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Instructions
/ Social Remedies |
"Our
greater impurity needs to be purified by a greater practice of
prayers, vigils and fasting, of tears and almsgiving." (St.
Bede the Venerable, Doctor of the Church)
"One
is often carried away over the sins and shortcomings of others. It
would be far better to talk less about them and to pray
more." (St. John Vianney)
"If
you want to stay close to God, you must not be sullied by any of
the vices of this world." (St. Basil the Great, Doctor of the
Church)
"Hide
yourself in Jesus crucified, and hope for nothing except that all
men be thoroughly converted to His will." (St. Paul of the
Cross)
"It
is not enough for Us to deplore these innumerable evils unless We
strive to uproot them." (Pope Gregory XVI, "Mirari Vos",
1832)
"Alas!
If we put all our trust in God, how much happier we should
be!" (St. John Vianney)
"Indeed,
my dear brethren, man on earth, unless he turns to the side of
God, cannot be other than unhappy." (St. John Vianney)
"Truly,
matters in the world are in a bad state; but if you and I begin in
earnest to reform ourselves, a really good beginning will have
been made" (St. Peter of Alcantara)
"The
world would have peace if only the men of politics would follow
the Gospels." (St. Bridget of Sweden)
"[A]
love of what is really good is the best antidote to evil."
(Pope Benedict XV, "Spiritus Paraclitus", 1920)
"Prayer
will remove the fundamental cause of present day
difficulties." (Pope Pius XI)
"We
ask the prayers of the Christian people in devout supplication
before her altars on behalf of the Church, tormented by such
adverse and turbulent times, and on behalf of Ourself as
well." (Pope Leo XIII, "Magnae Dei Matris", 1892)
"It
is indeed a cause of great sorrow that so many should be deterred
and led astray by error and enmity to God; that so many should be
indifferent to all forms of religion, and should finally become
estranged from faith; that so many Catholics should be such in
name only, and should pay to religion no honor or worship. And
still sadder and more beset with anxieties grows the soul at the
thought of the fruitful source of most manifold evils existing in
the organization of States that allow no place to the Church, and
that oppose her championship of holy virtue. This is truly a
terrible manifestation of the just vengeance of God, Who allows
blindness of soul to darken upon the nations that forsake Him.
These are evils that cry aloud, that cry of themselves with a
daily increasing voice. It is absolutely necessary that the
Catholic voice should also call to God with unwearied instance,
'without ceasing;' that the Faithful should pray not only in their
own homes, but in public, gathered together under the sacred roof;
that they should beseech urgently the all-foreseeing God to
deliver the Church from evil men and to bring back the troubled
nations to good sense and reason, by the light and love of
Christ." (Pope Leo XIII, "Octobri Mense", 1891)
"Now,
to appease the might of an outraged God and to bring that health
of soul so needed by those who are sorely afflicted, there is
nothing better than devout and persevering prayer, provided it be
joined with a love for and practice of Christian life. And both of
these, the spirit of prayer and the practice of Christian life,
are best attained through the devotion of the Rosary of
Mary." (Pope Leo XIII, "Magnae Dei Matris", 1892)
"For
We are convinced that the Rosary, if devoutly used, is bound to
benefit not only the individual but society at large." (Pope
Leo XIII, "Laetitiae Sanctae", 1893)
"We
do not hesitate to affirm again publicly that We put great
confidence in the Holy Rosary for the healing of evils which
afflict our times. Not with force, not with arms, not with human
power, but with Divine help obtained through the means of this
prayer, strong like David with his sling, the Church undaunted
shall be able to confront the infernal enemy, repeating to him the
words of the young shepherd: 'Thou comest to me with a sword, and
a spear, and with a shield; but I come to thee in the name of the
Lord of Hosts, the God of armies...and all this assembly shall
know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear, for this is
his battle, and he will deliver you into our hands' (I Kings 17,
45-47)" (Pope Pius XII, "Ingruentium Malorum",
1951)
"And
as in the times of the Crusades, in all Europe there was raised
one voice of the people, one supplication; so today, in all the
world, the cities, and even the smallest villages, united with
courage and strength, with filial and constant insistence, the
people seek to obtain from the great Mother of God the defeat of
the enemies of Christian and human civilization, to the end that
true peace may shine again over tired and erring men. If, then,
all will do this with due disposition, with great faith and with
fervent piety, it is right to hope that as in the past, so in our
day, the Blessed Virgin will obtain from her divine Son that the
waves of the present tempests be calmed and that a brilliant
victory crown this rivalry of Christians in prayer." (Pope
Pius XI, "Ingravescentibus Malis", 1937)
"[N]o
nation has ever risen out of want and poverty to a better and
nobler condition save by the enormous and combined toil of all the
people" (Pope Pius XI, "Quadragesimo Anno", 1931)
"Wherefore,
if human society is to be healed, only a return to Christian life
and institutions will heal it." (Pope Leo XIII)
"He
Who at His disciples' prayer calmed the raging sea can restore
peace to the tottering fabric of society." (Pope Benedict XV,
"Spiritus Paraclitus", 1920)
"Let
us...follow our peaceful King who taught us to love not only those
who are of a different nation or race, but even our enemies."
