zealous and far more amenable to the seductions of Government. There, although rich Catholics are few, the people will none the less look to the clergy and the proprietors to do everything for them, and when they see that the present strain upon the upper classes can no longer be borne, they will find excuses for sending their children to the Communal schools. These considerations have made it evident to the more far-seeing of the Catholic party, that if the present state of things continues, in spite of all their efforts, the free schools in many parts of the country will fall to the ground from want of funds to carry them on, or else eke out a precarious existence dependent upon the occasional gifts of pious benefactors. It is hard to see how the most heroic exertions of the Catholics can prevent this from being the final result. As their hopes are, however, based upon higher considerations than those of mere finance, it is to be trusted that for a time the religious schools may hold their own; but at best they are only a provisional expedient, and the longer the actual situation lasts, the greater will be the difficulties to be met. All their founders pray for is that they may suffice until the day when the nation becomes thoroughly awake to the real designs of Liberalism, and when a people, really free and loving its liberty, and deeply attached to the faith of its fathers, shall condemn at the polls the system of misgovernment to which in an unguarded hour it had handed itself over. For, happily for the Catholics of the country, they still possesss the means of legal resistance and a Parliament which can freely express the will of the nation. For a time fraud and administrative pressure may stifle the voice of the country; unscrupulous faction which hesitates at nothing that may advance its interest, which can catch up the words that fall from the lips of a madman, and use them as its political watchwords, which employs calumny and insult in preference to reason, and wrings from the workman his children and his vote as the price of his bread, may for a brief period hold its own; but all these artificial barriers which it has raised up for its protection will be swept away, as by a torrent, when once the feelings of the nation are aroused, and a free people has determined to rid itself of its unworthy guardians. It would else have profited little to have thrown off the yoke of Joseph II. and of William of Orange; it would have been of small profit to those, who liberated the country, to have shed their blood for the freedom of Belgium if these revolutions had left them equally defenceless against future oppressors. Yet, as it is, and with the guarantees which they possess, a cloud of sorrow has thrown a shadow over the rejoicings of the Catholics who have recently celebrated the half-centenary of their independence. Many have assisted with a an heavy heart at these fêtes. They cannot forget, that, whilst they are celebrating a victory gained fifty years ago for national and religious liberty, their country is again in the hands of illdisguised despots who are seeking to re-establish, under another name, the very tyranny which they rose so gloriously to overthrow. POPE LEO XIII. ON THE AFFAIRS OF BELGIUM. SANCTISSIMI DOMINI NOSTRI LEONIS DIVINA PROVIDENTIA PAPE XIII. S Allo cutio habita Die XX. Augusti., MDCCCLXXX., ad VENERABILES FRATRES, UMMI Pontificatus sacrosancta majestas, quam sicut habemus ipsa vita cariorem, sic conservare ac tueri omni contentione volumus et debemus, postulat a Nobis, ut de injuria longe maxima supremæ auctoritati Nostræ et huic Apostolicæ Sedi haud ita pridem imposita, ad Vos, Venerabiles Fratres, hodierno die referamus. De injuria intelligimus illata ab administratoribus rei Belgicarum publicæ, quod Legatum Nostrum nulla justa caussa repente dimiserunt. Nos quidem non tam privato dolore permoti, quam de Apostolicæ Sedis honore solliciti, totam rei gestæ seriem una cum instrumentis atque auctoritatibus, quibus jure credatur, pervulgari jussimus, ut omnia proferrentur in lucem veritatis, et æqui viri facile statuerent, quam parum habeant firmamenti et virium conjectæ ab inimicis in Apostolicam Sedem indignissimæ criminationes.