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Title: |
Haerent Animo
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Descr.: |
On Priestly Sanctity
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Pope: |
Pope St. Pius X
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Date: |
August 4, 1908
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To
the Catholic Clergy
Deeply
imprinted upon our mind are those dread words which the Apostle of
the gentiles wrote to the Hebrews to remind them of the obedience
which they owed to their superiors: They keep watch as having to
render an account of your souls.(1)
These
grave words apply, no doubt, to all who have authority in the
Church, but they apply in a special way to us who, despite our
unworthiness, by the grace of God exercise supreme power within
the Church. Therefore, with unceasing solicitude, our thoughts and
endeavors are constantly directed to the promotion of the
well-being and growth of the flock of the Lord.
Our
first and chief concern is that all who are invested with the
priestly ministry should be in every way fitted for the discharge
of their responsibilities. For we are fully convinced that it is
here that hope lies for the welfare and progress of religious
life.
Hence
it is that, ever since our elevation to the office of supreme
Pontiff, we have felt it a duty, notwithstanding the manifest and
numerous proofs of the high quality of the clergy as a whole, to
urge with all earnestness our venerable brethren the bishops of
the whole Catholic world, to devote themselves unceasingly and
efficaciously to the formation of Christ in those who, by their
calling, have the responsibility of forming Christ in others.(2)
We
are well aware of the eagerness with which the episcopate have
carried out this task. We know the watchful care and unwearied
energy with which they seek to form the clergy in the ways of
virtue, and for this we wish not so much to praise them as to
render them public thanks.
But
though it is a matter for congratulation that, as a result of the
diligence of the bishops, so many priests are animated by heavenly
fervor to rekindle or strengthen in their souls the flame of
divine grace which they received by the imposition of hands, we
must deplore the fact that there are others in different countries
who do not show themselves worthy to be taken as models by the
Christian people who rightly look to them for a genuine model of
Christian virtue.(3)
It
is to these priests that we wish to open our heart in this Letter;
it is a father's loving heart which beats anxiously as he looks
upon an ailing child. Our love for them inspires us to add our own
appeal to the appeals of their own bishops. And while our appeal
is intended above all to recall the erring to the right path and
to spur the lukewarm to fresh endeavor, we would wish it to serve
as an encouragement to others also. We point out the path which
each one must strive to follow with constantly growing fervor, so
that he may become truly a man of God,(4) as the Apostle so
concisely expresses it, and fulfill the legitimate expectations of
the Church.
We
have nothing to say which you have not already heard, no doctrine
to propound that is new to anyone; but we treat of matters which
it is necessary for everyone to bear in mind, and God inspires us
with the hope that our message will not fail to bear abundant
fruit.
Our
earnest appeal to you is this: Be renewed in the spirit of your
mind, and put on the new man, who according to God is created in
justice and sanctity of truth;(5) that will be the most excellent
and most acceptable gift which you could offer to us on this
fiftieth anniversary of our ordination.
For
our own part, when we review before God with a contrite heart and
in a spirit of humility(6) the years passed in the priesthood, we
will feel that we are making reparation in some measure for the
human frailties which we have cause to regret, by thus admonishing
and exhorting you to walk worthily of God, in all things
pleasing.(7)
In
this exhortation, it is not your personal welfare alone that we
are striving to secure, but the common welfare of Catholic
peoples; the one cannot be separated from the other. For the
priest cannot be good or bad for himself alone; his conduct and
way of life have far-reaching consequences for the people. A truly
good priest is an immense gift wherever he may be.
I.
THE OBLIGATION OF PRIESTLY SANCTITY
Therefore,
beloved sons, we will begin this exhortation by stimulating you to
that sanctity of life which the dignity of your office demands.
Anyone
who exercises the priestly ministry exercises it not for himself
alone, but for others. For every high priest taken from among men
is appointed for men in the things that pertain to God.(8) Christ
himself taught that lesson when he compared the priest to salt and
to light, in order to show the nature of the priestly ministry.
The priest then is the light of the world and the salt of the
earth. Everyone knows that he fulfills this function chiefly by
the teaching of Christian truth; and who can be unaware that this
ministry of teaching is practically useless if the priest fails to
confirm by the example of his life the truths which he teaches?
Those who hear him might say, insultingly it is true, but not
without justification: They profess that they know God but in
their works they deny him;(9) they will refuse to accept his
teaching and will derive no benefit from the light of the priest.
Christ
himself, the model of priests, taught first by the example of his
deeds and then by his words: Jesus began to do and then to
teach.(10)
Likewise,
a priest who neglects his own sanctification can never be the salt
of the earth; what is corrupt and contaminated is utterly
incapable of preserving from corruption; where sanctity is
lacking, there corruption will inevitably find its way. Hence
Christ, continuing this comparison, calls such priests salt that
has lost its savor, which is good for nothing any more, but to be
cast out and to be trodden on by men.(11)
These
truths are all the more evident inasmuch as we exercise the
priestly ministry not in our own name, but in the name of Jesus
Christ. The Apostle said: Let man so consider us as the ministers
of Christ and the dispensers of the mysteries of God;(12) for
Christ, therefore, we are ambassadors.(13) This is the reason that
Christ has numbered us not among his servants but as his friends.
I will not now call you servants;... but I have called you
friends, because all things whatsoever I have heard from my Father
I have made known to you;...I have chosen you and appointed you
that you should go and bring forth fruit.(14)
We
have, therefore, to take the place of Christ: the mission which he
has given to us we must fulfill with that same purpose that he
intended. True friendship consists in unity of mind and will,
identity of likes and dislikes; therefore, as friends of Jesus
Christ, we are bound to have that mind in us which was in Jesus
Christ who is holy, innocent, undefiled.(15) As his envoys, we
must win the minds of men for his doctrine and his law by first
observing them ourselves; sharing as we do in his power to deliver
souls from the bondage of sin, we must strive by every means to
avoid becoming entangled in these toils of sin.