(Pope Pius XII, "Mystici Corporis Christi", 1943)
"First,
and most important of all, for mankind is the need of spiritual
peace. We do not need a peace that will consist merely in acts of
external or formal courtesy, but a peace which will penetrate the
souls of men and which will unite, heal, and reopen their hearts
to that mutual affection which is born of brotherly love. The
peace of Christ is the only peace answering this description: 'let
the peace of Christ rejoice in your hearts.' (Colossians iii, 15)
Nor is there any other peace possible than that which Christ gave
to His disciples (John xiv, 27) for since He is God, He 'beholdeth
the heart' (I Kings xvi, 7) and in our hearts His kingdom is set
up. Again, Jesus Christ is perfectly justified when He calls this
peace of soul His own for He was the first Who said to men, 'all
you are brethren.' (Matt. xxiii, 8) He gave likewise to us,
sealing it with His own life's blood, the law of brotherly love,
of mutual forbearance - 'This is my commandment, that you love one
another, as I have loved you.' (John xv, 12) 'Bear ye one
another's burdens; and so you shall fulfill the law of Christ.'
(Galatians vi, 2)" (Pope Pius XI, "Ubi Arcano Dei
Consilio", 1922)
"Hence,
We renew the urgent entreaty We have already made, to redouble
zeal and perseverance, when addressing humble supplications to our
merciful God, so that the virtues whereby a Christian life is
perfected may be reawakened. It is, however, urgent before all,
that charity, which is the main foundation of the Christian life,
and apart from which the other virtues exist not or remain barren,
should be quickened and maintained. Therefore is it that the
Apostle Paul, after having exhorted the Colossians to flee all
vice and cultivate all virtue, adds: 'Above all things, have
charity, which is the bond of perfection.' Yea, truly, charity is
the bond of perfection, for it binds intimately to God those whom
it has embraced and with loving tenderness, causes them to draw
their life from God, to act with God, to refer all to God.
Howbeit, the love of God should not be severed from the love of
our neighbor, since men have a share in the infinite goodness of
God and bear in themselves the impress of His image and likeness.
