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ORIENTALIS ECCLESIAE

DECUS

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ENCYCLICAL LETTER

OF

POPE PIUS XII

ON

St. Cyril, Patriarch of Alexandria

On the Fifteenth Centenary

of His Most Holy Death

National Catholic Welfare Conference

1312 Massachusetts Avenue, N. W. 'Washington 5, D. C.

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To the Venerable Brethren

The Patriarchs, Primates, Archbishops,

Bishops and Other Ordinaries

Having Peace and Communion with the Apostolic See

POPE PIUS XII

VENERABLE BRETHREN

HEALTH AND APOSTOLIC BENEDICTION

1. The Church has always exalted with the highest praise

St. Cyril Patriarch of Alexandria, as the glory of the East-

ern Church and the most noble defender of the Virgin

Mother of God. We wish now, in writing of him, briefly
to recall to mind these encomiums, at the close of the fif-

teenth century since he happily exchanged this earthly exile

for his heavenly home. Our Predecessor St. Celestine I

calls him indeed ‘‘good defender of the faith”,^ “most

worthy priest” ^ and “apostolic man”.^ The Oecumenical

Council of Chalcedon not only invokes the aid of his doctrine

to detect and refute new errors, but even does not hesitate

to compare it with the wisdom of St. Leo the Great.^ St.

Leo in his turn praises and recommends the writings of so

great a doctor, precisely because they are in full con-

formity with the faith of the Holy Fathers.® With no less

veneration did the fifth Oecumenical Council, assembled

at Constantinople,® regard the authority of St. Cyril; and

many years later, during the controversy on the two wills

in Christ, his doctrine was once again deservedly and tri-

umphantly vindicated, both in the first Lateran CounciP

and in the sixth Oecumenical Council, after some had

wrongly alleged that it was tainted with the errors of the

Monothelites. Indeed, according to the testimony of Our

holy Predecessor Agatho, he “was the defender of the

1 Ep. 12, 4: Migne, P. L., L, 467.
2 Ep. 13, 2: ib., 471.
3 Ep. 25, 7: ib., 552.
4 Cf. Mansi, VI, 953, 956-7, VII, 9.
5 Cf. Ep. ad Imp. Theodosium: Migne, P. L., LIV, 891.
6 Cf. Mansi, IX, 231 sq.

Cf. Mansi, X, 1076 sq.



— 4—

truth”® and stood out as “the most constant preacher of

the orthodox faith”.^

2. We deem it therefore very opportune, in this brief letter,
to present his absolute integrity of life, his faith and his

virtue, for the consideration of all, but especially of those

who, being of the Eastern Church, rightly glory in this

luminary of Christian wisdom, this athlete of apostolic for-

titude. Of noble origin and, according to tradition, raised

to the See of Alexandria in the year 412, he first combated

the Novatians and other corrupters and detractors of pure

doctrine, both by word of mouth and by the publication of

his writings and decrees, giving proof of unequalled vigi-

lance and courage. Then, with the dissemination through-

out the East of the impious heresy of Nestorius, he, like

the watchful Pastor that he was, speedily detected the new

errors which were being widely diffused, used every means

to keep them away from the flock entrusted to his care

and was for all that time, and especially during the course

of the Council of Ephesus, the most learned doctor and

indomitable defender of the divine maternity of the Virgin

Mary, the hypostatic union in Christ and the primacy of

the Roman Pontiff. Since, however. Our immediate Prede-

cessor, Pius XI of happy memory, on the occurrence of the

fifteenth centenary of that Council in the year 1931 admir-

ably described and illustrated in His Encyclical Letter Lux

Veritatis^^ the eminent part played by St. Cyril in this

most important controversy. We deem it superfluous to
repeat it in detail.

3. Cyril was not satisfied, however, with strenuously com-

bating the onrush of heresy, with resolutely and diligently

safeguarding the integrity of Catholic doctrine and zeal-

ously bringing it into the full light of day, but he endeav-

oured by all the means in his power to bring back to the

path of truth and rectitude the brethren who had gone

astray. The Bishops of the province of Antioch, for ex-

ample, would not recognize the authority of the sacred

Council of Ephesus and it was due to the zeal of St. Cyril

that, after long hesitation, they returned at last to full

concord and harmony. And when he had succeeded, with

the help of God, in securing this most happy peace and in

8 Cf. Mansi, XI, 270 sq.

9 Cf. ib., 262 sq.

10 A. A. S., XXIII (1931), p. 493 sq.



— 5—

defending it with diligent care against all who might dis-

turb it, being ripe for his eternal reward and heavenly

glory, amidst the tears of al good men he departed this

life in the year 444.

