Let us implore, Venerable Brethren, from our inmost hearts, and with all our Souls, the mercy of God. He has encouraged us so to do, by saying, "I will not withdraw my mercy from them." Let us ask, and we shall receive; and if there is slowness or delay in its reception, because we have grievously offended, let us knock, because to him that knocketh it shall be opened; if our prayers, groans, and tears, in which we must persist and be obstinate, knock at the door; and if our prayer be united, let each one pray to God, not for himself alone, but for all his brethren, as the "Lord hath taught us to pray" (St. Cyprian, epistle ii.). But in order that God may accede more easily to Our and Your prayers, and to those of all His faithful servants, let us employ in all confidence as our Mediatrix with him the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, who "has destroyed all heresies throughout the world, and who, the most loving Mother of us all, is very gracious......and full of mercy......allows herself to be entreated by all, shows herself most clement toward all, and takes under her pitying care all our necessities with a most ample affection" (St. Bernard, Germ. de duodecim perogativis B. M. V. in verbis Apocalyp.), and who, "sitting as queen upon the right hand of her only begotten Son Our Lord Jesus Christ, in a golden vestment clothed around with various adornments," there is nothing which she can not obtain from Him. Let us implore also the intervention of the Blessed Peter, Chief of the Apostles, and of his co-Apostle Paul, and of all those Saints of Heaven, who, having already become the friends of God, have been admitted into the celestial kingdom, where they are crowned and bear palms, and who henceforth, certain of their own immortality, are solicitous for our salvation.

In conclusion, We ask of God, from Our inmost soul, the abundance of all his celestial benefits for You, and We bestow upon You, Venerable Brethren, and upon all faithful Clergy and Laity committed to Your care, Our Apostolic Benediction from the most loving depths of Our hearts, in token of Our charity toward You. PIUS PP. IX.

Given at Rome, from St. Peter's, this 8th of December, 1864, the tenth anniversary of the Dogmatic Definition of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, in the nineteenth Year of Our Pontificate.

D.

THE SYLLABUS OF THE PRINCIPAL ERRORS OF OUR TIME, WHICH ARE STIGMATIZED IN THE CONSISTORIAL ALLOCUTIONS, ENCYCLICAL, AND OTHER APOSTOLICAL LETTERS OF OUR MOST HOLY FATHER POPE PIUS IX.

I. Pantheism, Naturalism, and Absolute Rationalism.

1. There exists no Divine Power, Supreme Being, Wisdom, and Providence distinct from the universe, and God is none other than nature, and is therefore mutable. In effect, God is produced in man and in the world, and all things are God, and have the very substance of God. God is therefore one and the same thing with the world, and thence spirit is the same thing

with matter, necessity with liberty, true with false, good with evil, justice with injustice. (Allocution "Maxima quidem," 9th June, 1862.)

2. All action of God upon man and the world is to be denied. (Allocu tion "Maxima quidem," 9th June, 1862.)

3. Human reason, without any regard to God, is the sole arbiter of truth and falsehood, of good and evil; it is its own law to itself, and suffices by its natural force to secure the welfare of men and of nations. (Allocution "Maxima quidem," 9th June, 1862.)

4. All the truths of religion are derived from the native strength of human reason; whence reason is the master rule by which man can and ought to arrive at the knowledge of all truths of every kind. (Encyclical letters, “Qui pluribus," 9th November, 1846, "Singulari quidem," 17th March, 1856, and the Allocution "Maxima quidem," 9th June, 1862.)

5. Divine revelation is imperfect, and therefore subject to a continual and indefinite progress, which corresponds with the progress of human reason. (Encyclical "Qui pluribus," 9th November, 1846, and the Allocution “Maxima quidem," 9th June, 1862.)

6. Christian faith is in opposition to human reason, and divine revelation not only does not benefit, but even injures, the perfection of man. (Encyclical "Qui pluribus," 9th November, 1846, and the Allocution "Maxima quidem," 9th June, 1862.)

7. The prophecies and miracles, uttered and narrated in the Sacred Scriptures, are the fictions of poets; and the mysteries of the Christian faith, the result of philosophical investigations. In the books of the two Testaments there are contained mythical inventions, and Jesus Christ is Himself a mythical fiction. (Encyclical “Qui pluribus," 9th November, 1846, and the Allocution "Maxima quidem," 9th June, 1862.)

II. Moderate Rationalism.

8. As human reason is placed on a level with Religion, so theological matters must be treated in the same manner as philosophical ones. (Allocution "Singulari quadam perfusi," 9th December, 1854.)

