Part 7 (1/2)
Nulli ergo omnino hominum liceat hanc paginam nostrae approbationis, et confirmationis infringere, vel ei ausu temerario contraire: si quis autem hoc attentare praesumpserit, indignationem Omnipotentis Dei et beatorum Petri et Pauli apostolorum ejus se noverit incursurum. {340}
Datum Romae apud Sanctam Mariam Majorem*, anno incarnationis Dominicae millesimo septingentesimo s.e.xagesimo quarto, septimo idus Januarii, pontificatus nostri anno septimo.
C. Card. Pro-Datarius. N. Card. Antonellus.
Visa, De Curia J. Mana.s.sei.
L. Eugenius.
(Loco Plumbi.)
_Registrata in Secretaria Brevium._
* Curia Romana annum inchoat a Feste Annuntiationis B. Mariae, quod incidit in diem 25 Martii, adeoque septimus idus Januarii 1764, coincidit c.u.m 7 Januarii hujus anni 1765, secundum nostram computandi rationem.
_Translation._
CLEMENT, BISHOP, SERVANT OF THE SERVANTS OF G.o.d, FOR A PERPETUAL RECORD.
The apostolic office of feeding the Lord's flock, conferred by the Lord Christ on the most blessed apostle Peter and his successor the Roman pontiff, no state of time or place, no regard of human affairs, in short, no consideration whatever, can so circ.u.mscribe or suspend as that the same Roman pontiff may not direct his care to all the duties of the said office, without exception or omission, and provide for all the wants which may occur in the church. Among those duties it is not the least to {341} give protection to the regular orders approved by the apostolic see, and to those worthy and pious men, who have, by a solemn vow, devoted themselves to the regular orders, strenuously labouring for the defence and increase of the catholic religion, and in cultivating the Lord's vineyard, to invigorate and encourage, to animate and confirm the languid and weak, to console the downcast and afflicted, but chiefly to remove from the church, entrusted to his faith and custody, all scandals, which from time to time spring up to the destruction of souls.
The inst.i.tute of the society of Jesus, composed by a man held in honour by the universal church, which sanctifies holy men, has, by our predecessors of happy memory Paul III and Julius III, Paul IV, Gregory XIII and Gregory XIV, and Paul V, been diligently examined, approved, and often confirmed, and by them and nineteen others of our predecessors honoured with peculiar favours; has been publicly extolled by bishops, not only of this age but former ones, as extremely efficient in promoting the wors.h.i.+p, honour, and glory of G.o.d, and eminently adapted to the salvation of souls; and has been patronised by the most powerful and pious kings, and most celebrated princes in the Christian republic: from its discipline nine persons have been numbered among the saints, three of whom obtained the glory of martyrdom; it has received the united praises of many men renowned for sanct.i.ty, now enjoying eternal glory in heaven; the church has cherished it in her bosom for the long s.p.a.ce of two centuries, and has ever committed the chief part of the sacred ministry to its professors, with great gain of souls; finally, it was p.r.o.nounced pious by the catholic church herself in the council of Trent: yet there have lately {342} appeared some, who, by wicked interpretations, have dared, not only in conversation but in writings and publications, to call this very inst.i.tute irreligious and impious, to revile it, and represent it as wicked and shameful; and have gone such lengths, that, not content with their own private thoughts, they have endeavoured, using every art, to convey the like poison from country to country, and to pour it out everywhere; nor have they yet ceased, where-ever they can find any of the faithful off their guard, to instil craftily their own notions into their minds; than which there can be nothing more injurious, nothing more offensive to the church of G.o.d, as if she had so shamefully erred, as solemnly to deem what is impious and irreligious devout and acceptable to G.o.d, and had been the more scandalously imposed upon for having so long, namely, for more than two hundred years, with the greatest loss of souls, suffered such a stain to remain in her bosom. Neither justice, which commands that all should receive what belongs to them and be protected in their rights, nor my pastoral solicitude for the church, can suffer any farther delay in putting a stop to this so great evil, which shoots its roots the deeper the longer it remains unnoticed.