4. The faithful of the Eastern Rite not only number him

among the ‘‘Oecumenical Fathers’^ but also honour him

in their liturgical prayers with the highest terms of praise.

“Why thy mind illumined by the fire of the Holy Spirit

—

so the Greeks sing of him in the Menei, appointed to be

celebrated on the 9th day of June—like the sun darting
forth its rays thou didst pour forth thy inspired words;

thou, 0 most blessed and divine one, didst launch forth thy

dogmas to all parts of the Christian world, illuminating all

classes of persons, dissipating the darkness of heresy

through the strength and power of Him who, born of a

Virgin, shone with light ineffable’". And certainly it is

with justice that the children of the Eastern Church rejoice

in honouring this most holy Father, as the signal glory of

their Rite. For in him shone forth in a most special way

those three virtues, which the other Eastern Fathers also

possessed to a marked degree: namely, an extraordinary

holiness of life, in which is especially resplendent an ardent

devotion to the great Mother of God; a doctrine truly ad-

mirable, on account of which the Sacred Congregation of

Rites, in a decree promulgated on July 28th, 1882, declared

him Doctor of the Universal Church; and finally an active

and zealous watchfulness, in virtue of which he repulsed

the assaults of the heretics with indomitable courage, as-

serted and defended the Catholic faith and tirelessly propa-

gated it to the limit of his powers.

5. But while We rejoice with all Our heart that all the
Christian peoples of the East honour St. Cyril with special

devotion, nevertheless We are grieved that all have not
come together in that unity so greatly to be desired, which

he so ardently loved and promoted. This especially do We
deplore in these days of ours, when it behooves all Christians

to stand together in the one Church of Jesus Christ, united

in mind and strength so that, forming a single phalanx,

solid, immovable and in complete harmony, they may resist
the assults of impiety, which daily grow more and more

threatening.

6. To bring this about it is absolutely necessary that all,

following in the footsteps of St. Cyril, should secure that



— 6—

harmony of soul, which must be sustained by that triple

principle with which Christ Jesus, Founder of the Church,

wished it to be indissolubly bound together, as by a divine

and unbreakable bond, established by Himself; that is to

say, union in the One Catholic faith, in a single love for

God and for all men, and finally in a common obedience

and submission to the lawful heirarchy constituted by the

Divine Redeemer Himself. These three bonds of union, as

you well know. Venerable Brethren, are so necessary, that

if one of them is lacking, true unity and concord in the

Church cannot even be conceived.

I

7. Now in the task of earnestly pursuing and energeti-
cally preserving this genuine unity. We desire that the
Patriarch of Alexandria should, at this present time, be

to all a master and most illustrious model, even as he was

during his own stormy epoch. And, to begin by treating

of the unity of the Christian faith. We may say that his
constant readiness and tenacity in defending it are uni-

versally known: “We—he declares—who have truth for
our friend, and the dogmas of truth, will never follow the

heretics, but continuing in the path of faith traced out for

us by the Holy Fathers, we will guard the deposit of divine

revelation against all errors’ And in fighting the good

fight even unto death he was ready to undergo the bitterest

trials. “My dearest wish—he writes—is to labour, live and
die for the faith, which is in Christ”.^^ insult, there-

fore, no contumely, no outrage shall move me .... It matters

only that the faith be preserved intact and secure”.^^ And

desiring with all the strength of his noble soul the palm of

martyrdom, he voiced these most admirable sentiments:

“I am resolved to endure any labour for the faith of Christ,

to bear any torments, even those considered to be the most

excruciating, until at length I suffer death, which I shall

joyfully accept in this cause”.^^ “For if we fear to preach

the truth for the glory of God lest forsooth we experience

some trouble, how can we ever, I pray, have the face to

11 Cf^ in Ioann., 1. X; Migne, P. G., LXXIV, 419.
12 Ep. 10: Migne, P. G., LXXVII, 78.
13 Ep. 9: ib., 62.
14 Ep. 10: ib., 70.



