Aeterna Dei Sapientia (On St. Leo The Great)
by Pope John XXIII
____________________________________________
To the Venerable
Brethren the Patriarchs, Primates, Archbishops, Bishops, and other Local
Ordinaries in Peace and Communion with the Apostolic See: Commemorating the
fifteenth centenary of the death of St. Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the
Church.
Venerable Brethren
Health and Apostolic Benediction
God's eternal wisdom
"reacheth from end to end mightily and ordereth all things sweetly."
(1) Its light shone with exceptional brilliance in the soul of Pope St. Leo I,
for it would seem to have burned into it the very image of itself; so fearless
the moral courage displayed by this Pope—"the greatest among the
great," as Our later predecessor Pius XII rightly called him (2)-yet so
gentle his fatherly concern.
2. The wisdom of his
government, the wealth and scope of his teaching, the loftiness of his mind,
his unfailing charity—these are the things which St. Leo the Great brought to
enhance the fame of Peter's See, to which Almighty God in His providence has
also raised Us. And now, on this fifteenth centenary of his death, We feel it
incumbent upon Us to highlight his virtues and his immortal merits, confident
that these can be of great spiritual value to us all, and increase the prestige
and promote the spread of the Catholic Faith.
Life-long Brilliance
3. Wherein, then, lies
the true greatness of this Pope? In moral courage?—in that moral courage which
he showed when, at the River Mincius in 452, with no other armor to protect him
than his high-priestly majesty, he boldly confronted the barbarous king of the
Huns, Attila, and persuaded him to retreat with his armies across the Danube?
That was certainly an heroic act and one which accorded well with the Roman
pontificate's mission of peace. Yet we must think of it as but one isolated
instance of a life-long activity of remarkable brilliance devoted to the
religious and social welfare, not merely of Rome and of Italy, but of the whole
Church throughout the world.
"The Path of the Just. . . "
4. "The path of the
just, as a shining light, goeth forwards and increaseth even to perfect
day." (3) These words of Holy Scripture may well be applied to the life
and activity of St. Leo. To be convinced of this we have but to consider St.
Leo in his three main characteristic roles: 1) as a man singularly dedicated to
the service of the Apostolic See, 2) as Christ's chief Vicar on earth, and 3)
as Doctor of the universal Church.
FAITHFUL SERVANT OF THE APOSTOLIC SEE
5. Leo was born toward
the end of the fourth century. The Liber Pontificalis informs us that he was "of Tuscan nationality from his father
Quintian." (4) Since, however, he spent his early years in Rome, he not
unnaturally called this city his patria [homeland]. (5) While
still a young man he joined the ranks of the Roman clergy and in due course was
ordained deacon. In this capacity he rendered signal service to Pope Sixtus III
between the years 430 and 439, and played a considerable part in the conduct of
Church affairs. Among the many friends he made at this time were St. Prosper,
bishop of Aquitania, and Cassian, founder of the celebrated Abbey of St. Victor
in Marseilles. Cassian, whom he persuaded to write De Incarnatione Domini (6) against the Nestorians, proclaimed
him "the glory of the Church and the sacred ministry" (7)—praise
indeed for a simple deacon!
Theologian and Diplomat
6. At the request of the
court of Ravenna the Pope sent St. Leo to Gaul to settle a dispute between the
patrician Aetius and the prefect Albinus. It was while Leo was engaged on this
mission that Sixtus III died. Recognizing Leo's unrivalled theological learning
and practical wisdom in diplomacy and the conduct of affairs, the Roman Church
could think of no more worthy candidate for Christ's vicarious power on earth
than this deacon.
A Most Illustrious Pope
7. Hence on September
29th, 440, he was consecrated bishop and entered upon his sovereign
pontificate. He discharged this office with such masterly ability that he must
be reckoned among the most illustrious of the early popes, few of whom reigned
longer than he. He died in November, 461, and was buried in the porch of the
Vatican Church. In 688, by order of Pope St. Sergius I, his body was removed to
"Peter's Citadel" and later, on the building of the new basilica,
found a resting-place in the altar dedicated to his name.
CHRIST'S VICAR ON EARTH
8. What then were the
more notable achievements of his life? To this question We would reply that
rarely in her history has Christ's Church won such victories over her foes as
in the pontificate of Leo the Great. He shone in the middle of the fifth
century like a brilliant star in the Christian firmament.
The Pelagian and Nestorian Heresies
9. To be convinced of
this we have but to consider the way in which he discharged his office as
teacher of the Catholic Faith. In this field he won for himself a name equal to
that of St. Augustine of Hippo and St. Cyril of Alexandria. St. Augustine, as
we know, in defending the Faith against the Pelagians, insisted on the absolute
necessity of divine grace for right living and the attainment of eternal salvation.
