to the work of the ministry for building up the body of
Christ.[65]
18.
It remains, Venerable Brothers, that We advise you concerning the fortitude and strength
of spirit needed to oppose those things which are against the orthodox faith,
which harm piety or which damage the integrity of moral living.
Let us be strong in the spirit of the Lord, in good judgment, and in
courage.[66] We should not be like dumb watchdogs unable to bark,[67] allowing our
flocks to fall prey to looting and our sheep to be devoured by every wild
animal in the field.[68] Nor should anything deter us from
throwing ourselves into battle for the glory of God and for the salvation of
souls: "Think of the way he endured such opposition from
sinners."[69] If we are afraid of the audacity of worthless men, it
affects the strength of the episcopacy and its sublime and divine power to
govern the Church. Nor can we Christians endure or exist any longer-if it has
come to that-if we become overly frightened by the snares or threats of the
damned. Therefore, trusting not in ourselves but in the God who raises the dead
to life,[70] we despise human affairs and cry out to the Lord: You are my hope
in the day of disaster.[71] Let us never be exhausted in body or in spirit, for
we are fellow workers with God.[72] The Lord Jesus is with us always even to
the end of time.[73] Therefore let us not be weakened by scandal or persecution,
lest we seem ungrateful for God's favor, since his assistance is
as strong as His promises are true.
19.
In the Last Judgment We shall be called to give account on behalf of everybody
and before everybody who is reckoned in the name of Christ. Therefore We
beseech you that if some scandal or disagreement arises which you are unable to
put down, to refer it to this See of the blessed Prince of the apostles. As
from the head and apex of the episcopacy, that very episcopacy and every
authority which bears the same name comes from here. All waters flow from here
as if from their very source, and they flow uncorrupted from a pure head
through the various regions of the whole world. From here all the churches take
what the water worthy of clean bodies avoids teaching and the people whom, as
though fouled in unpurged filth, the water avoids washing. We trust first of
all in the strength of God, then in the protection of St. Peter, whose care
holds all present. We shall help you with advice, resources, and authority, for
We are ready to be very near you,[74] to keep the churches and the brothers
safe and sound. As for the rest, We trust in
God under the weight of this burden we have received;[75] In order that human weakness does not falter
under the greatness of His grace, He who gave the dignity will also give the
strength. Meanwhile in humble entreaty, beseech God in His merciful goodness to
subdue now those who fight against Us, to strengthen your faith, and to
increase devotion and peace. May He produce in Us, His humble servant, whom He
wanted to oversee the government of His Church and to show the riches of His
grace, enough strength in such a labor. May He make Us useful for your
protection, and may He strive to extend to Our Papacy what was given to the
age, for the profit of devotion. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with
you; We bless you and We greet you with a holy kiss. We lovingly impart to all of
you, brother priests, and to all the faithful of your churches Our apostolic
blessing. Given in Rome at St. Mary Major on September 14, in the year 1758 in
the first year of Our pontificate.
·
1. Nm 11.11,14. 2. Rom 1.12. 3. 2 Pt 3.11. 4. Ez 13.5. 5. Eph 4.3. 6. 1
Pt 3.11. 7. Rom 14.19. 8. Jn 14.27. 9. Jn 17.20, 21. 10. Mt 16.14f. 11. 2 Cor
12.20. 12. 1 Cor 1.10. 13. 2 Cor 13.11. 14. I Cor 13.4, 5. 15. 2 Pt 1.4. 16. 1
Jn 2.6. 17. Lk 22.25. 18. 1 Pt 5.1-2. 19. Jn 10.12. 20. 1 Pt 5.1-2. 21. Jn
10.11. 22. 1 Pt 5.1-2. 23. Eccl. 4.4. 24. Nm 11.27. 25. Nm 11.29. 26. 2 Thes
3.15. 27. Jn 8.50. 28. Wis 7.6. 29. 29. Prv 4.24. 30. Prov 29.12. 31. Gal 5.26.
32. Phil 3.19. 33. Rom 3.23. 34. I Pt 2.24. 35. Jn 14.13. 36. Phil 1.11. 37.
Jude 1.25. 38. Phil 3.9. 39. Jas 2.15. 40. 1 Tm 6.6. 41. 1 Tm 6.8. 42. Is
58.10,11. 43. 1 Thes 5.17-18. 44. Rom 8. 26. 45. Jas 1.5. 46. Heb 11.27. 47. Ps
70.6. 48. Lk 18.1 49. Hab 2.3. 50. 1 Thes 4.3. 51. Col 4.3. 52. I Pt 3.18. 53.
1 Jn 2.17. 54. 2 Tm 3.16-17. 55. 1 Tm 5.22. 56. 1 Tm 5.22. 57. Mt 4.19. 58. 1
Cor 9.16. 59. 1 Cor 1.17. 60. Acts 6.2,4. 61. 1 Tm 4.13. 62. Ti 2.7. 63. Ti
2.8. 64. Ps 76.5. 65. Ept 4.12. 66. Mi 3.8. 67. Is 56.10. 68. Ez 34.8. 69. Heb
12.3. 70. 2 Cor 1.9. 71. Jer 17.17. 72. 1 Cor 3.9. 73. Mt 28.20. 74. 2 Cor 12.15.
75. 1 Thes 2.2.
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