— 7—

exalt before our people the contests and triumphs of the

holy martyrs?''.^®

8. And since in the monasteries of Egypt there were fre-

quent acrimonious disputes concerning the new Nestorian

heresy, he, like a most vigilant Pastor, advises the monks

of the dangerous fallacies of this doctrine, not for the pur-

pose of heaping fuel on the fire of these wordy conflicts,

'‘but—as he writes to them—so that, if in the future any
of the heretics should assail you, you may not only avoid

falling into these errors yourselves, but, refuting with the

eternal truth their vain trivialities, you may induce others,

with opportune arguments and, like good brethren, to pre-

serve steadfastly in their souls the faith which was handed

down to the Churches by the holy Apostles”.^® As all will

readily admit who have read the letters which he wrote

on the occasion of the controversy in the province of Anti-

och, he shows in the clearest manner that this Christian

faith, which we must preserve and defend by all the means

in our power, has been transmitted to us through the Sacred

Scripture and the teaching of the holy Fathers,^^ and is

at the same time clearly and lawfully proposed for our

belief by the living and infallible authority of the Church.

For when the Bishops of the Province of Antioch, for the

re-establishment and preservation of peace, deemed it

sufficient merely to adhere to the Nicene profession of faith,

St. Cyril, on the contrary, while holding fast to the Nicene

Creed, further required of his brethren in the Episcopate,

for the purpose of strengthening unity, the reprobation and

condemnation of the Nestorian heresy. He knew very well

that it is not enough to accept with docile mind the ancient

documents of ecclesiastical teaching, but it is also necessary

to receive with a loyal and submissive heart all those defi-

nitions which the Church, in virtue of her supreme author-

ity, from time to time proposes for our belief. Indeed,

it is not lawful, even under the pretext of restoring har-

mony, to dissimulate a single dogma of faith, for, to quote

the warning of the Patriarch of Alexandria: “the desire

for peace is the highest and most excellent of all goods . . .

but not for that cause should we disregard the virtue of

filial piety in Christ”.^® Wherefore, the longed-for return

15 Ep. 9: ib., 63.
16 Ep. 1: ib., 14.
17 Cf. Ep. 55: ib., 292-293.
18 Ep. 61: ib., 325.



— 8—

of erring sons to a sincere and perfect unity in Christ is

not to be brought about by that method which seeks out

those points of doctrine on the acceptance of which all,

or at least the greater number of communities, which glory

in the name of Christian, are agreed; but rather by that

which sets forth all the truths revealed by God, integrally

and without exception, as the basis for harmony and agree-

ment among the faithful.

9. In this tireless energy in preserving and defending the

unity of the faith let St. Cyril of Alexandria be an example

to all. Hardly had he detected the error of Nestorius than

he refuted it by his letters and other writings. He had

recourse to the Roman Pontiff and in the Council of Ephe-

sus, acting as His representative, he repressed and con-

demned the heresy which was even then gathering strength

;

this he did with such a display of admirable doctrine and

dauntless courage that all the Fathers of the Council, after

the public reading of that letter of Cyril which is called

dogmatic, with solemn deliberation pronounced it to be in

absolute conformity with purity of faith. But besides this,

on account of his apostolic activity he was wickedly deprived

of his Episcopal office and endured with unconquerable

serenity the insults of his brethren, condemnation by an

unlawful assembly, and many imprisonments and suffer-

ings. With a like courage he did not hesitate, in the con-

scientious fulfillment of his most holy office, to oppose

openly, not only the Bishops who were wandering from the

right path of truth and unity, but even the august person of

the Emperor himself. Furthermore, as is known to all, for

the purpose of fostering and safeguarding the Christian

faith, he composed an almost countless number of books,

from which shine forth the luminous rays of his extraor-

dinary wisdom, his indomitable firmness and the earnestness

of his pastoral zeal.