St. Cyril, faced with the errors of Nestorius, upheld Christ's Divinity and the
fact that the Virgin Mary is truly the Mother of God. These truths lie at the
very heart of our Catholic Faith, and St. Leo, who entered into the doctrinal
inheritance of both these men of learning, the brightest luminaries of the
Eastern and Western Church, was among all his contemporaries by far the most
fearless protagonist of them.
Defender of Church Unity
10. St. Augustine, then,
is celebrated in the universal Church as "Doctor of divine grace,"
and St. Cyril as "Doctor of the Incarnate Word."; By the same token
St. Leo is universally proclaimed as "Doctor of the Church's unity."
11. For the integrity of
doctrine was not his only concern. We have but to cast a cursory glance over
the great volume of evidence of his amazing industry as pastor and writer to
realize that he was equally concerned with the upholding of moral standards and
the defense of the Church's unity.
12. Consider, too, the
field of liturgical composition and the due regard which this religious and
saintly Pope had for the unity of worship. Many of the principal prayers
contained in the Leonine Sacramentary (8) were either written by him or modelled on his compositions.
On the Incarnation: His Letter to Flavian
13. Most noteworthy,
perhaps, is his timely and authoritative intervention in the controversy as to
whether there was in Jesus Christ a human nature in addition to the divine
nature. His efforts were responsible for the magnificent triumph of the true
doctrine concerning the incarnation of the Word of God. This fact alone would
assure him his place in history.
14. Our principal
evidence for it is his Epistle to Flavian, Bishop of Constantinople, in which
he expounds the dogma of the Incarnation with remarkable clarity and precision,
showing how it accords with the teaching of the Prophets, the Gospel, the
apostolic writings, and the Creed. (9)
15. Let Us quote a
significant passage from this Epistle: "Without detriment, therefore, to
the properties of either of the two natures and substances which are joined in
the one person, majesty took on humility; strength, weakness; eternity,
mortality; and, in order to pay off the debt which attached to our condition,
inviolable nature was united with passible nature, so that, as suited the cure
of our ills, one and the same Mediator between God and men, the Man Jesus
Christ, could die with the one nature and not die with the other. Thus true God
was born in the whole and perfect nature of true man; complete in what was His
own, complete in what was ours.'' (10)
Condemnation of Ephesine Council
16. Not content with
this, St. Leo, having made perfectly clear "what the Catholic Church
universally believes and teaches concerning the mystery of the Lord's incarnation,''
(11) followed up this Epistle to Flavian with a condemnation of the Ephesine
Council of 449. At this council the supporters of Eutyches had, by violent and
unconstitutional means, done all they could to impose the groundless dogmatic
assertions of this "very foolish and exceedingly ignorant man,'' (12) who
obstinately maintained that there was only one nature in Christ, the divine
nature.
17. The Pope, with
evident justification, branded this "a robber council.'' (13) In violation
of the express commands of the Apostolic See, it had presumed by every means at
its disposal to arrogate to itself no less a task than "the breaking down
of the Catholic Faith'' (14) and "the strengthening of execrable heresy.''
(15)
The Council of Chalcedon
18. But St. Leo's
principal title to fame is the Council of Chalcedon, held in 451. In spite of
pressure from the Emperor Marcian, the Pope refused to allow it to be summoned
except on condition that his own legates should preside over it. (16) It proved,
Venerable Brethren, to be one of the greatest events in the history of the
Church, renowned alike for its solemn definition of the doctrine of the two
natures in God's Incarnate Word, and its recognition of the magisterial primacy
of the Roman Pontiff. We need not, however, enter into any more detailed
discussion of it here, for Our predecessor Pius XII has already dealt with it
in an important Encyclical addressed to the entire Catholic world on the
fifteenth centenary of its convocation. (17)
The Twenty-Eighth Canon
19. St. Leo's delay in
ratifying the acts of this council is further proof of his genuine concern for
the Church's unity and peace. We cannot attribute this delay to any remissness
on his part, or to any cause of a doctrinal character. Obviously his
intention—as he himself explains—was to thwart the twenty-eighth canon, which
voiced the agreement of the Fathers of the council to the primacy of the See of
Constantinople over all the churches of the East.
20. Whether or not this
canon was inserted in defiance of the protests of the papal legates, or to win
the favor of the Byzantine Emperor, is not clear. To St. Leo, it appeared to
undermine the prerogatives of other more ancient and more illustrious churches,
prerogatives which had been recognized by the Fathers of the Council of Nicea.
He also saw it as detracting somewhat from the authority of the Apostolic See
itself. His misgivings were occasioned not so much by the wording of the
twenty-eighth canon as by the policies of those who framed it.