But
it is particularly as the ministers of Jesus Christ in the great
sacrifice which is constantly renewed with abiding power for the
salvation of the world, that we have the duty of conforming our
minds to that spirit in which he offered himself as an unspotted
victim to God on the altar of the Cross. In the Old Law, though
victims were only shadowy figures and symbols, sanctity of a high
degree was demanded of the priest; what then of us, now that the
victim is Christ himself? "How pure should not he be who
shares in this sacrifice! More resplendent than the sun must be
the hand that divides this Flesh, the mouth that is filled with
spiritual fire, the tongue that is reddened by this
Blood!"(16)
Saint
Charles Borromeo gave apt expression to this thought when, in his
discourses to the clergy, he declared: "If we would only bear
in mind, dearly beloved brethren, the exalted character of the
things that the Lord God has placed in our hands, what unbounded
influence would not this have in impelling us to lead lives worthy
of ecclesiastics! Has not the Lord placed everything in my hand,
when he put there his only-begotten Son, coeternal and coequal
with himself? In my hand he has placed all his treasures, his
sacraments, his graces; he has placed there souls, than whom
nothing can be dearer to him; in his love he has preferred them to
himself, and redeemed them by his Blood; he has placed heaven in
my hand, and it is in my power to open and close it to
others...How, then, can I be so ungrateful for such condescension
and love as to sin against him, to offend his honor, to pollute
this body which is his? How can I come to defile this high
dignity, this life consecrated to his service?"
It
is well to speak at greater length on this holiness of life, which
is the object of the unfailing solicitude of the Church. This is
the purpose for which seminaries have been founded; within their
walls young men who hope to be priests are trained in letters and
other branches of learning, but even more important is the
training in piety which they also receive there from their tender
years. And then, when the Church gradually and at long intervals
promotes candidates to Orders, like a watchful parent she never
fails to exhort them to sanctity. It
is a source of joy to recall her words on these occasions.
When
we were first enrolled in the army of the Church, she sought from
us the formal declaration: The Lord is the portion of my
inheritance and of my cup: it is thou that wilt restore my
inheritance to me.(17) St. Jerome tells us that with these words
"the cleric is reminded that one who is the portion of the
Lord, or who has the Lord as his portion, must show himself to be
such a one as possesses the Lord and is possessed by
him."(18)
How
solemnly the Church addresses those who are about to be promoted
sub-deacons! "You must consider repeatedly and with all
attention the office which of your own volition you seek
today...if you receive this Order, you cannot afterwards revoke
your decision, you must remain always in the service of God and,
with his help, observe chastity." And finally: "If up to
now you have been negligent in relation to the Church, henceforth
you must be diligent; if hitherto you have been somnolent,
henceforth you must be vigilant...if up to now your life has been
unseemly, henceforth you must be chaste;...Consider the ministry
which is entrusted to you!" For those who are about to be
raised to the diaconate, the Church prays to God through the mouth
of the bishop: "May they have in abundance the pattern of
every virtue, authority that is unassuming, constancy in chastity,
the purity of innocence, and the observance of spiritual
discipline. May thy commands shine forth through their conduct,
and may the people find a saintly model in their exemplary
chastity."
The
admonition addressed to those who are about to be ordained priests
is even more moving: "It is with great fear that one must
approach this high dignity, and care must be taken that those
chosen for it are recommended by heavenly wisdom, blameless life
and sustained observance of justice...Let the fragrance of your
life be a joy to the Church of Christ, so that by your preaching
and example you may build up the house, that is, the family of
God." Above all the Church stresses the solemn words: Imitate
that which you handle, an injunction which fully agrees with the
command of St. Paul: That we may present every man perfect in
Jesus Christ.(19)
Since
this is the mind of the Church on the life of a priest, one cannot
be surprised at the complete unanimity of the Fathers and Doctors
on this matter; it might indeed be thought that they are guilty of
exaggeration, but a careful examination will lead to the
conclusion that they taught nothing that was not entirely true and
correct. Their teaching can be summarized thus: there should be as
much difference between the priest and any other upright man as
there is between heaven and earth; consequently, the priest must
see to it that his life is free not merely from grave faults but
even from the slightest faults.(20) The Council of Trent made the
teaching of these venerable men its own when it warned clerics to
avoid "even venial faults which in their case would be very
grave."(21) These faults are grave, not in themselves, but in
relation to the one who commits them; for to him, even more than
to the sacred edifice, are applicable the words: Holiness becometh
thy house.(22)
II.
NATURE OF PRIESTLY HOLINESS
We
must now consider what is the nature of this sanctity, which the
priest cannot lack without being culpable; ignorance or
misunderstanding of it leaves one exposed to grave peril.
There
are some who think, and even declare openly, that the true measure
of the merits of a priest is his dedication to the service of
others; consequently, with an almost complete disregard for the
cultivation of the virtues which lead to the personal
sanctification of the priest (these they describe as passive
virtues), they assert that all his energies and fervor should be
directed to the development and practice of what they call the
active virtues. One can only be astonished by this gravely
erroneous and pernicious teaching.
