TO THE CATHOLIC CLERGY ON PRIESTLY
SANCTITY
Apostolic Exhortation given by Pope St. Pius X on August 4, 1908.
This Exhortation, which the Holy Father addressed to the catholic
clergy on the occasion of the Golden jubilee of his priesthood, was written
entirety in his own hand in the space of some weeks. It is a document which
truly comes from the heart of the Pontiff. In it he presents his ideal of the
priesthood, and reveals the serious anxieties which he experienced at a time
when the modernist crisis was still a source of perturbation to the clergy;[1]
the Exhortation rounds off the numerous earlier instructions of the Holy
Father. Saint Pius X was fond of recommending this Exhortation to the members
of the episcopate: "This document, in which we opened our heart to all
sacred ministers, make it your business to recall it and explain it for the
benefit of the clerics for whom you are responsible. Besides, realize
thoroughly and hold fast to this truth: when you have a body of clergy who conform
to the ideal outlined in that Exhortation, you will certainly find your
pastoral care greatly lightened, and the fruits of your apostolate will be much
more abundant."[2]
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.[3]
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.[4]
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.[5]
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,[6] 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;[7] 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[8] 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.[9]
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.
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.[10] 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;[11] 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.[12]
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.[13]
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;[14] for Christ, therefore, we are
ambassadors.[15] 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.[16]
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.[17] 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!"[18]
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.[19] 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."[20]
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 to-day . . . 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.[21]
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.[22] 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."[23] 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.[23]a
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:[24] "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.[25]
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 to-day and forever.[26] The words:
Learn of me because I am meek and humble of heart,[27] apply to men of every
age; at all times Christ reveals himself obedient unto death;[28] true for
every age are the words of the Apostle: They that are Christ's have crucified
the flesh, with the vices and concupiscences."[29]
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."[30]
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,[31] 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.[32]
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.[33] 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.[34]
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.[35] 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.[36]
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.[37]
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;[38] men
who seek only heavenly things and strive by every means to lead others to them.
II 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;"[39] and Augustine sums up
shrewdly: "He truly knows how to live rightly, who rightly knows how to
pray."[40]
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[41] 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,[42] a command which Paul so insistently inculcated: Be instant in prayer,
watching in it with thanksgiving;[43] pray without ceasing.[44]
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."[45]
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?[46] 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![47] 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;[48] for then your soul was burning with zeal, being nourished by
holy meditation.
Some of those who find recollection of the heart[49] 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.[50]
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.[51]
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.[52]
Beloved sons, may this our exhortation, which is none other than the
exhortation of Christ our Lord: Be watchful, be vigilant and pray,[53] 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.[54]
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.[55] 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."[56]
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.[57]
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."[58]
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.[59] 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,"[60] 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;[61] he that has found him has found a treasure.[62] 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."[63]
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 dissected whatever evil purposes you
formed during the day, repent for them."[64]
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."[65]
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.[66] 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.[67] 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.[68]
The situation is aggravated by the fact that all round 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 go 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
to-day, 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."[69]
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.[70]
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?[71]
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,[72] 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.[73]
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.[74]
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.[75]
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.[76]
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.[77]
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,[78] 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.[79]
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.[80]
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. The Exhortation Haerent Animo (4 August 1908. ASS XLI, p.
555-557) takes its place between the Encyclical Pascendi (8 September 1907) and
the Motu Proprio Sacrorum Antistitum (1 September 1910); cf. nn. 108, 192. 2
Letter to the episcopate of Brazil (18 December 1910. AAS III (1911), p. 312).
3 Hebr. 13:17. 4 Encyclical Supremi Apostolatus: cf. supra n. 24. 5 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. ASS XXXVI, p.
655); cf. supra, n. 7. 6. I Tim. 6:11. 7 Ephes. 4: 23-24. 8 Dan. 3:39. 9 Col.
1:10. 10 Hebr. 5:1. 11 Tit. 1:16. 12 Acts 1:1. 13 Mt. 5:13. 14 I Cor. 4:1. 15
I. Cor. 5:20. 16 Jn. 15:15-16. 17 Hebr. 7:26. 18 S. John Chrysostom, Hom.
LXXXII in Matth., n. 5: cf. supra, n. 68. 19 Ps. 15:5. 20 Ep. LII, ad
Nepotianum, n. 5. 21 Col. 1:28. 22 Cf. supra, n. 70. 23 Sess. XXII, de Reform.,
c. I. 23a Ps. 92:5. 24 Letter Testem Benevolentiae to the Archbishop of
Baltimore (22 January 1899. ASS XXXI, p. 476) condemning
"Americanism." 25 Rom. 8:29. 26 Hebr. 13:8. 27 Mt. 11:29. 28 Phil.
2:8. 29 Gal. 5:24. 30 Leo XIII, loc. cit. 31 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). 32 Mt.
16:24. 33 Mt. 20:1. 34 Acts 10:38. 35 1 Cor. 3:7. 36 I Cor. 1:27-28. 37 Cf.
supra, n. 32. 38 II Cor. 6:5-6. 39 De precatione, orat. I. 40 Hom. IV. 41 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). The same
pastoral and spiritual concern is evident in that document. 42 Lk. 18:1. 43
Col. 4:2. 44 1 Thess. 5:17. 45 De Consid. L. I, ch. vii. 46 Cf. supra, n. 61.
47 Cf. Ps. 83:2. 48 Hebr. 10:32. 49 Jer. 12:11. 50 Ecclus. 35:21. 51 Cf. supra,
n. 112. 52 Cf. Phil. 1 8. 53 Mk. 13:33. 54 Lk. 11:1. 55 Ps. 100:1-2. 56 St.
Charles Borromeo, ex orationibus ad clerum. 57 Ps. 1:1 ff. 58 Imitation of
Christ, 1:1. 59 1 Tim. 4:13. 60 Ep. LVIII ad Paulinum, n. 6. 61 Ecclus. 25:12.
62 Ecclus. 6:14. 63 Confessions, L. VIII, C. 12. 64 Exposit. in Ps. 4, n. 8. 65
Meditationes piissimae, c. V, de Quotid. sui ipsius exam. 66 Lk. 16:8. 67 Cf.
supra, n. 63. 68 Prov. 24:30-31. 69 St. Jerome, in Ezech., L. xiii, 44, v. 30.
70 Is. 6:10. 71 Thess. 2:19. 72 Jn. 5:3. 73 II Thess. 3:13 74 Cf. I 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. ASS XXXIX, p. 14). 75 1 Macc. 9:10. 76 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). 77 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" (ASS XXXVI, p. 596). 78 Eph. 4:1. 79 Jn. 17:11 and 17. 80 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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