21. Two letters
illustrate this point: one sent by the bishops of the council, (18) and the
other written by Leo himself in refutation of their arguments and sent to the
Emperor Marcian. This letter contains the following admonition:—
22. "Things secular
stand on a different basis from things divine, and there can be no sure
building save on that rock which the Lord has set as the foundation (Matt. 16,
18). He who covets what is not his due, loses what is rightfully his."
(19)
23. The sad history of
the schism that was later to separate so many illustrious Eastern churches from
the church of Rome bears striking testimony to the accuracy of St. Leo's
prophetic vision, here expressed, and to his presentiment of the future
disruption of Christian unity.
Toward Full Catholic Unity
24. To complete this
account We would mention in passing two further instances of St. Leo's
unfailing solicitude for the defense of the Catholic Church's unity: his
intervention in the dispute concerning the date of Easter, and his great
efforts to create an atmosphere of mutual respect, trust and cordiality in the
Holy See's public relations with Christian princes. To see the Church at peace
was the dearest desire of his heart. He frequently prevailed upon these princes
to join forces with the bishops and lend them the support of their counsels
"for the concord of Catholic unity," (20) so as to win from Almighty
God "a priestly palm, besides a kingly crown." (21)
DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH
25. Besides being a
watchful shepherd of Christ's flock and a stout-hearted defender of the true
faith, St. Leo is honored also as a Doctor of the Church, one, that is, who
excelled in expounding and sponsoring those divine truths which every Roman
Pontiff safeguards and proclaims.
Pope Benedict's Eulogy
26. In support of this
We quote that magnificent eulogy of St. Leo written by Pope Benedict XIV in his
Apostolic Constitution Militantis Ecclesiae, October 12th 1754, when he made him a Doctor
of the Church:—
27. "It was due to
his excelling virtue, his teaching, and his most vigilant zeal as shepherd of
his people, that he won from our forefathers the title Great. In expounding the
deeper mysteries of our faith and vindicating it against the errors that assail
it, in imparting disciplinary rules and moral precepts, the excellence of his
teaching is so radiant with the majestic richness of priestly eloquence and has
so won the admiration of the world and the enthusiasm alike of Councils,
Fathers and writers of the Church, that the fame and reputation of this wisest
of popes can hardly be rivalled by any other of the Church's holy
doctors." (22)
The Sermons
28. It is through his
many extant Sermons and Epistles that he principally lays claim to the title of
Doctor. The Sermons cover a great variety of subjects, nearly all of which have
some connection with the liturgical cycle. In all these writings he is not just
the exegete elucidating a Book of Sacred Scripture, not just the theologian at
pains to investigate some divinely revealed truth. He is the saintly exponent
of the Christian mysteries. He explains them with clarity and with a wealth of
detail, in accordance with the faith of the councils, the Fathers, and the
popes who preceded him.
29. His style is simple,
majestic, lofty, persuasive, a model of classic eloquence. But in declaring the
truth he never sacrificed precision to mere rhetoric. He did not speak or write
to be admired, but to enlighten the minds of his hearers, and to awaken in them
the desire to live lives in conformity with the truths they professed.
The Epistles
30. The Epistles are the
letters he wrote as Sovereign Pontiff to the princes, priests, deacons and
religious of the universal Church. They display his exceptional qualities of
leadership. They show him as a man of keen intellect, yet full of practical
good sense; a man of character who kept to his decisions, yet a father most
ready to forgive; on fire with charity which St. Paul indicated to all
Christians as "a more excellent way." (23)
31. For that blend of
justice and mercy, of strength and gentleness, which we observe in his
character is surely attributable to that same charity which Jesus Christ
demanded of Peter when He made him a shepherd to feed His lambs and His sheep.
(24)
32. In very truth St.
Leo's life-long endeavor was to appear before the world in the character of
Christ, the Good Shepherd. In evidence of this, We may quote the following
passage from the Epistles:—
33. "We are
encompassed by both the gentleness of mercy and the strictness of justice. And
because 'all the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth' (Ps. 24:10), We
are forced according to Our loyalty to the Apostolic See so to moderate Our
opinions as to weigh men's misdeeds in the balance (for, of course, they are
not all of one measure), and to reckon some as to a certain degree pardonable,
but others as altogether reprehensible." (25)
Devotion to Truth, Harmony, Peace
34. All in all, these
Epistles and Sermons are an eloquent testimony to St. Leo's passionate
devotion, in thought and feeling, word and action, to the welfare of the
Catholic Church and the cause of truth, harmony and peace.
THE SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL AND UNITY
35. Venerable Brethren,
the time is drawing near for the Second General Council of the Vatican.
Surrounding the Roman Pontiff and in close communion with him, you, the
Bishops, will present to the world a wonderful spectacle of Catholic unity.