9. All the dogmas of the Christian Religion are, without exception, the object of natural science or philosophy, and human reason, instructed solely by history, is able, by its own natural strength and principles, to arrive at the true knowledge of even the most abstruse dogmas: provided such dogmas be proposed as subject-matter for human reason. (Letter ad Archiep. Frising, "Gravissimas," 11th December, 1862; to the same, "Tuas libenter," 21st December, 1863.)

10. As the philosopher is one thing, and philosophy is another, so it is the right and duty of the philosopher to submit himself to the authority which he shall have recognized as true; but philosophy neither can nor ought to submit to any authority. (Letter ad Archiep. Frising, "Gravissimas," 11th December, 1862; to the same, "Tuas libenter," 21st December, 1863.)

11. The Church not only ought never to animadvert upon philosophy, but ought to tolerate the errors of philosophy, leaving to philosophy the care of their correction. (Letter ad Archiep. Frising, 11th December, 1862.)

12. The decrees of the Apostolic See and of the Roman Congregation fetter the free progress of science. (Id. ibid.)

13. The method and principles by which the old scholastic Doctors cultivated theology are no longer suitable to the demands of the age and the progress of science. (Ib. "Tuas libenter," 21st December, 1863.)

14. Philosophy must be treated of without any account being taken of supernatural revelation. (Id. ibid.)

N.B. To the rationalistic system belong, in great part, the errors of Anthony Gunther, condemned in the letter to the Cardinal Archbishop of Cologne, "Eximiam tuam," 15th June, 1847; and in that to the Bishop of Breslau, "Dolore haud mediocri," 30th April, 1860.

III. Indifferentism, Latitudinarianism.

15. Every man is free to embrace and profess the religion he shall believe true, guided by the light of reason. (Apostolic Letters "Multiplices inter," 10th June, 1851; Allocution "Maxima quidem," 9th June, 1862.)

16. Men may in any religion find the way of eternal salvation, and obtain eternal salvation. (Encyclical Letter "Qui pluribus," 9th November, 1846; Allocution "Ubi primum," 17th December, 1847; Encyclical Letter “Singulari quidem," 17th March, 1856.)

17. We may entertain at least a well-founded hope for the eternal salvation of all those who are in no manner in the true Church of Christ. (Allocution "Singulari quadam," 9th December, 1854; Encyclical Letter " Quanto conficiamur," 17th August, 1863.)

18. Protestantism is nothing more than another form of the same true Christian Religion, in which it is possible to be equally pleasing to God as in the Catholic Church. (Encyclical Letter "Noscitis et Nobiscum," 8th December, 1849.)

IV. Socialism, Communism, Secret Societies, Biblical Societies, Clerico-liberal Societies.

Pests of this description are frequently rebuked in the severest terms in the Encyclical "Qui pluribus," 9th November, 1846; Allocution "Quibus quantisque," 20th April, 1849; Encyclical "Noscitis et Nobiscum," 8th December, 1849; Allocution "Singulari quadam," 9th December, 1854; Encyclical "Quanto conficiamur mærore," 10th August, 1863.

V. Errors concerning the Church and her Rights.

19. The Church is not a true, and perfect, and entirely free society, nor does she enjoy peculiar and perpetual rights conferred upon her by her Di vine Founder, but it appertains to the civil power to define what are the rights and limits with which the Church may exercise authority. (Allocution "Singulari quadam," 9th December, 1854; "Multis gravibusque," 17th December, 1860; "Maxima quidem," 9th June, 1862.)

20. The ecclesiastical power must not exercise its authority without the permission and assent of the civil Government. (Allocution "Meminit unusquisque," 30th September, 1861.)

21. The Church has not the power of defining dogmatically that the Religion of the Catholic Church is the only true religion. (Letter Apostolic "Multiplices inter," 10th June, 1851.)

22. The obligation which binds Catholic teachers and authors applies only to those things which are proposed for universal belief as dogmas of the faith, by the infallible judgment of the Church. (Letter ad Archiep. Frising, “Tuas libenter," 21st December, 1863.)

23. The Roman Pontiffs and Ecumenical Councils have exceeded the limits of their power, have usurped the rights of Princes, and have even committed errors in defining matters of faith and morals. (Letter Apostolic "Multiplices inter," 10th June, 1851.)

24. The Church has not the power of availing herself of force or any direct or indirect temporal power. (Letter Apostolic "Ad Apostolicæ,” 22d August, 1851.)