Our
predecessor of happy memory in his wisdom spoke as follows of this
teaching:(22) "To maintain that some Christian virtues are
more suited to one period than to another is to forget the words
of the Apostle: Those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be
conformed to the image of his Son.(23) Christ is the teacher and
the model of all sanctity; all who desire to take their place in
the abode of the blessed must adapt their conduct to the standard
which he has laid down. Now Christ does not change with the
passing of the centuries: He is the same yesterday and today and
forever.(24) The words: Learn of me because I am meek and humble
of heart,(25) apply to men of every age; at all times Christ
reveals himself obedient unto death;(26) true for every age are
the words of the Apostle: They that are Christ's have crucified
the flesh, with the vices and concupiscences."(27)
These
passages apply, no doubt, to all the faithful, but they apply more
especially to priests. Let priests take as directed particularly
to themselves the further words which were spoken by our
predecessor in his apostolic zeal: "Would that at the present
day there were many more who cultivated these virtues as did the
saints of former times, who by their humility, their obedience,
their abstinence, were mighty in work and word, to the great
benefit not only of religion but also of public and civil
life."(28)
It
is not irrelevant to note here that Leo XIII in his wisdom made
special mention of the virtue of abstinence, which we call
self-denial, in the words of the Gospel. He was quite right to do
so, for it is from self-denial chiefly that the strength and power
and fruit of every priestly function derive; it is when this
virtue is neglected that there appears in the priest's conduct
whatever may be of a nature to cause offense to the eyes and
hearts of the faithful. If one acts for the sake of filthy lucre,
or becomes involved in worldly affairs,(29) or seeks for the
highest places and despises others, or follows merely human
counsel, or seeks to please men, or trusts in the persuasive words
of human wisdom, this is the result of neglect of the command of
Christ and of the refusal to accept the condition laid down by
him: If anyone will come after me, let him deny himself.(30)
While
insisting on these truths, we would likewise admonish the priest
that in the last analysis, it is not for himself alone that he has
to sanctify himself, for he is the workman whom Christ went
out...to hire into his vineyard.(31) Therefore, it is his duty to
uproot unfruitful plants and to sow useful ones, to water the crop
and to guard lest the enemy sow cockle among it. Consequently, the
priest must be careful not to allow an unbalanced concern for
personal perfection to lead him to overlook any part of the duties
of his office which are conducive to the welfare of others. These
duties include the preaching of the word of God, the hearing of
confessions, assisting the sick, especially the dying, the
instruction of those who are ignorant of the faith, the
consolation of the sorrowing, leading back the erring, in a word,
the imitation in every respect of Christ who went about doing good
and healing all that were oppressed by the devil.(32)
In
the midst of all these duties, the priest shall have ever present
to his mind the striking admonition given by St. Paul: Neither he
who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the
increase.(33) It may be that we go and sow the seed with tears; it
may be that we tend its growth at the cost of heavy labor; but to
make it germinate and yield the hoped for fruit, that depends on
God alone and his powerful assistance. This further point also is
worthy of profound consideration, namely that men are but the
instruments whom God employs for the salvation of souls; they
must, therefore, be instruments fit to be employed by God. And how
is this to be achieved? Do we imagine that God is influenced by
any inborn or acquired excellence of ours, to make use of our help
for the extension of his glory? By no means; for it is written:
God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the
wise, and the weak things of the world God has chosen to confound
the strong, and the humble and contemptible things of the world
God has chosen, the things that are not, in order to bring to
nought the things that are.(34)
There
is, indeed, only one thing that unites man to God, one thing that
makes him pleasing to God and a not unworthy dispenser of his
mercy; and that one thing is holiness of life and conduct. If this
holiness, which is the true supereminent knowledge of Jesus
Christ, is wanting in the priest, then everything is wanting.
Without this, even the resources of profound learning (which we
strive to promote among the clergy), or exceptional competence in
practical affairs, though they may bring some benefit to the
Church or to individuals, are not infrequently the cause of
deplorable damage to them.
On
the other hand, there is abundant evidence from every age that
even the humblest priest, provided his life has the adornment of
overflowing sanctity, can undertake and accomplish marvelous works
for the spiritual welfare of the people of God; an outstanding
example in recent times is John Baptist Vianney, a model pastor of
souls, to whom we are happy to have decreed the honors of the
Blessed in heaven.(35)
Sanctity
alone makes us what our divine vocation demands, men crucified to
the world and to whom the world has been crucified, men walking in
newness of life who, in the words of St. Paul, show themselves as
ministers of God in labors, in vigils, in fasting, in chastity, in
knowledge, in long-suffering, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in
sincere charity, in the word of truth;(36) men who seek only
heavenly things and strive by every means to lead others to them.
III.
MEANS OF ACQUIRING PRIESTLY SANCTITY
1.
PRAYER, AN ESSENTIAL CONDITION OF SANCTITY.
Since,
as everyone realizes, holiness of life is the fruit of the
exercise of the will inasmuch as it is strengthened by the aid of
divine grace, God has made abundant provision lest we should at
any time lack the gift of grace, if we desire it. We can obtain
it, in the first place, by constant prayer.
There
is, in fact, such a necessary link between holiness and prayer
that the one cannot exist without the other.
The
words of Chrysostom on this matter are an exact expression of the
truth: "I consider that it is obvious to everyone that it is
impossible to live virtuously without the aid of prayer;"(37)
and Augustine sums up shrewdly: "He truly knows how to live
rightly, who rightly knows how to pray."(38)
Christ
himself, by his constant exhortations and especially by his
example, has even more firmly inculcated these truths. To pray he
withdrew into desert places or climbed the mountain alone; he
spent whole nights absorbed in prayer; he paid many visits to the
temple; even when the crowds thronged around him, he raised his
eyes to heaven and prayed openly before them; when nailed to the
Cross, in the agony of death, he supplicated the Father with a
strong cry and tears.
Let
us be convinced, therefore, that a priest must be specially
devoted to the practice of prayer if he is to maintain worthily
his dignity and to fulfill his duty. All too frequently one must
deplore the fact that prayer is a matter of routine rather than of
genuine fervor; the Psalms are recited at the appointed times(39)
in a negligent manner, a few short prayers are said in between;
there is no further thought of consecrating part of the day to
speaking with God, with pious aspirations to him. And it is the
priest, more than any other, who is bound to obey scrupulously the
command of Christ: We ought always pray,(40) a command which Paul
so insistently inculcated: Be instant in prayer, watching in it
with thanksgiving;(41) pray without ceasing.(42)
How
numerous are the opportunities of turning to God in prayer which
present themselves daily to the soul which is eager for its own
sanctification and the salvation of others! Anguish of soul, the
persistent onslaught of temptation, our lack of virtue, slackness
and failure in our works, our many offenses and negligences, fear
of the divine judgment, all these should move us to approach the
Lord with tears, in order to obtain help from him and also to
increase without difficulty the treasure of our merit in his eyes.