Meanwhile We, for Our part, will seek to give instruction and comfort by
briefly recalling to mind St. Leo's high ideals regarding the Church's unity.
Our intention in so doing is indeed to honor the memory of a most wise Pope,
but at the same time to give the faithful profitable food for thought on the
eve of this great event.
Church Unity in the Thought of Leo
36. First, St. Leo
teaches that the Church must be one because Jesus Christ, her Bridegroom, is
one. "For the Church is that virgin, the spouse of one husband, Christ,
who does not allow herself to be corrupted by any error. Thus throughout the
whole world we are to have one entire and pure communion." (26)
37. In St. Leo's view,
this remarkable unity of the Church has its well-spring in the birth of God's
Incarnate Word. "For Christ's birth is the source of life for Christian
people; the birthday of the Head is the birthday of the Body. Although every
individual is called in his own turn, and all the Church's sons are separated
from one another by intervals of time, yet the entire body of the faithful,
born in the baptismal font, is born with Christ in His nativity, just as all
are crucified with Him in His passion, raised again in His resurrection, and
set at the Father's right hand in His ascension." (27)
38. It was Mary who
participated most intimately in this secret birth "of the body, the
Church," (28) because the Holy Spirit gave fruitfulness to her virginity.
St. Leo praises Mary as "the Lord's virgin, handmaid and mother,"
(29) "she who gave God birth" [Dei genitrix], (30) sea virgin
for ever." (31)
39. Furthermore, the
sacrament of Baptism—as St. Leo rightly claims—makes those who are washed in
the sacred font not only members of Christ, but also sharers in His kingship
and His priesthood. "All those who are reborn in Christ, the sign of the
cross makes kings; the Holy Spirit's anointing consecrates them priests."
(32) Confirmation, called by St. Leo "sanctification by chrism," (33)
strengthens their assimilation to Jesus Christ, the Head of His body, the
Church, and the sacrament of the Eucharist perfects this union.
"For," as St. Leo says, "the reception of Christ's Body and
Blood does nothing less than transform us into that which we consume, and
henceforth we bear in soul and body Him in whose fellowship we died, were
buried, and are risen again." (34)
40. But mark this well:
unless the faithful remain bound together by the same ties of virtue, worship
and sacrament, and all hold fast to the same belief, they cannot be perfectly
united with the Divine Redeemer, the universal Head, so as to form with Him one
visible and living body. "A whole faith," says St. Leo, "a true
faith, is a mighty bulwark. No one can add anything to it, no one can take
anything away from it; for unless it is one, it is no faith at all." (35)
41. To preserve this
unity of faith, all teachers of divine truths—all bishops, that is—must
necessarily speak with one mind and one voice, in communion with the Roman
Pontiff. "It is the union of members in the body as a whole which makes
all alike healthy, all alike beautiful, and this union of the whole body
requires unanimity. It calls especially for harmony among the priests. They
have a common dignity, yet they have not uniform rank, for there was a
distinction of power even among the blessed apostles, notwithstanding the
similarity of their honorable state, and while the election of them all was
equal, yet it was given to one to take the lead over the rest." (36)
The Bishop of Rome, Center of Visible Unity
42. St. Leo, therefore,
maintained that the Bishop of Rome, as Peter's successor and Christ's Vicar on
earth, is the focal center of the entire visible unity of the Catholic Church.
And St. Leo's opinion is clearly supported by the evidence of the Gospels and
by ancient Catholic tradition, as these words show: "Out of the whole
world one man is chosen, Peter. He is set before all the elect of every nation,
before all the apostles and all the Fathers of the Church; so that although
there are among God's people many priests and many pastors, Peter governs by
personal commission all whom Christ rules by His supreme authority. Great and wonderful,
beloved, is the share in its own power which the Divine Condescension assigned
to this man. And if it desired other princes to share anything in common with
him, never except through him did it accord what it did not deny to
others." (37)
43. And since St. Leo
regarded this indissoluble bond between Peter's divinely-given authority and
that of the other apostles as fundamental to Catholic unity, he was never tired
of insisting that "this authority [to bind and to loose] was also passed
on to the other apostles, and what was established by this decree found its way
to all the princes of the Church. But there was good reason for committing what
was intended for all to the care of one in particular. And so it was entrusted
to Peter individually because the figure of Peter was to be put ahead of all
those in charge of the Church." (38)
The Magisterial Prerogative of St. Peter and His Successors
44. There is, moreover,
another essential safeguard of the Church's visible unity which did not escape
that notice of this saintly Pope: that supreme authority to teach infallibly,
which Christ gave personally to Peter, the prince of the apostles, and to his
successors. Leo's words are quite unequivocal: "The Lord takes special
care of Peter; He prays especially for Peter's faith, for the state of the rest
will be more secure if the mind of their chief be not overthrown. Hence the
strength of all the rest is made stronger in Peter, and the assistance of
divine grace is so ordained that the stability which through Christ is given to
Peter, should through Peter be transmitted to the other apostles." (39)
45. Applied to St. Peter
this pronouncement is clear and emphatic enough; yet unhesitatingly St. Leo
claims the same prerogative for himself. Not that he wanted worldly honor, but
he had no doubt whatever that he was just as much Christ's vicar as was the