II

10. To faith must be closely allied the virtue of charity,

by which we are united one with another and with Christ;

inspired and actuated by the holy Spirit it joins together

the members of the Mystical Body of the Redeemer in an

unbreakable bond. This charity must not, however, refuse

to receive into its embrace the erring ones who have wan-

dered from the right path
;
and of this we have an example

in the admirable mode of action followed by St. Cyril. For



— 9—

although he fought strenuously against the Nestorian

heresy, nevertheless, animated as he was by a burning

charity, he openly asserts that he yields to none in the

profession of his love for Nestorius.^^ And rightly so; for

those who stray from the right path are to be regarded as

ailing brethren and treated with kind and gentle care. In

this regard it will be useful to recall the extremely prudent

advice given by the Patriarch of Alexandria. “In this

matter—he counsels—there is need of great moderation’’.^®
“For it often happens that harsh disputes urge many on

to insolence, and it is better to deal mildly with those who

resist authority than by insisting too much on fine points

of the law to create difficulties for them. If they were ill

in body they would have to be treated by the practised hand

of the doctor; in the same way the sick soul must be cured

with a certain prudence, used as medicine for the body.

As a result they will come little by little to the desired sin-

cerity and stability of mind’’.^^ And elsewhere he adds:

“We have imitated the patient diligence of skilful doctors

:

they do not proceed with fire and steel against diseases and

wounds as soon as they manifest themselves in the human

body, but having first treated the wound with the milder

medicaments, they defer the use of cautery and scalpel until

the opportune moment”. Being thus filled with compas-

sion and mildness for the erring, he openly declares that

he is most desirous of peace and absolutely opposed to

quarrels and disputes: one, in fine, who ardently wishes

to love all and to be -loved in his turn by all’’.^^

11. This marked inclination of the Holy Doctor for con-

cord and harmony was especially noticeable when, miti-

gating his previous attitude of severity, he applied himself

with all earnestness to winning over the Bishops of the

province of Antioch to the cause of peace. Treating of

their delegate, he writes among other things: “Perhaps

he suspected that he would have great difficulty in con-

vincing us of the necessity of uniting the Churches in peace

and concord, and thus putting an end to the mockery of

the heretics and repelling the assaults of diabolical wicked-

ness. But on the contrary he found us so well disposed to

19 Cf. Ep. 9: ib., 62.
20 Ep. 57: ib., 322.
21 Ep. 58: ib., 322.
22 Ep. 18: ib., 123-126.
23 Ep. 9: ib., 62.



— 10—

this idea that he had hardly any trouble at all. For we

are mindful of the words of Our Saviour: 'peace I leave

with you, my peace I give unto you’ ”.24 ^^d when the 12
Articles composed by St. Cyril at the Synod of Alexandria

proved an obstacle to the dawning of this peace—since these
Articles spoke of the "physical union” in Christ, they were

rejected by the Antiochians as heretical—this most benign
Patriarch, while not condemning or disowning these writ-