Nor
should our tearful supplication be for ourselves alone. In the
deluge of crime, which spreads far and wide, we especially should
implore and pray for divine clemency; we should appeal insistently
to Christ who in his infinite mercy lavishes his graces in his
wonderful Sacrament: Spare, O Lord, spare thy people.
2.
THE OBLIGATION OF DAILY MEDITATION
A
point of capital importance is that a certain time should be given
daily to meditation on the eternal truths. No priest can neglect
this practice without incurring a grave charge of negligence and
without detriment to his soul. The saintly abbot, Bernard, when
writing to Eugene III, his former pupil who had become Roman
Pontiff, frankly and emphatically admonished him never to omit
daily divine meditation; he would not admit as an excusing cause
even the many weighty cares which the supreme pontificate
involves. In justification of this advice he enumerated with great
prudence the benefits of the practice of meditation:
"Meditation purifies the source from which it comes, the
mind. It controls affections, guides our acts, corrects excesses,
rules our conduct, introduces order and dignity into our lives; it
bestows understanding of things divine and human. It brings
clarity where there is confusion, binds what is torn apart,
gathers what is scattered, investigates what is hidden, seeks out
the truth, weighs what has the appearance of truth, and shows up
what is pretense and falsehood. It plans future action and reviews
the past, so that nothing remains in the mind that has not been
corrected or that stands in need of correction. When affairs are
prospering it anticipates the onset of adversity, and when
adversity comes it seems not to feel it, in this it displays in
turn prudence and fortitude."(43)
This
summary of the benefits which meditation is calculated to bring is
an instructive reminder not only of its salutary effect in every
department, but also of its absolute necessity.
Despite
the high dignity of the various functions of the priestly office
and the veneration which they deserve, frequent exercise of these
functions may lead those who discharge them to treat them with
less respect than is their due. From a gradual decline in fervor
it is an easy step to carelessness and even to distaste for the
most sacred things. In addition, a priest cannot avoid daily
contact with a corrupt society; frequently, in the very exercise
of pastoral charity, he must fear the insidious attacks of the
infernal serpent. Is it not all too easy even for religious souls
to be tarnished by contact with the world?(44) It is evident,
therefore, that there is a grave and urgent need for the priest to
turn daily to the contemplation of the eternal truths, so that his
mind and will may gain new strength to stand firm against every
enticement to evil.
Moreover,
it is the strict duty of the priest to have a mind for heavenly
things, to teach them, to inculcate them; in the regulation of his
whole life he must be so much superior to human considerations
that whatever he does in the discharge of his sacred office will
be done in accordance with God, under the impulse and guidance of
faith; it is fitting then that he should possess a certain
aptitude to rise above earthly considerations and strive for
heavenly things. Nothing is more conducive to the acquisition and
strengthening of this disposition of soul, this quasi-natural
union with God, than daily meditation; it is unnecessary to dwell
upon this truth which every prudent person clearly realizes.
The
life of a priest who underestimates the value of meditation, or
has lost all taste for it, provides a sad confirmation of what we
have been saying. Let your eyes dwell on the spectacle of men in
whom the mind of Christ, that supremely precious gift, has grown
weak; their thoughts are all on earthly things, they are engaged
in vain pursuits, their words are so much unimportant chatter; in
the performance of their sacred functions they are careless, cold,
perhaps even unworthy. Formerly, these same men, with the oil of
priestly ordination still fresh upon them, diligently prepared
themselves for the recitation of the Psalms, lest they should be
like men who tempt God; they sought a time and place free from
disturbance; they endeavored to grasp the divine meaning; in union
with the psalmist they poured forth their soul in songs of praise,
sorrow and rejoicing. But now, what a change has taken place!
In
like manner, little now remains of that lively devotion which they
felt towards the divine mysteries. Formerly, how beloved were
those tabernacles!(45) It was their delight to be present at the
table of the Lord, to invite more and more pious souls to that
banquet! Before Mass, what purity, what earnestness in the prayers
of a loving heart! How great reverence in the celebration of Mass,
with complete observance of the august rites in all their beauty!
What sincerity in thanksgiving! And the sweet perfume of Christ
was diffused over their people! We beg of you, beloved sons: Call
to mind...the former days;(46) for then your soul was burning with
zeal, being nourished by holy meditation.
Some
of those who find recollection of the heart(47) a burden, or
entirely neglect it, do not seek to disguise the impoverishment of
soul which results from their attitude, but they try to excuse
themselves on the pretext that they are completely occupied by the
activity of their ministry, to the manifold benefit of others.
They
are gravely mistaken. For as they are unaccustomed to converse
with God, their words completely lack the inspiration which comes
from God when they speak to men about God or inculcate the
counsels of the Christian life; it is as if the message of the
Gospel were practically dead in them. However distinguished for
prudence and eloquence, their speech does not echo the voice of
the good Shepherd which the sheep hear to their spiritual profit;
it is mere sound which goes forth without fruit, and sometimes
gives a pernicious example to the disgrace of religion and the
scandal of the good.
It
is the same in other spheres of their activity; there can be no
solid achievement, nothing of lasting benefit, in the absence of
the heavenly dew which is brought down in abundance by the prayer
of the man who humbles himself.(48)
At
this point we cannot refrain from referring with sorrow to those
who, carried away by pernicious novelties, dare to maintain a
contrary opinion, and to hold that time devoted to meditation and
prayer is wasted. What calamitous blindness! Would that such
people would take thought seriously with themselves and realize
whither this neglect and contempt of prayer leads. From it have
sprung pride and stubbornness; and these have produced those
bitter fruits which in our paternal love we hesitate to mention
and most earnestly desire to remove completely.(49)
May
God answer this our prayer: may he look down with kindness on
those who have strayed, and pour forth on them the "spirit of
grace and of prayer" in such abundance that they may repent
of their error and, of their own will and to the joy of all,
return to the path which they wrongly abandoned, and henceforth
follow it with greater care. God himself be witness, as he was to
the Apostle, of how we long for them all with the love of Jesus
Christ.(50)
Beloved
sons, may this our exhortation, which is none other than the
exhortation of Christ our Lord: Be watchful, be vigilant and
pray,(51) be deeply engraven in their hearts and in yours. Let
each one diligently apply himself above all to the practice of
pious meditation; let him do so with sincere confidence,
constantly repeating the words: Lord teach us to pray.(52) There
is a special, very important reason which should urge us to
meditation; it is that meditation is a rich source of the wisdom
and virtue which are so useful in the supremely difficult task of
caring for souls.