Prince of the Apostles. Consider, for example, this passage from his Sermons:—
46. "Mindful, then
of Our God-given responsibility, We find no reason for pride in solemnly
celebrating the anniversary of Our priesthood, for we acknowledge with all
sincerity and truth that it is Christ who does the work of Our ministry in all
that We do rightly. We do not glory in Ourselves, for without Him We can do
nothing. We glory in Him who is all Our power." (40)
47. By that he did not
mean that St. Peter had no further influence on the government of Christ's
Church. While he trusted in the continued activity of the Church's Divine
Founder, he trusted too in the protection of the Apostle Peter whose heir and
successor he claimed to be, and whose office of authority "he in his turn
discharged." (41) He attributed the success of his universal ministry more
to the merits of the Apostle than to his own industry. Many passages from his
writings might be quoted in support of this statement. We chose the following:—
48. "And so if
anything is rightly done and rightly decreed by Us, if anything is won from the
mercy of God by Our daily supplications, it is due to his [Peter's] works and
merits, whose power lives and whose authority prevails in his See." (42)
49. Nor must we think
that St. Leo was preaching a doctrine that had never before been taught. For,
that his supreme office as universal pastor came from Christ Himself was also
the teaching of his predecessors St. Innocent 143 and St. Boniface I, (44) and
was in full accord with those passages of the Gospels which he so often
expounded (Matt. 16:17-18; Luke22::31-32: John 21:15-17). He frequently referred to "the care which,
principally by divine mandate, We must have for all the churches." (45)
The Spiritual Greatness of Rome
50. Small wonder then
that St. Leo habitually combines the praises of Rome with those of the Prince
of the Apostles. He begins one of his Sermons on the Apostles Peter and Paul by
apostrophizing the City in these words:—
51. "It was through
these men, O Rome, that the light of Christ's gospel shone upon you... It was
they who promoted you to such glory, making you a holy nation, a chosen people,
a priestly and royal state, the capital of the world through Peter's holy See.
By the worship of God you gained a wider empire than you did by earthly
government. For although your boundaries were extended by your many victories
and you stretched your rule over land and ocean, yet your labors in war gained
you less subjects than have been won for you by the peace of Christ." (46)
52. Recalling St. Paul's
magnificent testimony to the faith of the first Christians in Rome, this great
Pope bids the Romans preserve the faith whole and entire and without flaw.
These are the words of fatherly encouragement he uses:—
53. "You,
therefore, beloved of God and honored by apostolic approval—for it is to you
that the teacher of the Gentiles, the blessed Apostle Paul, says: 'Your faith
is spoken of in the whole world' (Rom. 1:8)—preserve in yourselves that
which you know to have been the cause of this great preacher's good opinion of
you. Let not a man of you make himself undeserving of this praise, or allow so
much as a taint of Eutyches' impious doctrine to infect a people that has
remained for so long untouched by heresy, taught by the Holy Spirit." (47)
The Vast Influence of St. Leo's Work
54. St. Leo's heroic
efforts to safeguard the authority of the Church of Rome were not in vain. It
was principally due to his personal prestige that "the citadel of the
apostolic rock" was extolled and venerated not only by the Western bishops
who took part in the councils held at Rome, but by more than five hundred
Eastern bishops assembled at Chalcedon,(48) and even by the Byzantine
emperors.(49)
55. We might also quote
that magnificent tribute paid by Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrus, to the Roman
Bishop and his privileged flock. Writing in 449, before the famous Council of
Chalcedon, Theodoret says:—
56. "It is fitting
that you should in all things have the pre-eminence, in view of the many
peculiar privileges possessed by your See. Other cities are distinguished for
their size or beauty or population . . . but your city has the greatest
abundance of good things from the Giver of all good. k is of all cities the
greatest and most famous, the mistress of the world and teeming with
population... It has, too, the tombs of our common fathers and teachers of the
Truth, Peter and Paul, to illumine the souls of the faithful. These two saintly
men did indeed have their rising in the East, but they shed their light in all
directions, and voluntarily underwent the sunset of life in the West, from
whence now they illumine the whole world. It is they who have made your See so
glorious. This is the foremost of all your goods. Their See is still blessed by
the light of God's presence, for He has placed Your Holiness in it to shed
abroad the rays of the one true Faith."(50)
57. Nor did these great
honors paid to Leo by the official representatives of the Eastern Churches
terminate with his death. The Byzantine liturgy keeps the 18th of February as
his feast day, and most truly proclaims him as "leader of orthodoxy,
teacher renowned for his holiness and majesty, star of the world, glory and
light of Christians, lyre of the Holy Spirit." (51)
58. The Gelasian
Menology reechoes these praises: "As bishop of great Rome, this father of
ours, Leo, whom we admire for his self-mastery and purity and his many other
virtues, gained by these virtues many notable achievements, but his most
brilliant achievements are those which concern the true Faith." (57)
A CALL TO UNITY
59. Our purpose,
Venerable Brethren, in focusing attention on these facts has been to establish
beyond doubt that in ancient times East and West alike were united in the
generosity of their tribute to the holiness of St. Leo the Great. Would that it
were so today; that those who are separated from the Church of Rome yet still
have the welfare of the Church at heart, might bear witness once more to that
ancient, universal esteem for St. Leo.