-Nunc vero ejus facti rationes altius considerantes, cum in hoc tum in aliis non absimili genere, quæ fere ubique geruntur, certa vestigia agnoscimus quæ significant recruduisse vehementer bellum, longo jam tempore adversus Christi Ecclesiam nefarie susceptum. Imo etiam magis apertam nudatamque conspicimus factiosorum hominum de abalienandis ab Apostolica Sede animis veterem conjurationem, eo consilio initam, ut in christianas gentes, quas semel Romani Pontificis auctoritati præsidioque forte subduxerint, omnem ipsi natu atque arbitratu suo potestatem exerceant.-Atque idem plane propositum inimicis fuit, cum per vim et dolos eripere Romanis Pontificibus civilem principatum voluerunt, manifesto divinæ Providentiæ consilio et consentiente ætatum suffragio constitum, uti salva iis perpetuo ea securitas ac libertas esset, qua nihil est magis in gerenda christiana republica necessarium. Neque alio machinationes spectant summis artificiis excogitatæ, adhibitæque calliditate pari, per quas multi jamdiu contendunt invisam et suspectam facere populis Ecclesiam, invidiamque institutis catholicis conflare, praecipue autem Pontificatui romano, ad communem humani generis salutem divinitus instituto. Hæc eadem consilia etiam in Belgio exequi catholici nominis hostes destinaverant, ut vincula abrumperentur aut relaxarentur quæ Belgarum gentem Apostolica Sedi conjungunt. Quamobrem, data opportunitate, in ipsis legumlatorum publicis cœtibus pluries est eorum exaudita vox, Legationem belgicam apud Romanum Pontificem esse tollendam: idque se statutum in animo ac deliberatum habere. Revera duobus ante annis, vix dum ad gubernacula reipublicæ homines illarum partium accesserant, mora nulla fuit, quin aperte edicerent, revocationem oratoris belgici a legatione esse decretam; eamdem reapse perfectum iri ubi primum per tempora licuisset. Cum hæc consilia atque hic habitus animorum in iis esset, perlata lex de primordiis studiorum publice tradendis, propositi perficiendi caussam attulit.-Nostis, Venerabiles Fratres, indolem hujusce legis atque rationem. Profecto in ea condenda hoc maxime consilium atque hanc sententiam fuisse apparet ab auctoritate catholicæ religionis, vel a pueritia, abducere animos, institutionemque juventutis, remota qualibet Ecclesiæ providentia, civilis potestatis imperio voluntatique reservare. Etenim ea lege decernitur, in educatione puerili nullas debere esse sacrorum Pastorum partes, nullam Ecclesiæ vigilantiam; dissociatisque penitus a religione litteris, ab eruditione puerorum, si ipsa publicarum scholarum ratio et disciplina spectetur, omnem de religione doctrinam abesse præcipitur: quod perfacile cernitur quam sit fidei et moribus ineuntis ætatis periculosum. Eoque gravius esse periculum intelligitur, quod eadem lege omnis religiosa institutio plane excluditur ab iis ipsis litterarum palæstris, quas scholas. "normales" vocant, ubi exercitatione præceptisque conformantur, qui quæve deinceps velint ad erudiendos pueros sese conferre. Lex hujusmodi, per quam plurimum de doctrina juribusque Ecclesiæ detrahitur, maximoque discrimini sempiterna adolescentium salus objicitur, non poterat, salvo officio, Episcopis probari, quibus a Deo id est muneris onerisque impositum, ut in salute animorum fideique sanctitate defendenda vigilanter elaborent. Revera cum probe sentirent, quid a se tempus officiumque postularet, sedulam operam dederunt arcendæ ab ejusmodi publicis scholis juventuti, aliasque aperiendas curarunt, potestati suæ obnoxias, in quibus tenere adolescentulorum mentes cum litterarum, tum religionis elementis optime formarentur. Et hanc ad rem, laus est egregia Belgarum, peropportuno huic operi sese alacritate summa adjutores præbuisse. Cum enim animadverterent, quantum religioni periculum ab ea lege impenderet, avitam fidem, quoquomodo possent, tuendam susceperunt; idque tam inflammato studio, ut laborum ac sumptuum magnitudo admirationem fecerit apud omnes, ad quos hujus rei fama pervenit. Nos vero, qui propter excelsum supremi Pastoris et Magistri munus, intemeratam ubique fidem conservare, sacra Ecclesiæ jura asserere, et