'This commandment we have from God, that he who loveth God, love
also his brother.' 'If any man say I love God, and he hateth his
brother, he is a liar.'" (Pope Leo XIII, "Sapientiae
Christianae", 1890)
"For
justice alone can, if faithfully observed, remove the causes of
social conflict but can never bring about union of minds and
hearts. Indeed all the institutions for the establishment of peace
and the promotion of mutual help among men, however perfect these
may seem, have the principal foundation of their stability in the
mutual bond of minds and hearts whereby the members are united
with one another. If this bond is lacking, the best of regulations
come to naught, as we have learned by too frequent experience. And
so, then only will true cooperation be possible for a single
common good when the constituent parts of society deeply feel
themselves members of one great family and children of the same
Heavenly Father; nay, that they are one body in Christ, 'but
severally members one of another,' so that 'if one member suffers
anything, all the members suffer with it.'" (Pope Pius XI,
"Quadragesimo Anno", 1931)
"No
one is unaware how deeply and from the very beginning the import
of that precept [of charity] has been implanted in the breast of
Christians, and what abundant fruits of concord, mutual
benevolence, piety, patience, and fortitude it has produced. Why,
then, should we not devote ourselves to imitate the examples set
by our fathers? The very times in which we live should afford
sufficient motives for the practice of charity. Since impious men
are bent on giving fresh impulse to their hatred against Jesus
Christ, Christians should be quickened anew in piety; and charity,
which is the inspirer of lofty deeds, should be imbued with new
life. Let dissensions therefore, if there be any, wholly cease;
let those strifes which waste the strength of those engaged in the
fight, without any advantage resulting to religion, be scattered
to the winds; let all minds be united in faith and all hearts in
charity, so that, as it behooves, life may be spent in the
practice of the love of God and the love of men." (Pope Leo
XIII, "Sapientiae Christianae", 1890)
"In this clash of selfish interest, and
unleashed hate, and dark plans of revenge, nothing could be better
or more powerful to help, than loudly to proclaim the 'new
commandment' of Christ. That commandment enjoins a love which
extends to all, knows no barriers nor national boundaries,
excludes no race, excepts not even its own enemies." (Pope
Pius XI, "Ad Catholici Sacerdotii", 1935)
"There
is no peace to the wicked (Is. Iviii. 22), says the Holy Spirit,
because they live in continuous struggle and conflict with the
order established by nature and by its Creator. Only when this
order is restored, when all peoples faithfully and spontaneously
recognize and profess it, when the internal conditions of peoples
and their outward relations with other nations are founded on this
basis, then only will stable peace be possible on earth. But to
create this atmosphere of lasting peace, neither peace treaties,
nor the most solemn pacts, nor international meetings or
conferences, nor even the noblest and most disinterested efforts
of any statesman, will be enough, unless in the first place are
recognized the sacred rights of natural and divine law."
(Pope Pius XI, "Caritate Christi Compulsi", 1932)
"[T]rue
peace, the peace of Christ, is impossible unless we are willing
and ready to accept the fundamental principles of Christianity,
unless we are willing to observe the teachings and obey the law of
Christ, both in public and private life." (Pope Pius XI,
"Ubi Arcano Dei Consilio", 1922)
"Peace
on earth, which all men of every era have most eagerly yearned
for, can be firmly established only if the order laid down by God
be dutifully observed." (Pope John XXIII)
"When
once men recognize, both in private and in public life, that
Christ is King, society will at last receive the great blessings
of real liberty, well-ordered discipline, peace and harmony."
(Pope Pius XI, "Quas Primas", 1925)
"[I]n
doing all we can to bring about the re-establishment of Christ's
kingdom, we will be working most effectively toward a lasting
world peace." (Pope Pius XI, "Ubi Arcano Dei Consilio",
1922)
"[W]e
must use every means and exert all our energy to bring about the
utter disappearance of the enormous and detestable wickedness, so
characteristic of our time - the substitution of man for God"
(Pope St. Pius X, "E Supremi", 1903)
"Urge
them to persevere firmly established in our divine religion, which
alone is true and eternal and prepares for salvation and even, to
a very great extent, preserves and prospers civil society."
(Pope Pius IX, "Quanto Conficiamur Moerore", 1863)
"As
more serious ills threaten the Catholic Church from the heinous
contrivances of its enemies, the popes who have been placed in the
See of St. Peter should be so much the quicker in taking action to
repel them." (Pope Gregory XVI, "Quo Graviora",
1833)
"When
the bad are punished, others become better." (St. John
Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church)
"Therefore,
to assure the greater glory of God and the Church, venerable
brothers, join together with all eagerness, care and wakefulness
to repulse error and to root out vice. When this is accomplished,