60. For if only they
will settle their differences—those lamentable differences concerning the
teaching and pastoral activity of this great Pope—then the Faith in which they
believe will shine forth with renewed splendor; namely, that "there is one
God, and one mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus." (53)
Universality of Christ's Command
61. We are St. Leo's
successor in Peter's See of Rome. We share in Peter's See of Rome. We share his
firm belief in the divine origin of that command which Jesus Christ gave to the
apostles and their successors to preach the gospel and bring eternal salvation
to the whole world. We cherish, therefore, St. Leo's desire to see all men
enter the way of truth, charity and peace.
The Council
62. It is to render the
Church better able to fulfill this high mission of hers that We have resolved
to summon the Second General Council of the Vatican. We are fully confident
that this solemn assembly of the Catholic Hierarchy will not only reinforce
that unity in faith, worship and discipline which is a distinguishing mark of
Christ's true Church, (54) but will also attract the gaze of the great majority
of Christians of every denomination, and induce them to gather around "the
great Pastor of the sheep" (55) who entrusted His flock to the unfailing
guardianship of Peter and his successors. (56)
St. Irenaeus
63. Our fervent appeal
for unity is intended, therefore, to be the echo of that which was made many
times by St. Leo in the fifth century. We wish, too, to make Our own those
words which St. Irenaeus addressed to the faithful of all the churches, when
God's Providence called him from Asia to rule the See of Lyons and confer on it
the fame of his martyrdom. Recognizing that the Bishops of Rome were heirs to
that power which had been handed down in uninterrupted succession from the two
Princes of the Apostles,(57) he went on to address the following appeal to all
Christians:—
64. "For with this
church, by reason of its pre-eminent superiority, all the churches—that is, all
Christians everywhere—must be united; and it is through communion with it that
all these faithful (or those who preside over the churches) have preserved the
apostolic tradition." (58)
That All May Be One
65. But out greatest
desire is that this Our call to unity shall re-echo the Saviour's prayer to His
Father at the Last Supper: "That they all may be one, as thou, Father, in
men, and I in thee; that they also may be one in Us." (59)
66. Are we to say that
this prayer went unheeded by the heavenly Father, who yet accepted the
sacrifice of Christ's blood on the Cross? Did not Christ say that His Father
never failed to hear Him? (60) He prayed for the Church; He sacrificed Himself
on the Cross for it, and promised it His unfailing presence. Assuredly, then,
we must believe that this Church has always been, and still is, one, holy, catholic
and apostolic; for thus was it founded.
Some Hopeful Signs
67. Unfortunately,
however, the sort of unity whereby all believers in Christ profess the same
faith, practise the same worship and obey the same supreme authority, is no
more evident among the Christians of today than it was in bygone ages. We do,
however, see more and more men of good will in various parts of the world
earnestly striving to bring about this visible unity among Christians, a unity
which truly accords with the Divine Saviour's intentions, commands and desires;
and this to Us is a source of joyous consolation and ineffable hope. This
desire for unity, We know, is fostered in them by the Holy Spirit, and it can
only be realized in the way in which Jesus Christ has prophesied it:
"There will be one fold and one shepherd." (61)
Day of Peace and Reconciliation
68. We therefore beg and
implore Christ Our Mediator and Advocate with the Father (62) to give all
Christians the grace to recognize those marks by which His true Church is distinguished
from all others, and to become its devoted sons. May God in His infinite
kindness hasten the dawn of that long-awaited day of joyful, universal
reconciliation. Then will all Christ's redeemed, united in a single family,
join in praising the divine Mercy, singing in joyous harmony those words of the
psalmist of old: "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to
dwell together in unity". (63)
69. That day of peace
and reconciliation between sons of the same heavenly Father and coheirs of the
same eternal happiness, will indeed be a day of triumph for the Mystical Body
of Jesus Christ.
