Excerpt: On July 3rd, 1907, the Holy Father prepared a list of
errors which, later, were grouped together under the name of
Modernism, and condemned. On the 8th of September following he
addressed to the Catholic world an Encyclical of incomparable
fulness, vigour, and clearness, in which he sets forth his reasons
for condemning Modernism. Thank God these errors, which have so far
invaded France and Italy, attract few followers in Belgium. You
have been preserved by the vigilance of your pastors, by an
impartial scientific spirit, and by the Christian submission that
animates the representatives of higher learning in your country.
Nevertheless, beloved brethren, I consider it a pastoral duty to
bring to your knowledge this Pontifical Encyclical, which
henceforth will be known in ecclesiastical history by its
introductory Latin words: "Pascendi Domini gregis," or, more
briefly, "Pascendi." Since the Holy Father addresses his letter to
each Church in particular, that is, to the Bishops, priests, and
Catholic laity, it is his intention that each one should
individually profit by the Encyclical. The importance of this
document, moreover, gives it an historic value: hence, those who
are interested in our Mother, the Church, should know, at least in
substance, its meaning. It is a well-known fact that scarcely had
the Pope spoken, or rather before he had spoken, and from the
moment that the telegraphic agents heralded his coming
announcement, the unbelieving press began to misrepresent it, and
the newspapers and reviews hostile to the Church in our country
neither published the text nor the general tenour of the Encyclical
with fulness or frankness. But with an eagerness and a harmony of
opinion that altogether explain their attitude, they quibbled over
the word Modernism in the endeavour to convince their confiding
readers that the Pope condemns modern thought, which in their
ambiguous language signifies modern science and its methods. This
offensive and false impression of the Pope and his faithful
followers has perhaps been shared by some amongst you, hence it is
our earnest wish to remove this impression by explaining Modernism,
and, in so doing, enlighten you as to the reasons that led to its
condemnation by the Supreme Authority of the Church. WHAT IS THE
FUNDAMENTAL IDEA OF MODERNISM? Modernism is not the modern
expression of science, and consequently its condemnation is not the
condemnation of science, of which we are so justly proud, nor the
disapproval of its methods, which all Catholic scientists hold, and
consider it an honour to teach and to practice. Modernism consists
essentially in affirming that the religious soul must draw from
itself, from nothing but itself, the object and motive of its
faith. It rejects all revelation imposed upon the conscience, and
thus, as a necessary consequence, becomes the negation of the
doctrinal authority of the Church established by Jesus Christ, and
it denies, moreover, to the divinely constituted hierarchy the
right to govern Christian society. The better to understand the
significance of this fundamental error, let us recall the teaching
of the Catechism on the constitution and mission of the Catholic
Church. Christ did not represent Himself to the world as the head
of a philosophy and uncertain of His teaching He did not leave a
modifiable system of opinions to the discussion of His disciples.
On the contrary, strong in His divine wisdom and sovereign power,
He pronounced, and imposed upon men the revealed word that assures
eternal salvation, and indicated to them the unique way to attain
it. He promulgated for them a code of morals, giving them certain
helps without which it is impossible to put these precepts into
practice. Grace, and the Sacraments which confer it upon us, or
restore it to us, when, having sinned, we again find it through
repentance, form together these helps, this economy of salvation.
He instituted a Church, and as He had only a few years to dwell...
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