faith, religion, piety and virtue will increase daily." (Pope
Pius IX, "Qui Pluribus", 1846)
"While
nations insult the beloved name of our Redeemer by suppressing all
mention of it in their conferences and parliaments, we must all
the more loudly proclaim his kingly dignity and power, all the
more universally affirm his rights." (Pope Pius XI, "Quas
Primas", 1925)
"Certainly
there is the greatest need now of such valiant soldiers of Christ
who will work with all their strength to keep the human family
safe from the dire ruin into which it would be plunged were the
teachings of the Gospel to be flouted, and that order of things
permitted to prevail which tramples underfoot no less the laws of
nature than those of God." (Pope Pius XI, "Quadragesimo
Anno", 1931)
"Jesus
himself has shown us by his own example that prayer and fasting
are the first and most effective weapons against the forces of
evil (cf. Mt 4:1-11). As he taught his disciples, some demons
cannot be driven out except in this way (cf. Mk 9:29)." (Pope
John
Paul II, 1995)
"When
the Apostles asked the Savior why they had been unable to drive
the evil spirit from a demoniac, Our Lord answered: 'This kind is
not cast out but by prayer and fasting' (Matt 17:20). So, too, the
evil which today torments humanity can be conquered only by a
worldwide holy crusade of prayer and penance." (Pope Pius XI,
"Divini Redemptoris")
"Prayer
and penance are the two potent inspirations sent to us at this
time by God, that we may bring back to Him our wayward human race
that wanders aimlessly without a guide. They are inspirations that
will disperse and remedy the first and foremost cause of all
rebellion and unrest, man's revolt against God." (Pope Pius
XI)
"As
in all the stormy periods of the history of the Church, the
fundamental remedy today lies in a sincere renewal of private and
public life according to the principles of the Gospel by all those
who belong to the Fold of Christ, that they may be in truth the
salt of the earth to preserve human society from total
corruption." (Pope Pius XI, "Divini Redemptoris",
1937)
"We
have shown that the means of saving the world of today from the
lamentable ruin into which a moral liberalism has plunged us, are
neither the class-struggle nor terror, nor yet the autocratic
abuse of State power, but rather the infusion of social justice
and the sentiment of Christian love into the social-economic
order." (Pope Pius XI, "Divini Redemptoris", 1937)
"Nothing
remains for Us, therefore, but to invite this poor world that has
shed so much blood, has dug so many graves, has destroyed so many
works, has deprived so many men of bread and labor, nothing else
remains for us, We say, but to invite it in the loving words of
the sacred Liturgy: 'Be thou converted to the Lord thy God.'"
(Pope Pius XI, "Caritate Christi Compulsi", 1932)
"If
the desire for worldly possessions were kept within bounds and the
place of honor in our affections given to the things of the
spirit, which place undoubtedly they deserve, the peace of Christ
would follow immediately, to which would be joined in a natural
and happy union, as it were, a higher regard for the value and
dignity of human life." (Pope Pius XI, "Ubi Arcano Dei
Consilio", 1922)
"'These
are bad times,' people are saying, 'troublesome times!' If only
our lives were all good, our times would be good, for we ourselves
make our times - as we are, so are our times. But what can we do?
After all, we cannot convert the mass of humanity to a good life.
But let the few who do listen to the will of God live good lives;
and let the few who live good lives endure the many who do not.
The good are the wheat, still on the threshing floor; and though
the chaff lies with them there, the chaff will not come with them
to the barn." (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church)
"To
this end, it behooves Us, above all else, to call to mind that
firmly established principle, esteemed alike in sound philosophy
and sacred theology: namely, that whatever things have deviated
from their right order, cannot be brought back to that original
state which is in harmony with their nature except by a return to
the divine plan which, as the Angelic Doctor teaches, is the
exemplar of all right order." (Pope Pius XI, "Casti
Connubii", 1930)
"[L]et
us all suppliantly, with humble prayer, implore the help of the
Blessed and Immaculate Virgin Mary, that, our hearts being
quickened to the obedience of faith, she may show herself our
mother and our helper. With equal earnestness let us ask the
princes of the Apostles, Peter and Paul, the destroyers of
heresies, the sowers of the seed of truth, to save the human race
by their powerful patronage from the deluge of errors that is
surging afresh." (Pope Leo XIII, "Arcanum", 1880)
"During
periods of stress and trial - chiefly when every lawlessness of
act seems permitted to the powers of darkness - it has been the
custom in the Church to plead with special fervor and perseverance
to God, her author and protector, by recourse to the intercession
of the saints - and chiefly of the Blessed Virgin, Mother of God -
whose patronage has ever been the most efficacious. The fruit of
these pious prayers and of the confidence reposed in the Divine
goodness, has always, sooner or later, been made apparent."