CONCLUSION
70. Venerable Brethren,
the fifteenth centenary of the death of St. Leo the Great finds the Catholic
Church in much the same plight as she was at the turn of the fifth century. The
same waves of bitter hostility break upon her. How many violent storms does she
not enter in these days of ours—storms which trouble Our fatherly heart, even
though our Divine Redeemer clearly forewarned us of them!
71. On every side We see
"the faith of the gospel" (64) imperilled. In some quarters an
attempt is being made—usually to no avail—to induce bishops, priests and
faithful to withdraw their allegiance from this See of Rome, the stronghold of
Catholic unity.
Leo's Patronage Invoked
72. To rid the Church of
these dangers We confidently invoke the patronage of that most vigilant of
Popes who labored and wrote and suffered so much for the cause of Catholic
unity.
73. To those of you who
suffer patiently in the cause of truth and justice, We speak the consoling
words which St. Leo once addressed to the clergy, public officials and people
of Constantinople: "Be steadfast, therefore, in the spirit of Catholic
truth, and receive apostolic exhortation through Our ministry. 'For unto you it
is given for Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him' (Phil.
1:29)." (65)
74. We pray, too, for
those of you who have the security and stability of Catholic unity. Unworthy as
We are, We are nonetheless the Divine Redeemer's Vicar, and Our prayer for you
is the same as that which Christ prayed to the heavenly Father for His own
beloved disciples and for those who would believe in Him: "Holy Father...
I pray... that they may be made perfect in one." (66)
Charity, the Bond
75. That perfection and
consummation of unity which We most earnestly beg God to grant to all the
Church's sons, can be achieved only through charity. For charity is "the
bond of perfection." (67) It is charity alone that makes it possible for us
to love God above all else, and makes us ready and glad to do all the good we
can to others in a spirit of generosity. It is charity alone which makes
"the temple of the living God", (68) the holy Church, and all her
sons throughout the world, radiant with supernatural beauty.
Perfect in the Whole, Perfect in the Individual
76. These sons of the
Church, therefore, We counsel once more in the words of St. Leo: "The
faithful, wholly and singly, are God's temple; and just as His temple is
perfect in the whole, so must it be perfect in the individual. For although all
the members are not equally beautiful, nor can there be parity of merits in so
great a variety of parts, nevertheless the bond of charity makes them all alike
sharers in the beauty of the whole. For they are all united in the fellowship
of holy love, and though they do not all make use of the same gifts of grace,
they nevertheless rejoice with one another in the good things which are theirs.
Nor can the object of their love be anything which bears no relation to
themselves, for in the very fact of rejoicing in another's progress they are
enriched by their own growth." (69)
Around a Single Standard
77. We cannot end this
Encyclical, Venerable Brethren, without referring once more to Our own and St.
Leo's most ardent longing: to see the whole company of the redeemed in Jesus
Christ's precious blood reunited around the single standard of the militant Church.
Then let the battle commence in earnest, as we strive with might and main to
resist the adversary's assaults who in so many parts of the world is
threatening to annihilate our Christian faith.
78. "Then are God's
people strongest," said St. Leo, "when the hearts of all the faithful
unite in one common act of holy obedience; when in the camp of the Christian
army the same preparation is made on all sides for the fight and for
defence," (70)
79. For in the Church of
Christ, if love is queen, no prince of darkness can prevail. "The devil's
works are then most effectually destroyed when men's hearts are reunited in the
love of God and the love of one another." (71)
80. In furtherance of
this expectation, Venerable Brethren, We lovingly impart to each and every one
of you, and to the flocks committed to your watchful care, that earnest of the
blessings of heaven, Our Apostolic Benediction.
Given at Rome, at St.
Peter's, on the eleventh day of November in the year 1961, the fourth of Our
Pontificate.
JOHN XXIII
LATIN TEXT: Acta Apostolicae Sedis, 53 (1961), 785-803.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION: The Pope Speaks, 8 (July, 1962), 7-22.
REFERENCES:
(1) Wisd. 8:1.
(2) Sermon, 12 Oct.,
1952, in AAS 44 (1952) 831.
(3) Prov. 4:18.
(4) Cf. Ed. Duchesne, I,
238.
(5) Cf. Ep. 31, 4,
Migne, PL 54. 794.
(6) Migne, PL 59. 9-272.
(7) De Incarn. Domini, contra Nestorium, lib. VII, prol. PL 50. 9.
(8) Migne, PL 55.
21-156.
(9) Cf. Ibid. 54. 757.
(10) Ibid. col. 759.
(11) Ep. 29 to the Emperor Theodosius, PL 54. 783.
(12) Cf. Ep. 28, PL 54.
756.