ings, since what they set forth is orthodox doctrine, yet

by means of several letters explained his meaning so clearly

as to remove even the least appearance of error and to

render yet more smooth the path of peace. These explana-

tions he gave to the Bishops "not as to opponents but

brethren”.25 For, in his opinion, "for the peace of the

Churches, and to avoid their being separated one from

another through the diversity of opinions, such conde-

scension is by no means useless”.^® And so it happily came

about that the charity of St. Cyril gathered abundantly the

much-desired fruit of peace. And when he could at length

discern the first rays of this glorious dawn, and receive in

fraternal embrace the Bishops of the Province of Antioch,

now resolved to condemn the Nestorian heresy, he exclaimed

in the exuberance of his heavenly joy:
"
'Let the heavens

be glad, and let the earth rejoice’. The inner wall of separa-

tion has been broken down, the storm which caused such

sadness has been stilled, and every occasion of discord has

been removed
;
for Christ, the Saviour of us all, has granted

peace to His Churches”.^^

12. Now, as in those remote times, so also in the present.

Venerable Brethren, there is no doubt that a sincere and

active benevolence will, with the help and inspiration of

God, be a most efficacious aid in promoting that conciliation

of dissident sons with the one Church of Christ which all

good men are striving to attain. This love of benevolence,

in fact, reanimates that mutual familiarity which Our

Predecessors strove so earnestly to bring about and to per-

fect by various means, and particularly by the foundation

in this Venerable City of the Pontifical Institute for the

promotion of higher Oriental Studies. It is likewise impor-

tant to hold in due esteem all that constitutes for the oriental

24 Ep. 39: ib., 175.
25 Ep. 33: ib., 161.
26 Ep. 43: ib., 222-224.
27 Ep. 39: ib., 174.



— 11 —

peoples their own special patrimony, as it were, handed

down to them by their forefathers; and this whether it

regards the Sacred Liturgy and the Hierarchial Orders,

or the other essentials of the Christian life, provided only

that all is in full conformity with genuine religious faith

and with the right rules of moral conduct. For a lawful

freedom must be allowed to each and every people of Ori-

ental Rite in all those things which derive from their history

or depend upon their own peculiar genius and temperament,

so long as they are not in contrast with the true and integral

doctrine of Jesus Christ. And let all know this and reflect

on it, whether they be born in the bosom of the Catholic

Church or are hastening towards it on the wings of desire

:

let them all be persuaded and hold for certain that they will

never be compelled to exchange their own legitimate rites

and ancient institutions for the latin rites and institutions

;

both are to be regarded with equal esteem and veneration,

for they surround our common mother the Church with,

as it were, a regal variety. Nay more, such a diversity

of rites and institutions, while conserving intact and invio-

lable all that is ancient and precious in each confession, does

not put the least obstacle in the way of true and genuine

unity. More than ever in these our times, when the discords

and enmities of war in almost every part of the world have

alienated the hearts of men one from another, it is incum-

bent upon all, moved by Christian charity, to strive ever

more earnestly, using every means in their power, to bring

about union in Christ and for Christ.

Ill

13. Nevertheless the efforts inspired by faith and charity

in the task of strengthening this unity in Christ Jesus

would be altogether lacking in efficacy if they did not have

for their support that immovable rock on which the Church

was founded by God : that is to say, the supreme authority

of Peter and his Successors. This is clearly proved by the

line of conduct adopted by the Patriarch of Alexandria in

this most serious controversy. Both in defeating the Nes-

torian heresy and in reaching agreement with the Bishops

of the Province of Antioch, he acted always in the closest

possible union with this Apostolic See. When, in fact, this

vigilant Prelate perceived that the errors of Nestorius were

insinuating themselves and making progress everywhere,

to the daily increasing danger of the true faith, he wrote



— 12—

a letter to Our Predecessor St. Celestine I, in which among

other things he says: “Since God requires vigilance of us

in these matters, and a long-established custom of the

Churches directs that questions such as these be communi-

cated to Your Holiness, I write to you, urged thereto by a

clear necessity”.^® To which indeed the Roman Pontiff

replies that he embraced Cyril “as though he were present

in his letter’'; for he seemed to “perceive in him His own

identical sentiments in the Lord”.^^ Wherefore the Su-

preme Pontiff delegated to this most orthodox Doctor the

authority of the Apostolic See, in virtue of which he was to

see to the carrying out of the decrees already pronounced

in the Roman Synod against Nestorius. And it is known

to all. Venerable Brethren, that at the Council of Ephesus

the Patriarch of Alexandria lawfully represented the Roman

Pontiff who, in sending his own Legates to the Council,

specially recommended them to give their support to the

work and authority of St. Cyril. He therefore presided at

this Sacred Council in the name of the Bishop of Rome and

was the first among all those present to sign its Acts. And

so clear and resplendent was the spirit of concord between

the Apostolic See and the See of Alexandria that when, in

the second session of the Council, the letter of St. Celestine

was read publicly, the Fathers exclaimed with one voice:

“This is a just judgment. To Celestine, the new Paul, to

Cyril, the new Paul, to Celestine, guardian of the faith, to

Celestine of one mind with the Council, to Celestine the

whole Council gives thanks. One Celestine, one Cyril, one

the faith of the Council, one the faith of the whole world”.^®

No wonder then if a little later Cyril could write: “Testi-

mony has been borne to the purity of my faith both by the
Roman Church and by the holy Synod assembled, I may

say, from all the earth which lies under heaven”.