(Pope Leo XIII, "Quamquam Pluries", 1889)
"[T]he
early Christians...were men and women who understood what is meant
by sacrifice; otherwise they could not have won over hatred,
irreligion, and lust, the splendid triumphs the telling of which
fills you with admiration, as it fills with amazement even the
unbeliever. Are conditions today so different? As has been well
said: to live today in our great cities without loss of faith and
purity requires no less heroism than was needed in the days of
bloody persecution." (Pope Pius XII)
"[L]et
us strive in prayer, with united heart and voice, to incline
Almighty God unto mercy, that He would not suffer those to perish
whom He had redeemed by His Blood. May He look down in mercy upon
this world, which has indeed sinned much, but which has also
suffered much in expiation! And, embracing in His loving-kindness
all races and classes of mankind, may He remember His own words:
'I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to
Myself' (John xii., 32)." (Pope Leo XIII, "Tametsi
Futura Prospicientibus", 1900)
"The
very times in which we live are warning us to seek remedies there
where alone they are to be found - namely, by re-establishing in
the family circle and throughout the whole range of society the
doctrines and practices of the Christian religion. In this lies
the sole means of freeing us from the ills now weighing us down,
of forestalling the dangers now threatening the world. For the
accomplishment of this end, venerable brethren, We must bring to
bear all the activity and diligence that lie within Our
power." (Pope Leo XIII, "Sapientiae Christianae",
1890)
"Listen
to their cry, arise together and fight manfully the battles of the
Lord. May the number, boldness, and strength of the enemy not
frighten you, because God is stronger than they; if God is for
you, who can be against you? Redouble your prayers so that God
might be with you in a greater abundance of grace, fighting and
triumphing with you. Accompany your prayers with the practice of
the Christian virtues, especially charity toward the needy. Seek
God's mercies with humility and perseverance, renewing every day
the promises of your baptism." (Pope Leo XIII, "Custodi
Di Quella Fede", 1892)
"When
so many evils meet Our gaze - such as cause sharp conflict among
individuals, families, nations and the whole world, particularly
today more than at any other time - where are We to seek a remedy,
venerable brethren? Can a form of devotion surpassing that to the
most Sacred Heart of Jesus be found, which corresponds better to
the essential character of the Catholic faith, which is more
capable of assisting the present-day needs of the Church and the
human race? What religious practice is more excellent, more
attractive, more salutary than this, since the devotion in
question is entirely directed towards the love of God
itself?" (Pope Pius XII, "Haurietis Aquas", 1956)
"Some
will say, perhaps, that to restore Christian society another [St.
Francis of Assisi] is needed today. But We say, do what you can to
make men take up again with renewed zeal the ancient Francis as
their teacher of piety and sanctity; do what you can that they
imitate and follow the example which he has left us, that they
accept him as a man who was 'a mirror of virtue, a path of
righteousness, a rule of morals.' (Breviary of Friars Minor) If
this be done, will it not in itself be enough to heal and even put
an end to the corruption of our own times?" (Pope Pius XI,
"Rite Expiatis", 1926)
"At
the same time the State must allow the Church full liberty to
fulfill her divine and spiritual mission, and this in itself will
be an effectual contribution to the rescue of nations from the
dread torment of the present hour. Everywhere today there is an
anxious appeal to moral and spiritual forces; and rightly so, for
the evil we must combat is at its origin primarily an evil of the
spiritual order. From this polluted source the monstrous
emanations of the communistic system flow with satanic logic. Now,
the Catholic Church is undoubtedly preeminent among the moral and
religious forces of today. Therefore the very good of humanity
demands that her work be allowed to proceed unhindered."
(Pope Pius XI, "Divini Redemptoris", 1937)
"As
in old times, material force was of no avail against the hordes of
barbarians, but only the power of the Christian religion, which
entering into their souls quenched their ferocity, civilized their
manners, and made them docile to the voice of truth and to the law
of the gospel; so against the fury of lawless multitudes there
will be no effectual defense without the salutary power of
religion. It is only this power which, casting into their minds
the light of truth, and instilling into their hearts the holy
moral precepts of Jesus Christ, can make them listen to the voice
of conscience and of duty, and, before restraining their hand,
restrain their minds and allay the violence of passion."