(13) Cf. Ep. 95. 2, to the Empress Pulcheria, PL 54. 943.
(14) Cf. ibid.
(15) Cf. ibid.
(16) Cf. Ep. 89. 2, to the Emperor Marcian, PL 54.931; Ep. 103 to the Gallic Bishops, PL 54. 988-991.
(17) Encycl. letter Sempiternus Rex, 8th Sept. 1951, AAS 43 (1951) 625-644.
(18) Cf. C. Kirch, Enchir. fontium hist. eccl. antiquae, Freiburg in Br., edn. 4, 1923, n. 943.
(19) Ep. 104. 3 to the Emperor Marcian, PL 54. 995; cf. Ep. 106, to Antolius,
bishop of Constantinople, PL 54. 995.
(20) Ep. 114. 3 to the Emperor Marcian, PL 54. 1022.
(21) Ibid.
(22) Benedict XIV. Pont.
Max. Opera omnia, vol. 18, Bullarium, tom. III, part II, Prati 1847, p. 205.
(23) 1 Cor. 12:31.
(24) Cf. John 21:15-17.
(25) Ep. 12. 5 to the African Bishops, PL 54. 652.
(26) Ep. 80. 1 to Anatolius, Bishop of Constantinople, PL 54. 913.
(27) Sermon 26. 2 on the Feast of the Nativity, PL 54. 213.
(28) Col. 1:18.
(29) Cf. Ep. 165. 2 to the Emperor Leo, PL 54. 1157.
(30) Cf. ibid.
(31) Cf. Serm. 22. 2. on the Feast of the Nativity, PL 54. 195.
(32) Serm. 4. 1, on the Feast of the Nativity, PL 54. 149; cf. Serm. 64. 6 on the Passion, PL 54. 357; Ep. 69. 4, PL 54.870.
(33) Serm. 66. 2 on the Passion, PL 54. 365-366.
(34) Serm. 64. 7 on the Passion, PL 54. 357.
(35) Serm. 24. 6 on the Feast of the Nativity, PL 54.207.
(36) Ep. 14. 11 to Anastasius, bishop of Thessalonica, PL 54. 676.
(37) Serm. 4. 2 on the Anniversary of his Elevation, PL 54. 149-150.
(38) Ibid. col. 151; cf. Serm. 83. 2 on the Feast of the Apostle Peter, PL 54. 430.
(39) Serm. 4. 3, PL 54.
151-152; cf. Serm. 83. 2, PL 54. 451.
(40) Serm. 5. 4 on the Anniversary of his Ordination, PL 54. 154.
(41) Cf. Serm. 3. 4 on the Anniversary of his Elevation, PL 54. 147.
(42) Serm. 3. 3 on the Anniversary of his Elevation, PL 54. 146; cf. Serm. 83. 3 on the Feast of the Apostle Peter, PL 54.432.
(43) Ep. 30 ad Concil. Milev., PL 20. 590.
(44) Ep. 13 to Rufus, bishop of Thessaly, 11 Mar., 422, in C. Silva-Tarouca S. 1. Espistolarum Romanorum Pontificum collect. Thessal., Rome 1937, p. 27.
(45) Ep. 14.1 to Anastasius, bishop of Thessalonica, PL 54. 668.
(46) Serm. 82. 1 on the Feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul, PL 54. 422-423.
(47) Serm. 86. 3 against the heresy of Eutyches, PL 54. 468.
(48) Mansi, Concil. ampliss, collect. VI, p. 913.
(49) Ep. 100. 3 from the Emperor Marcian, PL 54. 972; Ep. 77. 1 from the Empress Plucheria. PL 54. 907.
(50) Ep. 52. 1 from Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrus, PL 54. 847.
(51) Menaia tou holou eniautou III, Rome 1896, p. 612.
(52) Migne PG 117. 319.
(53) 1 Tim. 2:5.
(54) Cf. conc. Vat. I,
Sess. III, cap. 3 de fide.
(55) Heb. 13:20.
(56) Cf. John 21:15-17.
(57) Adv. Haer. 1. III, c. 2, n. 2, PG 7.848.
(58) Ibid.
(59) John 17:21.
(60) Cf. John 11:42.
(61) Ibid. 10:16.
(62) Cf. 1 Tim. 2:5; 1 John 2:1.
(63) Ps. 132:1.
(64) Cf. Phil. 1:27.
(65) Ep. 50. 2 to the people of Constantinople, PL 54. 843.
(66) John 17:11, 20, 23.
(67) Col. 3:14.
(68) Cf. 2 Cor. 6:16.
(69) Serm. 48. 1, on Lent, PL 54. 298-9.
(70) Ep. 88.2, PL 54.
441-442.
(71) Ep. 95. 2 to the Empress Pulcheria, PL 54. 943.