The
pastoral address of St. Charles Borromeo is relevant here and is
worth recalling: "Realize, my brethren, that nothing is so
necessary to an ecclesiastic as mental prayer before, during and
after all our actions. I will sing, said the prophet, and I will
understand.(53) If administering the sacraments, my brother,
meditate on what you are doing; if celebrating Mass, ponder on
what you are offering; in reciting the Psalms, reflect on what you
are saying and to whom you are speaking; if directing souls,
reflect on the Blood with which they were washed."(54)
Therefore,
it is with good reason that the Church commends us to repeat
frequently the sentiments of David: Blessed is the man who
meditates in the law of the Lord, whose desire is upon it night
and day; everything that he does shall prosper.(55)
There
is one final motive which can be regarded as comprising all the
others. If the priest is called "another Christ" and is
truly such by reason of his sharing in Christ's power, should he
not also become and be recognized as another Christ through
imitation of Christ's deeds? "Let it be our principal study
to meditate upon the life of Jesus Christ."(56)
3.
SPIRITUAL READING
It
is of great importance that the priest should combine his daily
divine meditation with the constant reading of pious books,
especially the inspired books. That was the command that Paul gave
to Timothy: Attend unto reading.(57) The same lesson was taught by
St. Jerome when instructing Nepotianus on the priestly life:
"Never let the sacred book leave your hands"; and he
gave the following reason for his advice: "Learn that which
you are to teach; holding to that faithful word which conforms to
doctrine, that you may be able to exhort with sound doctrine, and
refute the opponents." What great advantages are gained by
priests who are faithful to this practice! With what unction they
preach Christ! Far from flattering and soothing the hearts and
minds of their audience, they stimulate them to better things, and
arouse in them the desire of heavenly things.
The
command of St. Jerome: "Let the sacred books be always in
your hands,"(58) is important for another reason also, a
reason which concerns your own personal welfare.
Everyone
knows the great influence that is exerted by the voice of a friend
who gives candid advice, assists by his counsel, corrects,
encourages and leads one away from error. Blessed is the man who
has found a true friend;(59) he that has found him has found a
treasure.(60) We should, then, count pious books among our true
friends. They solemnly remind us of our duties and of the
prescriptions of legitimate discipline; they arouse the heavenly
voices that were stifled in our souls; they rid our resolutions of
listlessness; they disturb our deceitful complacency; they show
the true nature of less worthy affections to which we have sought
to close our eyes; they bring to light the many dangers which
beset the path of the imprudent. They render all these services
with such kindly discretion that they prove themselves to be not
only our friends, but the very best of friends. They are always at
hand, constantly beside us to assist us in the needs of our souls;
their voice is never harsh, their advice is never self-seeking,
their words are never timid or deceitful.
There
are many striking examples of the salutary effects of the reading
of pious books. Outstanding is the case of Augustine whose great
services to the Church had their origin in such reading:
"Take, read; take, read; I took (the epistles of Paul the
Apostle), I opened, I read in silence; it was as though the
darkness of all my doubting was driven away by the light of peace
which had entered my soul."(61)
In
our own day, alas! it is the contrary that happens all too
frequently. Members of the clergy allow their minds to be overcome
gradually by the darkness of doubt and turn aside to worldly
pursuits; the chief reason for this is that they prefer to read a
variety of other works and newspapers, which are full of cunningly
propounded errors and corruption, rather than the divine books and
other pious literature.
Be
on your guard, beloved sons; do not trust in your experience and
mature years, do not be deluded by the vain hope that you can thus
better serve the general good. Do not transgress the limits which
are determined by the laws of the Church, nor go beyond what is
suggested by prudence and charity towards oneself. Anyone who
admits this poison into his soul will rarely escape the disastrous
consequences of the evil thus introduced.
4.
EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE
The
benefits to be derived from spiritual reading and meditation will
certainly be more abundant if the priest supplements them by an
examination which will enable him to discern whether he is
striving conscientiously to put into practice what he has learned
in his reading and meditation.
Particularly
relevant in this context is the excellent advice of Chrysostom
which was intended especially for priests. Every night before
going to sleep, "make your conscience appear in judgment;
demand of it an account, and having thoroughly probed and analized
whatever evil purposes you formed during the day, repent
for them."(62)
The
excellence of this practice and its fruitfulness for Christian
virtue are clearly established by the teaching of the great
masters of the spiritual life. We are pleased to quote that
remarkable passage from the rule of St. Bernard: "As a
searching investigator of the integrity of your own conduct,
submit your life to a daily examination. Consider carefully what
progress you have made or what ground you have lost...Strive to
know yourself...Place all your faults before your eyes. Come face
to face with yourself, as though you were another person, and then
weep for your faults."(63)
It
would be shameful, indeed, were we to see verified in this matter
the words of Christ: The children of this world are wiser in their
generation than the children of light.(64) You know with what
assiduity the children of this world manage their affairs, how
often they compare income with expenses, how carefully and
strictly they balance their accounts, how they grieve over their
losses, and drive themselves on to make them good.(65) We, on the
other hand, though perhaps our hearts are eager for gaining
honors, for increasing our wealth, or for the mere winning of
renown and glory by our learning, are listless and without
inclination for the supremely important and difficult task of
achieving our own sanctification. Rarely do we take time for
recollection and submit our souls to scrutiny; our soul has become
overgrown like the vineyard of the slothful man, of which it is
written: I passed by the field of the slothful man and by the
vineyard of the foolish man; and behold with nettles it was all
filled, and thorns had covered the face thereof, and the stone
wall was broken down.(66)
The
situation is aggravated by the fact that all around us we see the
multiplication of evil example which is a menace to priestly
virtue itself every day calls for even greater vigilance and fresh
endeavor.