salutis discrimina a capite gentium christianarum propulsare debemus, ipsa officii ratione sinere prohibebamur, indemnatum per Nos abire legem, quam Venerabiles Fratres Nostri Episcopi belgici jure condemnavissent. Quapropter in litteris Nostris ad dilectissimum filium Nostrum Leopoldum II regem Belgarum aperte declaravimus, legem die I Julio mense factam magnopere catholicæ doctrinæ præceptis repugnare; eamdemque perniciosam saluti adolescentium, neque parum ipsi civitati calamitosam futuram. Igitur qua talem improbavimus damnavimusque non semel, sicut nunc in conspectu omnium Vestrum, iisdem de caussis, iterum improbamus atque damnamus. Quam rem more agimus institutisque Apostolicæ Sedis, quæ semper judicii atque auctoritatis suæ pondere scholas perculit cujuslibet religionis expertes, quas medias seu neutras appellant, quæque suapte natura illuc tandem evadunt, ut Deum prorsus non agnoscant; neque usquam passa 66 est, ejusmodi scholas a juventute catholica celebrari, nisi certis casibus, cum eam tempus et necessitas cogeret, cautoque prius ne præsens esset pravæ contagionis periculum. Nihilominus christiana caritate animati et quod nolebamus ullam dari caussam quamobrem acerbius bellum fieret, valde auctores fuimus Venerabilibus Fratribus nostris episcopis, in medio certamine consistentibus, ut, quod ad decreta exequenda moderationem et suavitatem in re præsenti ne relinquerent, et in pœnis exigendis agerent lenius; quoniam rei christianæ studium, tam justa caussa incensum, paterna illa benevolentia temperari oporteret, qua devios quosque benigne complectitur. Multum ad ea quæ volebamus cohortationes nostræ profecerant, multoque magis futurum videbatur, ut in reliquum tempus proficerent; non satis tamen ex sententia curatorum rerum belgicarum, qui episcopos ipsos muneri suo firmissime intentos nihilominus coargui a nobis, et in quo essent probabiles, in eo reprehendi voluissent. Quod cum nos libere constanterque negavissemus facturos, idcirco officiose amiceque nobiscum agi desitum est, et insigni, vixque alias audito illiberalitatis exemplo, legatus noster excedere finibus jussus est.— Plura deinde per ambages et calumnias caussati, indigne factum tegere falsis nominibus conati sunt, omnemque caussam et culpam in Apostolicam Sedem conferre. Crescente autem audacia, nec a conviciis, nec a contumeliis temperatum est: imo ne in urbe quidem Roma hostilis animi defuit insolens ostentatio. Quapropter muneris nostri apostolici memores, casum gravem et repentinum in conspectu omnium Vestrum, Venerabiles Fratres, deplorantes, Nobiscum et cum sancta Petri Sede inique actum esse testamur et conquerimur. Cumque jus potestatemque habeat Pontifex maximus Nuntios aut Legatos ad externas gentes, nominatim catholici nominis, earumque principes mittendi, de violato hujusmodi jure cum quos penes est culpa, expostulamus; eoque magis, quod ejus juris multo augustius est in Romano Pontifice principium, cum ab amplissima auctoritate primatus, quem ille divinitus obtinet in universam Ecclesiam proficiscatur; quemadmodum et Pius VI. gloriosa recordationis Pontifex declaravit iis verbis: "Jus est Romano Pontifici habendi aliquos, in dissistis præsertim locis, qui sui absentis personam repræsentent, qui jurisdictionem suam atque auctoritatem stabili delegatione collatam exerceant, qui denique suas vices obeant; idque ex intima vi ac natura primatus, ex juribus dotibusque cum primatu conjunctis, ex constanti Ecclesiæ disciplina a primis usque sæculis deducta Querimur super hoc etiam, quod dimittendi Nostri per Belgium Legati caussa injuriosa et de industria quæsita allata sit; cum contra dimissum idcirco esse constet, quod Nos deserere officium recusavimus, factaque significatione Nostræ cum Venerabilibus Fratribus Episcopis belgicis consentientis voluntatis, discedere, ab iis nulla ratione voluimus. -Demum cohibere querelas non possumus propter multa et varia, quæ de Nobis et hac Sede Apostolica sunt contumeliose atque atrociter dicta. Equidem quod privatim ad Nos, prompti ad perferendas patienter injurias sumus, ignoscendumque obtrectatoribus atque inimicis, Resp. super Nuntiaturis Apost. cap. 8, sect. 2, n. 24. |