In order, therefore, that we may remove so serious an injury from the espoused church divinely committed to our charge, and also from this apostolic see; and that, by our apostolic authority, we may check such unjust and impious a.s.sertions, spread far and wide to the seduction and ruin of souls, and entirely regardless of equity and reason; that the const.i.tution of the regular clerks of the society of Jesus may remain undisturbed, according to their appeal to us for justice, and be more firmly established by the same our authority, and that we may afford {343} them consolation in the present grievous state of their affairs; and, lastly, that we may comply with the just desires of our venerable brothers the bishops, who, from every part of the catholic world, have written to us letters greatly extolling the said society, all declaring that they were of the greatest use to them in their respective dioceses; of our own accord and certain knowledge, and by the plenitude of the apostolic power, following the footsteps of all our predecessors, in this our const.i.tution to be in perpetual force, in the same mode and form in which they have proclaimed and declared we also proclaim and declare, that the inst.i.tute of the society of Jesus is replete with piety and holiness, as well on account of the chief end it has in view, namely, the defence and propagation of the catholic religion, as on account of the means which it directs to be used for that end, hitherto confirmed to us by experience itself; for we know that, even down to these times, its discipline has produced many defenders of the orthodox faith, and pious preachers, who, with unshaken constancy of mind, have encountered dangers by sea and by land to bear the light of the gospel to barbarous nations; and, indeed, those who profess the said laudable inst.i.tute are always earnestly employed, some in educating youth in the practice of religion and the learned sciences, others in the direction of spiritual exercises, others again in the a.s.siduous administration of the sacraments, especially those of penance and the eucharist, in exciting the faithful to a frequent use of them; likewise in refres.h.i.+ng the inhabitants of country places with the divine food of the word of G.o.d: and as it evidently appears, that the said inst.i.tute of the society of Jesus has been established by the Divine Providence {344} for these great ends, we also approve it, and, in virtue of our apostolical authority, we confirm the approbation of our predecessors bestowed on the said inst.i.tute: we declare, that the vows by which the said regular clerks of the society of Jesus devote themselves, according to the said inst.i.tute, to G.o.d, are acceptable and pleasing to him: we approve in the highest degree of the spiritual exercises, which the regulars of this society recommend to the use of the faithful, who occasionally retire from the noise of the world to meditate in serious solitude on the means of obtaining eternal salvation, as being highly conducive to the reformation of manners, and to the establis.h.i.+ng and nouris.h.i.+ng of Christian piety: we likewise approve of their congregations or a.s.sociations; and not only of those for the use of youth, who attend the schools of the society of Jesus, but also of all other congregations, whether established for scholars only, or for others of the faithful in Christ, of either or both at once, dedicated to the blessed Mary, under whatever t.i.tle they are formed, in which pious works are fervently practised, especially that particular devotion towards the blessed Virgin, which these inst.i.tutions nourish and promote; and we, in virtue of our apostolical authority, confirm the const.i.tutions of our predecessors of happy memory, Gregory XIII, s.e.xtus V, Gregory XV, and Benedict XIV, by which they approved of these a.s.sociations, together with all other const.i.tutions enacted by our predecessors the Roman pontiffs, in approbation of the offices of the said inst.i.tute, each one of which we wish to be considered as here inserted and confirmed by the strength of our apostolic authority transmitted to us by G.o.d, as well as effectually protected by this our const.i.tution; and, if it be necessary, {345} we desire and order, that they may be considered as fresh const.i.tutions, enacted and promulged by us in due form.
It is not, therefore, allowable for any person to infringe, upon any account, this decree of our approbation and confirmation, or rashly to attempt to oppose its authority: and, if any one should be so presumptuous as to attempt it, be it known to him, that he will incur the indignation of Almighty G.o.d, and of the blessed apostles Peter and Paul.
Given at Rome, at St. Mary the Greater, &c. &c.
{346}
No. II.
_The Judgment of the Bishops of France, concerning the Doctrine, the Government, the Conduct, and Usefulness of the French Jesuits._
MOST GRACIOUS SOVEREIGN,
The n.o.ble sentiments of faith and religion, which have ever distinguished our kings, have induced your majesty, after the example of your august predecessors, to suspend the decision of an affair so closely connected with the doctrine and discipline of the church, till you had taken the advice of the bishops of your realm.
As the time your majesty was pleased to allow us for examining the points in question was very short, we applied ourselves to the task with more than ordinary diligence and a.s.siduity; it being one of our chief duties to concur with your majesty's pious views in whatever it may please you to propose for the good of religion, or for the maintaining of good order and tranquillity in the kingdom. We have therefore examined, with all the care which the importance of the subject required, the different articles, concerning which your majesty has done us the honour to consult us, and we think it our duty to communicate our sentiments in the following manner:-- {347}
ARTICLE I. ”Of what use the Jesuits may be in France: the advantages or inconveniences that may attend the various functions, which they exercise under our authority.”
The end for which the Jesuits' order was first inst.i.tuted being the education of youth; the ministerial labours, catechising, preaching, and administring the sacraments; the propagation of the Gospel; the conversion of infidel nations; and the gratuitous exercise of all manner of works of charity towards their neighbour; it is evident this inst.i.tution is calculated both for the good of religion and the advantage of the state.
This consideration induced pope Paul III to approve the new order by the bull _Regimini_, 1540; and the popes, his successors, by long experience, being sensible of the great advancement of religion, owing chiefly to the labours of the Jesuits, favoured them with the most distinguis.h.i.+ng marks of their good-will and protection. The fathers of the council of Trent call it a holy inst.i.tution, and, by an extraordinary privilege, dispense with the religious of this society in the general law they had made for other orders concerning their vows. The great promoter of piety and church discipline, St. Charles Borromoeus, took care to inform the fathers of that council how much he esteemed this order, and how desirous the pope was to favour those religious, on account of the visible advantages arising to the church from their zealous endeavours. The amba.s.sadors sent by other princes to represent them in that council had the same favourable opinion of the Jesuits, as plainly appears from their proposing the establishment of these religious in Germany, as the most efficacious means to restore religion and piety in the empire. {348}
However, it cannot be denied, but the novelty and singularity of this order, the many privileges granted them by the popes, and the great extent and generality of the exercises in which they are conversant, according to their calling, exposed them to the jealousy and opposition of other religious orders. The universities, the mendicant orders, and others, tried all means to hinder their establishment in France: your majesty's parliaments, in their remonstrances, laid open the many inconveniences, that might attend their being admitted into this kingdom: Eustace de Bellay, the then bishop of Paris, opposed them, and even the clergy of France, in their a.s.sembly at Poissy, anno 1561, expressed a diffidence and apprehension, that the Jesuits might encroach upon their rights; for, though they consented to their admission, they did it with such restrictions and limitations as then seemed proper to secure the rights and jurisdiction of the bishops.
Anno 1574, the clergy of your kingdom, having been apprised of the credit and the approbation this inst.i.tution had gained in the council of Trent, in conformity to the judgment of that general a.s.sembly, declare by their deputies, upon the article concerning the profession of novices after one year's probation, that, by _this rule, their intention was not any way to derogate from or to make any change in the good const.i.tutions of the clerks of the society of Jesus, approved by the holy apostolic see_.