Experience
shows that the man who frequently subjects his thoughts, words and
actions to a strict examination, gains new strength of soul both
to detest and fly from evil and to desire and strive for the good.
It
is also shown by experience that one who refuses to appear before
the tribunal where justice sits in judgment, and conscience
appears at once as the accused and the accuser, usually suffers
grave loss and disadvantage thereby. Vainly too will one seek in
the conduct of such a person for that circumspection, so highly
prized in the Christian, that tries to avoid even venial faults,
or that sense of reverence, so becoming in a priest, which
shudders at even the slightest offense to God.
This
carelessness and indifference to one's own welfare sometimes goes so
far as to lead to neglect even of the sacrament of Penance, which
Christ, in his great mercy, has given us as a most timely aid to
human weakness.
It
cannot be denied, and it is bitterly to be deplored, that not
infrequently one finds priests who use the thunders of their
eloquence to frighten others from sin, but seem to have no such
fear for themselves and become hardened in their faults; a priest
who exhorts and arouses others to wash away without delay the
stains from their souls by due religious acts, is himself so
sluggish in doing this that he delays even for months; he who
knows how to pour the health-giving oil and wine into the wounds
of others is himself content to lie wounded by the wayside, and
lacks the prudence to call for the saving hand of a brother which
is almost within his grasp. In the past and even today, in
different places, what great evils have resulted from this,
bringing dishonor to God and the Church, injuring the Christian
flock and disgracing the priesthood!
For
our own part, beloved sons, when we reflect upon these matters, as
is our bounden duty, we are overcome with grief and our voice
breaks into lamentation.
Woe
to the priest who fails to respect his high dignity, and defiles
by his infidelities the name of the holy God for whom he is bound
to be holy. Corruptio optimi pessima. "Sublime is the dignity
of the priest, but great is his fall, if he is guilty of sin; let
us rejoice for the high honor, but let us fear for them lest they
fall; great is the joy that they have scaled the heights, but it
is insignificant compared with the sorrow of their fall from on
high."(67)
Woe
then to the priest who so far forgets himself that he abandons the
practice of prayer, rejects the nourishment of spiritual reading
and never turns his attention inwards upon himself to hear the
accusing voice of conscience. Neither the festering wounds on his
conscience, nor even the tearful pleas of his mother the Church,
will move such an unfortunate priest until those fearsome threats
come upon him: Blind the heart of this people, make dull their
ears, and close their eyes, lest they should see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and be
converted and I should heal them.(68)
May
God in his bounteous mercy grant that these ominous words may
never be true of any of you, beloved sons; he knows what is in our
heart, he sees that it is free from rancor towards anyone, and
that it is inflamed with pastoral zeal and paternal love for all:
For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of glory? Is it not you, in
the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ?(69)
IV.
PRIESTLY VIRTUES
You
all know very well, wherever you may be, the difficult period
through which, in the mysterious design of God, the Church is now
passing. Consider likewise and ponder on the sacred duty which is
yours to stand by and to assist in her struggles the Church which
has bestowed upon you an office of such exalted dignity.
Now
more than ever the clergy need to be men of more than ordinary
virtue, virtue that is a shining example, eager, active, ever
ready to do great things for Christ and to suffer much. There is
nothing that we more ardently ask from God and desire for each and
everyone of you.
May
chastity, the choicest ornament of our priesthood, flourish
undimmed amongst you; through the splendor of this virtue, by
which the priest is made like the angels, the priest wins greater
veneration among the Christian flock, and his ministry yields an
even greater harvest of holiness.
May
the reverence and obedience which you solemnly pledged to those
whom the Holy Spirit has appointed to rule the Church, increase
and gain strength; and especially, may your minds and hearts be
linked by ever closer ties of loyalty to this Apostolic See which
justly claims your respectful homage.
May
all of you excel in charity - a charity that never seeks what is its
own; when you have mastered the human incentives of jealous
rivalry and self-seeking ambition, let all together in fraternal
emulation strive for the glory of God.
A
great multitude of sick, blind, lame and paralytics,(70) in abject
misery, awaits the benefits of your charity; the youth above all,
those countless young people who are the dearest hope of society
and religion, it is they, menaced as they are by error and
corrupting influences, who especially stand in need of your
charitable activity.
Strive
eagerly not only by means of catechetical instruction - which once
more with even greater earnestness we commend to you - but by
unsparing use of all the resources of wisdom and skill at your
command, to deserve well of all. Whether your immediate task be to
assist, to protect, to heal, to make peace, let your one aim and
most ardent desire be to win or to secure souls for Christ. How
unwearied, how industrious, how fearless are Christ's enemies in
their activities, to the immeasurable loss of souls!
The
Catholic Church rejoices in and is proud of the charity beyond
praise which inspires the clergy to proclaim the Gospel of
Christian peace and to bring the blessings of salvation and
civilization even to barbarous races; through their unsparing
labor, sometimes consecrated by their blood, the kingdom of Christ
is expanding constantly and the Christian faith gains added
splendor from these new triumphs.
If,
beloved sons, the unsparing charity of your efforts is met by
jealousy, reproaches and calumnies as frequently happens, do not
allow yourselves to be overcome with sadness: Do not tire in doing
good.(71)
Let
your mind dwell on those countless great figures who, following
the example of the Apostles, even in the midst of cruel insults
borne for the name of Christ, went rejoicing, blessing those who
cursed them.(72)
For
we are the children and the brethren of the saints, whose names
shine in the book of life, and whose praises the Church proclaims:
Let us not stain our glory.(73)
COUNSELS
OF PRIESTLY PERFECTION.