14. Furthermore, this most constant union of St. Cyril

with the Apostolic See is clearly evident when we consider

his method of procedure in securing and consolidating peace

with the Bishops of the Province of Antioch. For Our

Predecessor St. Celestine, while approving and ratifying

all that the Alexandrian Prelate had done in the Council of

Ephesus, nevertheless judged it expedient to exclude from

this approval the sentence of excommunication which the

28 Ep. 11: ib., 79.
29 Cf. Ep. ad Cyrillum: ib., 90.

30 Mansi, IV, 1287.
31 Apol. ad Theodos.: MiGNE, P. G., LXXVI, 482.



— 13—

President of Council, together with the other Fathers, had

pronounced against these Bishops. ‘'With regard to these

—

says the Roman Pontiff—who seem at one with Nestorius in
his impiety . . . while We have read your sentence against

them, nevertheless We in Our turn lay down what seems

opportune. In such questions many circumstances have to

be considered, and the Apostolic See always takes account

of them. ... If such a course gives hope of correction, we

wish your fraternity to come to an agreement by letter

with the Bishop of Antioch. ... We must trust that through
the Divine mercy all will come back to the path of truth”.^^

St. Cyril, in obedience to this injunction of the Roman See,

began to treat with the Bishops of the Province of Antioch

for the re-establishment of peace and concord. Meanwhile

St. Celestine passed piously away from this life. It then

happened that certain persons declared that His Successor,

Sixtus III, was not at all pleased that Nestorius had been

deposed from his Bishopric; the Patriarch of Alexandria,

however, showed the falsity of such reports by the following

words: “He (Sixtus) has written in full harmony with the

holy Synod, He has confirmed all its decisions and is at one

with us”.^^

15. From all this it is obvious that St. Cyril was in com-

plete harmony with this Apostolic See, and it is equally clear

that Our Predecessors considered his acts as their own and

honoured him with well-deserved praise. Thus St. Celes-

tine, not content with having expressed to him on countless

occasions his confidence and gratitude, writes among

other things: “We rejoice in the fact that to the holiness
of your life is joined such a great vigilance that you have

already surpassed your predecessors, who were themselves

always prominent defenders of the dogmas of orthodoxy ....

You have laid bare all the fallacies in (their) most subtle

preaching. . . . Your unflinching assertion of our doctrines
and the defeats you have inflicted on our adversaries with

the aid of the Holy Scriptures have resulted in a great

triumph for our faith’\34 And when St. Sixtus III, the
successor of Celestine in the Supreme Pontificate, received

from the Patriarch of Alexandria the announcement of the

conclusion of peace, he wrote to him in the abundance of
His joy: “Behold, when We were a prey to anxiety, for it

32 Ep. 22 : Migne, P. L., L, 542-543.
33 Ep. 40: Migne, P. G., LXXVII, 202.
34 Ep. 11, 1-2: Migne, P. L., L, 461.



— 14—

is Our wish that no one should perish, your holiness has

made known to Us by your letter that the body of the Church

has been made whole. With its members forming once

more a single organism, we no longer see anybody wan-

dering abroad in error, for the possession of a common faith

testifies to the fact that all have found their place within

the structure. ... To the feet of the blessed Apostle Peter

has come a universal brotherhood: behold here an audi-

torium which befits both the hearers and the things to be

heard. ... To us our brethren have returned, to us, I say,

who have attended to the healing of their souls, pursuing

with a common zeal the malady from which they lan-

guished. . . '. Rejoice, beloved Brother, rejoice as a victor,

for our brethren are reunited to us. The Church has recov-

ered those whom she sought. And if we desire that none
of the little ones should perish, how much greater should

be our joy at the recovery of their rulers Consoled by

these words of Our Predecessor, the Patriarch of Alexan-

dria, indomitable defender of orthodox faith and most

zealous promoter of Christian concord, reposed in the peace

of Christ.

16. We, Venerable Brethren, in celebrating the fifteenth

centenary of this heavenly birth, desire nothing more ar-

dently than that all who are known by the name of Chris-

tian should, under the patronage and following the example

of St. Cyril, promote with ever-increasing zeal the happy

return of our dissenting brethren in the East to Us and to

the one Church of Jesus Christ. Let there be for all but

the one pure faith
;
one also that charity which binds us all

together in the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ; and, in fine,

a common fidelity, active and persevering, to the See of

Blessed Peter. Let all apply themselves to this most worthy

and deserving work with all their strength, and not only

those who live in the East and can thereby draw more easily

into the unity of the Church their separated brethren and,

more especially, the sacred ministers, through a mutual

esteem, kindly intercourse and the example of a faultlessly

virtuous life
;
but likewise all the faithful, begging and im-

ploring God to grant unity to the Kingdom of the Divine

Redeemer in every part of the world, praying Him to gather

all into the one fold. Above all things We recommend to
everyone the powerful help of prayer, which in any enter-