25. In addition to the authority inherent in the Episcopate, a further and temporal power is granted to it by the civil authority, either expressly or tacitly, which power is on that account also revocable by the civil authority whenever it pleases. (Letter Apostolic "Ad Apostolicæ," 22d August, 1851.) 26. The Church has not the innate and legitimate right of acquisition and possession. (Allocution “Nunquam fore,” 15th December, 1856; Encyclical "Incredibili," 17th September, 1863.)

27. The ministers of the Church and the Roman Pontiff ought to be absolutely excluded from all charge and dominion over temporal affairs. (Allocution "Maxima quidem," 9th June, 1862.)

28. Bishops have not the right of promulgating even their Apostolic Letters without the permission of the Government. (Allocution "Nunquam fore," 15th December, 1856.)

29. Dispensations granted by the Roman Pontiff must be considered null, unless they have been asked for by the civil Government. (Id. ibid.)

30. The immunity of the Church and of ecclesiastical persons derives its origin from civil law. (Letter Apostolic “ Multiplices inter," 10th June, 1851.) 31. Ecclesiastical Courts for the temporal causes of the clergy, whether civil or criminal, ought by all means to be abolished, even without the concurrence and against the protest of the Holy See. (Allocution "Acerbissimum," 27th September, 1852; and "Nunquam fore," 15th December, 1856.)

32. The personal immunity exonerating the clergy from military service may be abolished, without violation either of natural right or of equity. Its abolition is called for by civil progress, especially in a community constituted upon principles of Liberal Government. (Letter to the Archbishop of Montreal, "Singularis Nobisque," 29th September, 1864.)

33. It does not appertain exclusively to ecclesiastical jurisdiction, by any right, proper and inherent, to direct the teaching of theological subjects. (Letter ad Archiep. Frising, "Tuas libenter," 21st December, 1863.)

34. The teaching of those who compare the Sovereign Pontiff to a free Sovereign acting in the Universal Church, is a doctrine which prevailed in the Middle Ages. (Letter Apostolic "Ad Apostolicæ," 22d August, 1851.) 35. There would be no obstacle to the sentence of a General Council, or

the act of all the universal peoples, transferring the Pontifical Sovereignty from the Bishop and city of Rome to some other bishopric and some other city. (Id. ibid.)

36. The definition of a National Council does not admit of any subsequent discussion, and the civil power can regard as settled an affair decided by such National Council. (Id. ibid.)

37. National Churches can be established after being withdrawn and plainly separated from the authority of the Roman Pontiff. (Allocution "Multis gravibusque," 17th December, 1860; "Jamdudum cernimus," 18th March, 1861.)

38. Roman Pontiffs have, by their too arbitrary conduct, contributed to the division of the Church into Eastern and Western. (Letter Apostolic "Ad Apostolicæ," 22d August, 1851.)

VI. Errors about Civil Society considered both in itself and in its Relation to the Church.

39. The Republic is the origin and source of all rights, and possesses rights which are not circumscribed by any limits. (Allocution "Maxima quidem," 9th June, 1862.)

40. The teaching of the Catholic Church is opposed to the well-being and interests of society. (Encyclical "Qui pluribus," 9th November, 1846; Allocution "Quibus quantisque," 20th April, 1849.)

41. The civil power, even when exercised by an infidel Sovereign, possesses an indirect and negative power over religious affairs. It therefore possesses not only the right called that of exequatur, but that of the (so-called) appellatio ab abusu. (Letter Apostolic "Ad Apostolicæ," 22d August, 1861.) 42. In the case of conflicting laws between the two Powers, the civil law ought to prevail. (Letter Apostolic "Ad Apostolicæ," 22d August, 1851.) 43. The civil power has a right to break, and to declare and render null the conventions (commonly called Concordats) concluded with the Apostolic See, relative to the use of rights appertaining to the ecclesiastical immunity, without the consent of the Holy See, and even contrary to its protest. (Allocution "In Consistoriali," 1st November, 1850; "Multis gravibusque," 17th December, 1860.)

44. The civil authority may interfere in matters relating to Religion, morality, and spiritual government. Hence it has control over the instructions for the guidance of consciences issued, conformably with their mission, by the pastors of the Church. Further, it possesses power to decree, in the matter of administering the Divine Sacraments, as to the dispositions necessary for their reception. (Allocution “In Consistoriali,” 1st November, 1850; Allocution "Maxima quidem," 9th June, 1862.)

45. The entire direction of public schools in which the youth of Christian States are educated, except (to a certain extent) in the case of Episcopal seminaries, may and must appertain to the civil power, and belong to it so far that no other authority whatsoever shall be recognized as having any right to interfere in the discipline of the schools, the arrangement of the studies, the taking of degrees, or the choice and approval of the teachers.