When
the spirit of the grace of the priesthood has been restored and
strengthened in the ranks of the clergy, our other proposals for
reform, of whatever kind they may be, will with God's help prove
much more successful.
For
this reason we have thought it well to supplement what we have
already said by some points of practical advice which will give
you timely aid to preserve and nourish the grace of your
priesthood.
First,
there is the pious retreat during which the soul devotes itself to
spiritual exercises, as they are called. These exercises are known
and approved by all, though not everyone puts them into practice;
there should, if possible, be a yearly retreat, performed either
alone or, preferably, in common with others, the second method
being usually more productive of good results, without prejudice
to episcopal regulations. We ourselves have already spoken in
praise of the advantages to be derived from a retreat, on the
occasion when we issued certain decrees on this subject bearing on
the discipline of the clergy of Rome.(74)
It
will be no less profitable for souls, if a similar retreat lasting
a few hours is performed each month either privately or with
others. We are happy to note that in many places a custom of this
kind has already been introduced, with the encouragement of the
bishops who sometimes preside over the group assembled for
retreat.
Another
suggestion which we warmly recommend is that priests, as befits
brothers, should form a closer union among themselves, with the
approval and under the direction of the bishop. It is strongly to
be recommended that they should form an association in order to
help one another in adversity, to defend the honor of their name
and office against attack, and for other similar objects. But it
is even more important that they should form an association with a
view to the cultivation of sacred learning, particularly in order
to apply themselves with greater solicitude to the object of their
vocation and to promote the welfare of souls by concerting their
ideas and their efforts. The annals of the Church show that at
times when priests generally lived in a form of common life, this
association produced many good results. Why might not one
re-establish in our own day something of the kind, with due
attention to differences of country and priestly duties? Might not
one justifiably hope, and the Church would rejoice at it, that
such an institution would yield the same good results as formerly?
There
are, indeed, associations of this kind which enjoy episcopal
approval; and the advantages they confer are all the greater if
one becomes a member early in life, in the very first years of the
priesthood. We ourselves have had practical experience of the
worth of one such association and fostered it during our
episcopate; even still we continue to show special consideration
to it and others.(75)
Beloved
sons, it is your duty to value highly and to apply these aids to
priestly grace and such other means as the watchful prudence of
your bishops may suggest from time to time; thus with each passing
day you will walk more worthily of the vocation in which you are
called,(76) honoring your ministry and accomplishing in yourselves
the will of God, that is, your sanctification.
FINAL
EXHORTATION
Your
sanctification has, indeed, first place in our thoughts and in our
cares; therefore, with our eyes raised to heaven, we frequently
pray for the whole clergy, repeating the words of Christ, our
Lord: Holy Father...sanctify them.(77)
It
is a source of joy to us that we are joined in that prayer by very
many from among the faithful of every condition who are gravely
concerned for your welfare and that of the Church; it is no less a
source of joy that there are many generous souls, not only within
the cloister but in the midst of the busy world, who offer
themselves continuously as victims to God for the same object.
May
the Lord graciously deign to accept, as a sweet perfume, their
pure and sublime prayers, and may He not refuse our own humble
supplication; we implore him, in his merciful providence, to come
to our aid, and may he pour forth upon all the clergy the riches
of grace, charity and virtue which repose in the most pure Heart
of His beloved Son.
Finally,
beloved sons, we are happy to express our heartfelt thanks for the
manifold expressions of good wishes, inspired by filial piety,
which were offered by you on the approach of the fiftieth
anniversary of our ordination. The good wishes which we convey to
you in return, we entrust to the care of the great Virgin Mother,
Queen of Apostles, in order that they may be fulfilled even more
abundantly.(78)
It
was she who by her example showed the Apostles, who were the first
to share the blessing of the priesthood, how they should persevere
with one mind in prayer until they were clothed with power from on
high; by her prayers she secured that power for them in more
abundant measure, she increased and strengthened it by her
counsel, so that their labors were abundantly blessed.
Beloved
sons, we pray that the peace of Christ may reign in your hearts
with the joy of the Holy Spirit; as a pledge of this we bestow on
all with the deepest affection the Apostolic benediction.
Given
in Rome, at St. Peter's, 4 August 1908, at the beginning of the
sixth year of our pontificate.
Endnotes:
1.
Heb. 13:17. | 2. Encyclical Supremi Apostolatus: cf. supra n. 24.
| 3 The same thought had been expressed by St. Pius X in the
Letter concerning clerical discipline addressed to Cardinal
Respighi (5 May 1904) "The restoration of all things in
Christ which, with God's help, we have made it our purpose to
achieve in the government of the Church, demands - as we have more
than once shown - proper formation of the clergy, testing of
vocations, examination of the integrity of life of the candidates,
and prudence lest there be excessive leniency in opening to them
the doors of the sanctuary. To bring about the reign of Jesus
Christ in the world, nothing is more essential than a saintly
clergy who, by their example, their preaching and their learning
will be the guides of the faithful; an old proverb says that the
people will always be like their priests: Sicut sacerdos, sic
populus. Indeed we read in the Council of Trent. Nothing is more
effective in training to piety and the worship of God than the
life and example of those who are consecrated to the divine
ministry; cut off from the world and its affairs, clerics are on a
pedestal where they can be seen, and men look into their lives as
into a mirror in which they may see what they are to
imitate'" (Sess. XXII, c. I, de Reform. AAS XXXVI, p. 655);
cf. supra, n. 7. | 4. 1 Tim. 6:11. | 5. Eph. 4:23-24. | 6. Dan.
3:39. | 7. Col. 1:10. | 8. Heb. 5:1. | 9. Ti. 1:16. | 10. Acts
1:1. | 11. Mt. 5:13. | 12. 1 Cor. 4:1. | 13. 1. Cor. 5:20. | 14.