35 Ep. 5, 1. 3. 5: ib., 602-604.



— 15—

prise undertaken for the salvation of souls is necessarily

the first aid to be invoked and by far the most efficacious

:

fervent prayer, addressed to God with confidence and sub-

mission to His holy will. Let recourse be had, too, to the

most powerful assistance of the Virgin Mother of God,

that through the mediation of this most benign and beloved

Mother of all, the Holy Spirit may illumine the minds of

the Eastern peoples with His divine light, so that we may

all be united in the one Church which was founded by Jesus

Christ, nourished by the Divine Paraclete Himself with an

incessant shower of graces and urged on by Him to sanctity.

To those who live in Seminaries or in other Colleges We
wish to recommend in a special way the “Dies pro Oriente”,

as it is called. On that day let more fervent prayers be

poured forth to the Divine Pastor of the Universal Church,

and let the young be exhorted with greater earnestness to

desire the achievement of this most holy unity. And finally

let all those who devote themselves to the task of assisting

the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, whether they be graced with

the dignity of Holy Orders or enrolled in the ranks of Cath-

olic Action or other like Associations, promote with all zeal,

by prayer, by writing and by word of mouth, the longed-for

union of all the Eastern peoples with the Common Father.

17. May God grant that this paternal and urgent invitation

be received with good dispositions by those dissident Bish-

ops also and their fiocks who, though separated from Us,

yet reverence and honour the Patriarch of Alexandria as

their own special glory. Let this most illustrious Doctor be to
them a preceptor and model in the new restoration of unity

with that triple bond which is so strongly recommended as

being absolutely necessary and with which the Divine

Founder of the Church wished all His children to be bound

together. Let them remember that by the disposition of

Divine Providence We today occupy that Apostolic See to
which the Alexandrian Bishop, urged by the consciousness

of his own responsibility, had recourse, both to defend
orthodox faith against the errors of Nestorius by a sure

means, and so that the peaceful agreement reached with

his dissident brethren might be ratified as by the divine seal.

And let them know that We are moved by the same charity
as Our Predecessors; and that it is the supreme object of

Our prayers and supplications that obstacles of long stand-
ing may be happily removed and that the day may at length
dawn when the whole flock may be gathered into one fold



— 16—

in harmonious obedience to Jesus Christ and to His Vicar

on earth.

18. We turn in a particular manner to those dissident sons
in the East who, while paying the highest honour to St.

Cyril, yet do not recognize the authority of the Council of

Chalcedon because there the twofold nature in the Person of

Christ was solemnly defined. Let them reflect that the teach-

ing of the Patriarch of Alexandria is not opposed to the de-

crees formulated subsequently in the Council of Chalcedon

to meet the rise of new errors. In fact, he writes openly

:

“not all that the heretics say must be immediately rejected

and repudiated : for they hold things which we also assert.

... So it is with Nestorius
;
though he affirms the two natures,

signifying the difference between the humanity and the

divinity of the Word: for the nature of the Word is one

thing, that of the humanity another
;
yet he does not profess

union with us'\^®

19. It only remains for Us, Venerable Brethren, in cele-

brating this fifteenth centenary of St. Cyril, to implore the

benign patronage of this holy Doctor for the whole church

and especially for those in the East who rejoice in the

Christian name, asking above all that in our dissident

brethren and sons may he happily accomplish that of which

he once wrote in the fullness of his joy: “Behold the lacer-

ated members of the body of the Church have once more

been brought together and there is no longer any cause of

discord which might separate the ministers of the Gospel

of Christ”.37

20. Confidently trusting that this will happily come to

pass, we impart to you. Venerable Brethren, one and all,

and to the flocks entrusted to your individual care, as a

harbinger of celestial gifts and in testimony of Our paternal

good-will. Our Apostolic Benediction, with all affection

in the Lord.

21. Given at Rome, at St. Peteres, on the 9th day of April,

Feast of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the

year 1944, the sixth of Our Pontificate.

PIUS PP. XII

36 Ep. 44: Migne, P. G., LXXVII, 226.
37 Ep. 49: ib., 254.