(Pope Leo XIII, "Dall'alto Dell'apostolico Seggio",
1890)
"Prayer,
then, and penance are the two potent inspirations sent to us at
this time by God, that we may lead back to Him mankind that has
gone astray and wanders about without a guide: they are the
inspirations that will dispel and remedy the first and principal
cause of every form of disturbance and rebellion, the revolt of
man against God. But the peoples themselves are called upon to
make up their minds to a definite choice: either they entrust
themselves to these benevolent and beneficent inspirations and are
converted, humble and repentant, to the Lord and the Father of
mercies, or they hand over themselves and what little remains of
happiness on earth to the mercy of the enemy of God, to the spirit
of vengeance and destruction." (Pope Pius XI, "Caritate
Christi Compulsi", 1932)
"But
that decay of faith in divine things of which We have spoken is
the effect not only of pride, but also of moral corruption. For if
it is true that a strict morality improves the quickness of man's
intellectual powers, and if on the other hand, as the maxims of
pagan philosophy and the admonitions of divine wisdom combine to
teach us, the keenness of the mind is blunted by bodily pleasures,
how much more, in the region of revealed truths, do these same
pleasures obscure the light of faith, or even, by the just
judgment of God, entirely extinguish it. For these pleasures at
the present day an insatiable appetite rages, infecting all
classes as with an infectious disease, even from tender years. Yet
even for so terrible an evil there is a remedy close at hand in
the divine Eucharist." (Pope Leo XIII, "Mirae Caritatis",
1902)
"Moreover
there is another twofold fruit which we may and must derive from
this great [Eucharistic] Sacrifice. The heart is saddened when it
considers what a flood of wickedness, the result - as We have said
- of forgetfulness and contempt of the divine Majesty, has
inundated the world. It is not too much to say that a great part
of the human race seems to be calling down upon itself the anger
of heaven; though indeed the crop of evils which has grown up here
on earth is already ripening to a just judgment. Here then is a
motive whereby the faithful may be stirred to a devout and earnest
endeavor to appease God the avenger of sin, and to win from Him
the help which is so needful in these calamitous times. And they
should see that such blessings are to be sought principally by
means of this [Eucharistic] Sacrifice. For it is only in virtue of
the death which Christ suffered that men can satisfy, and that
most abundantly, the demands of God's justice, and can obtain the
plenteous gifts of His clemency. And Christ has willed that the
whole virtue of His death, alike for expiation and impetration,
should abide in the Eucharist, which is no mere empty
commemoration thereof, but a true and wonderful though bloodless
and mystical renewal of it." (Pope Leo XIII, "Mirae
Caritatis", 1902)
"Wherever
Christianity rules over all without let or hindrance there the
order established by Divine Providence is preserved, and both
security and prosperity are the happy result. The common welfare,
then, urgently demands a return to Him from whom we should never
have gone astray; to Him who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life,
- and this on the part not only of individuals but of society as a
whole. We must restore Christ to this His own rightful position.
All elements of the national life must be made to drink in the
Life which proceedeth from Him - legislation, political
institutions, education, marriage and family life, capital and
labor. Everyone must see that the very growth of civilization
which is so ardently desired depends greatly upon this, since it
is fed and grows not so much by material wealth and prosperity, as
by the spiritual qualities of morality and virtue." (Pope Leo
XIII, "Tametsi Futura Prospicientibus", 1900)
"For
truly it is of little avail to discuss questions with nice
subtlety, or to discourse eloquently of rights and duties, when
all this is unconnected with practice. The times we live in demand
action - but action which consists entirely in observing with
fidelity and zeal the divine laws and the precepts of the Church,
in the frank and open profession of religion, in the exercise of
every kind of charitable works, without regard to self-interest or
worldly advantage. Such luminous examples given by the great army
of soldiers of Christ will be of much greater avail in moving and
drawing men than words and sublime dissertations; and it will
easily come about that when human respect has been driven out, and
prejudices and doubting laid aside, large numbers will be won to
Christ, becoming in their turn promoters of His knowledge and love
which are the road to true and solid happiness." (Pope St.
Pius X, "E Supremi", 1903)
"We
must not fail to grasp the call of God to fight against these
evils with all our might. It would be totally false to think that
God expects of us only a resigned 'Thy will be done'. That would
be a disastrous quietism.
The criterion for determining the response which God expects of us
is the will of God in the first sense, in the sense of that which
is pleasing to God. It would be a great, indeed a catastrophic
error to think that something is pleasing to God simply because it
has happened, because it has come into existence... It is always
the will of God for us to struggle against what is evil and false.