Jn. 15:15-16. | 15. Heb. 7:26. | 16. S. John Chrysostom, Hom.
LXXXII in Matth., n. 5: cf. supra, n. 68. | 17. Ps. 15:5. | 18. Ep.
LII, ad Nepotianum, n. 5. | 19. Col. 1:28. | 20. Cf. supra, n. 70.
| 21. Sess. XXII, de Reform., c. I. | 22. Ps. 92:5. | 22. Letter
Testem Benevolentiae to the Archbishop of Baltimore (22 January
1899. AAS XXXI, p. 476) condemning "Americanism." | 23.
Rom. 8:29. | 24. Heb. 13:8. | 25. Mt. 11:29. | 26. Phil. 2:8. |
27. Gal. 5:24. | 28. Leo XIII, loc. cit. | 29. Cf. Decree of
Sacred Cong. Consistory (18 November 1910) forbidding priests to
take over the temporal administration of profane societies or
institutions: "In our own day, by God's grace many
institutions have been founded in the Catholic world with the
object of assisting the faithful in their temporal needs, notably
banks, credit unions, rural banks, savings banks. The clergy
should entirely approve and show favor to these various
undertakings. But it is not right that they should divert clerics
from the duties of their state and office, involve them in
material affairs and leave them exposed to the cares, anxieties
and dangers which are inseparable from these occupations. For this
reason our Holy Father, Pius X, while recommending the clergy not
to spare their efforts and advice in the foundation, support and
development of these institutions, forbids absolutely by the
present decree that clerics, whether secular or regular, should
assume positions which involve administrative charges and
obligations with their consequent dangers: for example, the
function of president, director, secretary, treasurer and similar
posts" [AAS II (1910), p. 910]. | 30. Mt. 16:24. | 31. Mt.
20:1. | 32. Acts 10:38. | 33. 1 Cor. 3:7. | 34. 1 Cor. 1:27-28. |
35. Cf. supra, n. 32. | 36. II Cor. 6:5-6. | 37. De precatione,
orat. I. | 38. Hom. IV. | 39. Cf. Apostolic Constitution Divino
Afflatu, 1 November 1911, on the new arrangement of the Psalter in
the Roman breviary [AAS III (1911), pp. 633-638]. | 40.
Lk. 18:1. | 41. Col. 4:2. | 42 1 Thes. 5:17. | 43. De Consid. L.
I, ch. vii. | 44 Cf. supra, n. 61. | 45. Cf. Ps. 83:2. | 46. Heb.
10:32. | 47. Jer. 12:11. | 48. Ecclus. 35:21. | 49. Cf. supra, n.
112. | 50. Cf. Phil. 1:8. | 51. Mk. 13:33. | 52. Lk. 11:1. | 53.
Ps. 100:1-2. | 54. St. Charles Borromeo, ex orationibus ad clerum.
| 55. Ps. 1:1 ff. | 56. Imitation of Christ, 1:1. | 57. 1 Tim.
4:13. | 58. Ep. LVIII ad Paulinum, n. 6. | 59. Ecclus. 25:12. |
60. Ecclus. 6:14. | 61. Confessions, L. VIII, C. 12. | 62.
Exposit. in Ps. 4, n. 8. | 63. Meditationes piissimae, c. V, de
Quotid. sui ipsius exam. | 64. Lk. 16:8. | 65. Cf. supra, n. 63. |
66. Prov. 24:30-31. | 67. St. Jerome, in Ezech., L. xiii, 44, v.
30. | 68. Is. 6:10. | 69. Thes. 2:19. | 70. Jn. 5:3. | 71. 2 Thess.
3:13 | 72. Cf. 1 Cor. 4:12. The Pope had written in similar terms
to the French episcopate immediately after the Law of Separation:
"The clergy of France will understand that in this difficult
situation they must make their own the sentiments of the Apostles
who rejoiced that they were thought worthy to suffer insults for
the name of Jesus (Acts 5:41). They will, therefore, courageously
assert the rights and liberty of the Church, but without giving
offense to anyone. Nay more, in their concern for the law of
charity, to which they are particularly bound as ministers of
Jesus Christ, they will meet injustice with justice, counter
insults by gentleness, and answer ill-usage by kindness"
(Encyclical Vehementer Nos. 11 February 1906. AAS XXXIX, p. 14). |
73.1 Macc. 9:10. | 74. Letter Experiendo to the Cardinal Vicar of
Rome, 27 December 1904 (cf. supra, n. 58). St. Pius X frequently
gave the practice of retreats first place among the means of
perseverance and sanctification which he recommended to the clergy
[cf. Letter to the bishops of Brazil, 18 December 1910. AAS III
(1911), pp. 311-312]. | 75. The reference is to the Apostolic
Union. At the very beginning of his pontificate, in the Brief Cum
Nobis (28 December 1903), St. Pius X had recommended it and
enriched it with numerous spiritual favors: "We ourselves
were at one time attached to this Institute: we have had practical
experience of its utility and excellence and have made a point of
continuing to share in its benefits, even after our elevation to
the dignity of the episcopate. By offering to all associates a
uniform rule of life, with monthly meetings and spiritual
conferences, a regular account of one's personal life to be
submitted to superiors and a number of other charitable and
beneficial relations, the Apostolic Union secures and strengthens
the unity of the clergy and links in spiritual brotherhood priests
who are widely separated... In these conditions, each priest
applies himself to the welfare and perfection of all and, though
the cares of his ministry do not allow him to enjoy the advantages
of living in common, he does not feel deprived of the benefit of a
spiritual family and he does not want either for advice or the
assistance of his brethren" (AAS XXXVI, p. 596). | 76. Eph.
4:1. | 77. Jn. 17:11 and 17. | 78. Cf. Apostolic Letter Plane
Compertum est. 21 May 1912, erecting the Archconfraternity of
Mary, Queen of the Clergy, in the church of St. Nicholas du
Chardonnet, Paris [AAS IV (1912), p. 439].
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