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Given by His
Holiness Pope Leo XIII
December 8, 1892
To the Bishops of Italy.
The enemy forces, inspired by the evil spirit, ever wage war on the
Christian name. They join forces in this endeavor with certain groups
of men whose purpose is to subvert divinely revealed truths and to rend
the very fabric of Christian society with disastrous dissent. Indeed,
how much damage these cohorts, as it were, have inflicted on the Church
is wellknown. And yet, the spirit of all previous groups hostile to
Catholic institutions has come to life again in that group called the
Masonic sect, which, strong in manpower and resources, is the leader in
a war against anything sacred.
2. Our predecessors in the Roman pontificate have in the course of a
century and a half outlawed this group not once, but repeatedly. We
too, in accordance with Our duty, have condemned it strongly to
Christian people, so that they might beware of its wiles and bravely
repel its impious assaults. Moreover, lest cowardice and sloth overtake
us imperceptively, We have deliberately endeavored to reveal the
secrets of this pernicious sect and the means by which it labors for
the destruction of the Catholic enterprise.
3. Now, though, a certain thoughtless indifference on the part of many
Italians has resulted in their not recognizing the magnitude and extent
of the peril. And so the faith of our ancestors, the salvation won for
mankind by Jesus Christ, and, consequently the great benefits of
Christian civilization are endangered. Indeed, fearing nothing and
yielding to no one, the Masonic sect proceeds with greater boldness day
by day: with its poisonous infection it pervades entire communities and
strives to entangle itself in all the institutions of our country in
its conspiracy to forcefully deprive the Italian people of their
Catholic faith, the origin and source of their greatest blessings.
4. This is the reason for the endless artifices they employ in their
assault on the divinely inspired faith; this is the reason why the
legitimate liberty of the Church is treated with contempt and beset
with legal oppression. They believe that the Church does not possess
the nature and essence of a true society, that the State has priority
over it, and that civil authority takes precedence over sacred
authority. This false and destructive doctrine has been frequently
condemned by the Holy See. Among many other ills, it has been
responsible for the usurpation on the part of civil authorities of that
to which they have no right and for their unscrupulous appropriation of
what they have alienated from the Church. This is clear in the case of
ecclesiastical benefices; they usurp the right to give or withhold the
revenues of these according to their good pleasure.
5. Likewise, in a manner no less insidious, they plan to soften the
opposition of the lower clergy with their promises. Their purpose in
this endeavor can easily be detected, especially since the very authors
of this undertaking do not take sufficient pains to conceal what they
intend. They wish to win over the clergy by cajolery; once the
novelties have confused them, they will withdraw their obedience to
legitimate authority. And yet in this matter they seem to have
underestimated the virtue of our clergy, who for so many years have
given manifest examples of their moderation and loyalty. We have every
reason to be confident that, with God's help, they will continue their
devotion to duty no matter what circumstances may arise.
6. This summary indicates both the extent of the activity of the
Masonic sect and the goal of its endeavors. What compounds this harmful
situation, however, and causes Us deep anxiety is that far too many of
our compatriots, driven by hope of their personal advantage or by
perverse ambition, have given their names or support to the sect. This
being so, We commend first and foremost to your efforts the eternal
salvation of those whom we have just mentioned: may your zeal never
waver in constantly and insistently recalling them from their error and
certain destruction. To be sure, the task of extricating those who have
fallen into the snares of the Masons is laborious, and its outcome is
doubtful, if we consider the cleverness of the sect: still the recovery
of no one should ever be despaired of since the force of apostolic
charity is truly marvelous.
7. Next, we must heal those who have erred in this respect out of
faint- heartedness, that is, those who, not because of a debased nature
but because of weakness of spirit and lack of discretion, have allowed
themselves to be drawn into supporting the Masonic enterprises.
Sufficiently weighty are the words of Our predecessor Felix III in this
regard. "An error which is not resisted is approved; a truth which is
not defended is suppressed.... He who does not oppose an evident crime
is open to the suspicion of secret complicity." By reminding them of
the examples of their forefathers, the broken spirits of these men must
be reanimated with that courage which is the guardian of duty and
dignity alike, so that they may be ashamed and regret their cowardly
actions. For surely our whole life is involved in a constant battle in
which our salvation itself is at stake; nothing is more disgraceful for
a Christian than cowardice.
8. It is likewise necessary to strengthen those who fall because of
ignorance. By this we mean those, not few in number, who, deceived by
appearances and allured by various enticements, allow themselves
without understanding it to be enrolled in the Masonic order. In these
cases We hope that with divine inspiration they will be able some day
to repudiate their error and perceive the truth, especially if you try
to remove the false outward appearance of the sect and reveal its
hidden designs. Indeed these can no longer be considered hidden since
their very accomplices have themselves disclosed them in many ways.
Why, within the last few months, the designs of the Masons have been
publicly proclaimed throughout Italy, even to the point of ostentation!
They wish to see the religion founded by God reudiated and all affairs,
private as well as public, regulated by the principles of naturalism
alone; this is what, in their impiety and stupidity, they call the
restoration of civil society. And yet the State will plunge headlong
into ruin if Christians are not willing to be vigilant and not willing
to labor to support its well-being!
9. But in the presence of such audacious evils, it is not sufficient
merely to be aware of the wiles of this vile sect: we must also war
against it, using those very arms furnished by the divine faith which
once prevailed against paganism. Therefore, it is your task to inflame
souls by persuasion, exhortation and example, nourish in the clergy and
our people a zeal for religion and salvation which is active, resolute,
and intrepid. These qualities frequently distinguish Catholic peoples
of other nations in similar situations. It is commonly claimed that the
ancient ardor of spirit in protecting their ancestral faith has grown
cold among the Italian people. Nor is this perhaps false; especially
since if the dispositions of both sides be inspected, those who wage
war on religion seem to show more energy than those who repel it. But
for those who seek salvation there can be no middle ground between
laborious struggle and destruction. Therefore, in the case of the weak
and sluggish, courage must be stirred up through your efforts; in the
case of the strong, it must be kept active; with all trace of dissent
wiped out, under your leadership and command, the result will be that
all alike, with united minds and common discipline, may undertake the
battle in a spirited manner.
10. Because of the gravity of the matter and the necessity of repelling
the danger, We have decided to address the Italian people in a letter
which We are including along with this one; propagate it as widely as
possible and, where needed, interpret it to your people. In this
manner, with the blessing of God, we can hope that spirits may be
aroused through the contemplation of the threatening evils and betake
themselves without delay to the remedies which We have pointed out.
11. As a presage of divine gifts and testimony of Our benevolence We
affectionately accord to you, Venerable Brethren, and the people
entrusted to your care, the apostolic blessing.
Given in Rome at St. Peter's, 8 December 1892, in the 15th year of Our
Pontificate.
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