Whether we will prevail in our struggle, that we do not know, and
here again we should say, 'Thy will be done'. As Pascal says so
beautifully, we must fight with Christ, but we do not know whether
we will conquer with Him. But that Christ will conquer in the
end - that we know.'" (Dietrich von Hildebrand)
"We
firmly hope, however, that the feast of the Kingship of Christ,
which in future will be yearly observed, may hasten the return of
society to our loving Savior. It would be the duty of Catholics to
do all they can to bring about this happy result. Many of these,
however, have neither the station in society nor the authority
which should belong to those who bear the torch of truth. This
state of things may perhaps be attributed to a certain slowness
and timidity in good people, who are reluctant to engage in
conflict or oppose but a weak resistance; thus the enemies of the
Church become bolder in their attacks. But if the faithful were
generally to understand that it behooves them ever to fight
courageously under the banner of Christ their King, then, fired
with apostolic zeal, they would strive to win over to their Lord
those hearts that are bitter and estranged from him, and would
valiantly defend his rights." (Pope Pius XI, "Quas
Primas", 1925)
"There
is, nevertheless, some consolation for Us even in looking on these
evils, and We may lift up Our heart in hope. For God 'created all
things that they might be: and He made the nations of the earth
for health.' But as all this world cannot be upheld but by His
providence and divinity, so also men can only be healed by His
power, of Whose goodness they were called from death to life. For
Jesus Christ redeemed the human race once by the shedding of His
blood, but the power of so great a work and gift is for all ages;
'neither is there salvation in any other.' Hence they who strive
by the enforcement of law to extinguish the growing flame of
lawless desire, strive indeed for justice; but let them know that
they will labor with no result, or next to none, as long as they
obstinately reject the power of the gospel and refuse the
assistance of the Church. Thus will the evil alone be cured, by
changing their ways, and returning back in their public and
private life to Jesus Christ and Christianity." (Pope Leo
XIII, "Exeunte Iam Anno", 1888)
"If
we stop to reflect for a moment that these ideals and doctrines of
Jesus Christ, for example, his teachings on the necessity and
value of the spiritual life, on the dignity and sanctity of human
life, on the duty of obedience, on the divine basis of human
government, on the sacramental character of matrimony and by
consequence the sanctity of family life - if we stop to reflect,
let Us repeat, that these ideals and doctrines of Christ (which
are in fact but a portion of the treasury of truth which He left
to mankind) were confided by Him to His Church and to her alone
for safekeeping, and that He has promised that His aid will never
fail her at any time for she is the infallible teacher of His
doctrines in every century and before all nations, there is no one
who cannot clearly see what a singularly important role the
Catholic Church is able to play, and is even called upon to
assume, in providing a remedy for the ills which afflict the world
today and in leading mankind toward a universal peace. Because the
Church is by divine institution the sole depository and
interpreter of the ideals and teachings of Christ, she alone
possesses in any complete and true sense the power effectively to
combat that materialistic philosophy which has already done and,
still threatens, such tremendous harm to the home and to the
state." (Pope Pius XI, "Ubi Arcano Dei Consilio",
1922)
"The
most grave disease by which our age is oppressed, and at the same
time the fruitful source of all the evils deplored by every man of
good heart, is that levity and thoughtlessness which carry men
hither and thither through devious ways. Hence comes the constant
and passionate absorption in external things; hence, the
insatiable thirst for riches and pleasures that gradually weakens
and extinguishes in the minds of men the desire for more excellent
goods, and so entangles them in outward and fleeting things that
it forbids them to think of eternal truths, and of the Divine
laws, and of God Himself, the one beginning and end of all created
things, Who, nevertheless, for his boundless goodness and mercy,
even in these our days, though moral corruption may spread apace,
ceases not to draw men to himself by a bounteous abundance of
graces. Now, if we would cure this sickness from which human
society suffers so sorely, what healing remedy could we devise
more appropriate for our purpose than that of calling these
enervated souls, so neglectful of eternal things, to the
recollection of the Spiritual Exercises [e.g. of St.
Ignatius]?" (Pope Pius XI, "Mens Nostra", 1929)
"Amid
such reckless and widespread folly of opinion, it is, as We have
said, the office of the Church to undertake the defense of truth
and uproot errors from the mind, and this charge has to be at all
times sacredly observed by her, seeing that the honor of God and
the salvation of men are confided to her keeping. But, when
necessity compels, not those only who are invested with power of
rule are bound to safeguard the integrity of faith, but, as St.
Thomas maintains: 'Each one is under obligation to show forth his
faith, either to instruct and encourage others of the faithful, or
to repel the attacks of unbelievers.' To recoil before an enemy,
or to keep silence when from all sides such clamors are raised
against truth, is the part of a man either devoid of character or
who entertains doubt as to the truth of what he professes to
believe. In both cases such mode of behaving is base and is
insulting to God, and both are incompatible with the salvation of
mankind. This kind of conduct is profitable only to the enemies of
the faith, for nothing emboldens the wicked so greatly as the lack
of courage on the part of the good. Moreover, want of vigor on the
part of Christians is so much the more blameworthy, as not seldom
little would be needed on their part to bring to naught false
charges and refute erroneous opinions, and by always exerting
themselves more strenuously they might reckon upon being
successful. After all, no one can be prevented from putting forth
that strength of soul which is the characteristic of true
Christians, and very frequently by such display of courage our
enemies lose heart and their designs are thwarted. Christians are,
moreover, born for combat, whereof the greater the vehemence, the
more assured, God aiding, the triumph: 'Have confidence; I have
overcome the world.' Nor is there any ground for alleging that
Jesus Christ, the Guardian and Champion of the Church, needs not
in any manner the help of men. Power certainly is not wanting to
Him, but in His loving kindness He would assign to us a share in
obtaining and applying the fruits of salvation procured through
His grace. The chief elements of this duty consist in professing
openly and unflinchingly the Catholic doctrine, and in propagating
it to the utmost of our power. For, as is often said, with the
greatest truth, there is nothing so hurtful to Christian wisdom as
that it should not be known, since it possesses, when loyally
received, inherent power to drive away error. So soon as Catholic
truth is apprehended by a simple and unprejudiced soul, reason
yields assent." (Pope Leo XIII, "Sapientiae Christianae",
1890)
"But
the Church, not content with pointing out the remedy, also applies
it. For the Church does her utmost to teach and to train men, and
to educate them and by the intermediary of her bishops and clergy
diffuses her salutary teachings far and wide. She strives to
influence the mind and the heart so that all may willingly yield
themselves to be formed and guided by the commandments of God. It
is precisely in this fundamental and momentous matter, on which
everything depends that the Church possesses a power peculiarly
her own. The instruments which she employs are given to her by
Jesus Christ Himself for the very purpose of reaching the hearts
of men, and drive their efficiency from God. They alone can reach
the innermost heart and conscience, and bring men to act from a
motive of duty, to control their passions and appetites, to love
God and their fellow men with a love that is outstanding and of
the highest degree and to break down courageously every barrier
which blocks the way to virtue. On this subject we need but recall
for one moment the examples recorded in history. Of these facts
there cannot be any shadow of doubt: for instance, that civil
society was renovated in every part by Christian institutions;
that in the strength of that renewal the human race was lifted up
to better things - nay, that it was brought back from death to
life, and to so excellent a life that nothing more perfect had
been known before, or will come to be known in the ages that have
yet to be. Of this beneficent transformation Jesus Christ was at
once the first cause and the final end; as from Him all came, so
to Him was all to be brought back. For, when the human race, by
the light of the Gospel message, came to know the grand mystery of
the Incarnation of the Word and the redemption of man, at once the
life of Jesus Christ, God and Man, pervaded every race and nation,
and interpenetrated them with His faith, His precepts, and His
laws. And if human society is to be healed now, in no other way
can it be healed save by a return to Christian life and Christian
institutions. When a society is perishing, the wholesome advice to
give to those who would restore it is to call it to the principles
from which it sprang; for the purpose and perfection of an
association is to aim at and to attain that for which it is
formed, and its efforts should be put in motion and inspired by
the end and object which originally gave it being. Hence, to fall
away from its primal constitution implies disease; to go back to
it, recovery." (Pope Leo XIII, "Rerum Novarum",
1891)
Also
See: Causes
of Society's Ills | Divine
Providence | Encouragement
| Fallen
Members of the Church | The
Hardships of Life | A
Just Society | The
Last Days | Let
the World Hear of the Rights of God | Persecution
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of Things / Laments | Vanities
of the World | Warnings |
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