Encyclical on THE HOLY ROSARY (INGRAVESCENTIBUS MALIS) Encyclical of HIS HOLINESS POPE PIUS XI Second Printing TWENTIETH THOUSAND THE AMERICA PMSS S3 P«fc Ploca New York, N. Y. READINGS — THE BLESSED MOTHER MARY'S ASSUMPTION By Raphael V. O'Coanall, SJ. This scholarly work tells the story of Our Lady’s Assumption according to the Apocryphal writings and the Roman breviary. It gives the traditional arguments on the Assumption and shows its relation to the doctrines of the Immaculate Conception and the Virginity of Our Lady. 166 pages LITANY OF OUR LADY ("Let Us Pray" Series III) $I.S0 Two of the popular series of meditation books. ANNUNCIATION-VISITATION ("As It Is Written" Series II) - - - - - By Francis P. LeBuffe, S.J. Clofhbound Prayerbook size 30 cents each In Quantity (12 or more)—25 cents each Postage extra on bulk orders PAMPHLETS THE BLESSED VIRGIN 10 cents ALL GRACE THROUGH MARY 5 cents Both by Joseph Husslein, S.J. 5 cent pamphlets (by mail 10 cents); $2.25 per 50; $4.00 per tOO; $30.00 per 1,000 10 cent pamphlets: $4.00 per 50; $7.00 per 100; $60.00 per 1,000 Postage extra on bulk orders THE AMERICA PRESS S3 Park Ploc© New York, N. Y. THE "WORSHIP" OF MARY 5 cents MARY IMMACULATE 5 cents Both by W. I. Lonergan, S.J. Imprimi Pofest". Nihil Obsiat: Imprimatur: Joseph A. Murphy, S.J. Provincial Maryland-New York Arthur J. Scanlan, S.T.D. Censor Librorum l^lPatrick Cardinal Hayes Archbishop of New York Nwember 18, 1937 On the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Ingravescentibus malis) The Encyclical Letter Issued by His Holiness, Pope Pius XI, on the Feast of the Dedication of St. Michael the Archangel, September 29, 1937. As issued by the N. C. W. C. News Service. More than once have We asserted—and We recentlyrepeated this in the Encyclical Letter Divini Redemp- toris {Acta Ap. Sedis, 1937, Vol. XXIX, p. 65)—^that there is no remedy for the ever-growing evils of our times except a return to Our Lord Jesus Christ and to His most holy pre- cepts. Truly, only He “hath the words of eternal life” (C/. John, vi, 69), and individuals and society can only fall into immediate and miserable ruin if they ignore the majesty of God and repudiate His Law. However, anyone who studies with diligence the records of the Catholic Church will easily recognize that the true patronage of the Virgin Mother of God is linked with all the annals of the Christian name. When, in fact, errors every- where diffused were bent upon rending the seamless robe of the Church and upon throwing the Catholic world into con- fusion, our fathers turned with confident soul to her “alone who destroys all heresies in the world” {Roman Breviary), and the victory won through her brought the return of tran- quillity. Power Against Infidels When the impious Mohammedan power, trusting in its powerful fleet and war-hardened armies, threatened the peo- ples of Europe with ruin and slavery, then—upon the sugges- tion of the Sovereign Pontiff—^the protection of the heavenly Mother was fervently implored and the enemy was defeated and his ships sunk. Thus the Faithful of every age, both in public misfortune and in private need, turn in supplication to Mary, the benignant, so that she may come to their aid and grant help and remedy against sorrows of body and soul. 2 ON THE HOLY ROSARY And never was her most powerful aid hoped for in vain by those who besought it with pious and trustful prayer. But also in our day, dangers no less grave than in the past beset civil and religious society. In fact, because the su- preme and eternal authority of God, which commands and forbids, is despised and completely repudiated by men, the result is that the consciousness of Christian duty is weakened, and that faith becomes tepid in souls or entirely lost, and this afterward affects and ruins the very basis of human society. Evils of Both Sides Thus on the one hand are seen citizens intent on an atrocious struggle among themselves because some are pro- vided with abundant riches and others m.ust gain bread for themselves and their dear ones by the sweat of their brows. Indeed, as we all know, in some regions the evil has reached such a pitch that it seeks to destroy all private right of prop- erty, so that everything might be shared in common. On the other hand, there are not lacking men who de- clare that they honor and exalt, above all, the power of the State. They say they must use every means to assure civil order and enforce authority, and pretend that only thus are they able totally to repulse the execrable theories of the Communists. However, they despise the light of evangelic wisdom and endeavor to revive the errors of the pagans and their way of life. To this is added the clever and lamentable sect of those who, denying and hating God, declare themselves the ene- mies of the Eternal, and who insinuate themselves every- where. They discredit and uproot all religious belief from souls. Finally, they trample on every human and Divine right. And while they cast scorn on the hope of heavenly reward, they incite men to seek, even by illicit means, false earthly happiness, and therefore drive them with brazen temerity to the dissolution of the social order, causing dis- order, cruel rebellions and even the conflagration of civil war. Must Not Lose Heart Nevertheless, Venerable Brethren, though such great and numerous evils hang over us, and others still greater are to ON THE HOLY ROSARY 3 be feared for the future, we must not lose heart nor let the confident hope that rests solely on God become fainter. He who "‘made the nations of the earth for health” (Cf. Wisdom i, 14) without doubt will not let those perish whom He has redeemed with His Precious Blood, nor will He abandon His Church. But rather, as We said in the beginning, shall We beseech God through the mediation of the Blessed Virgin, so acceptable to Him, since, to use the words of St. Bernard : “Such is the will of God, who has wished that we should have all things through Mary.” (Sermon on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.) Among the various supplications with which we success- fully appeal to the Virgin Mother of God, the Holy Rosary without doubt occupies a special and distinct place. This prayer, which some call the Psalter of the Virgin or Breviary of the Gospel and of Christian life, was described and recom- mended by Our Predecessor of happy memory, Leo XIII, with these vigorous passages : “Very admirable is this crown interwoven with the angelic salutation which is interposed in the Sunday prayer, and unites with it the obligation of interior meditation. It is an excellent manner of praying . . . and very useful for the attainment of immortal life” {Acta Leonis, 1898, Vol. XVIII, pp. 154, 155). Excellencies of the Rosary And this can well be deduced from the very flowers that form this mystic garland. What prayers in fact can be found more adaptable and holy? The first is that which our Divine Redeemer Himself pronounced when His disciples asked Him: “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke xi, 1) ; a very holy supplication which both offers us the way—as far as it is possible for us—to render glory to God, and also takes into account all the necessities of our body and soul. How can the Eternal Father, when prayed to with the very words of His Son, refuse to come to our aid? The other prayer is the Angelic Salutation, which be- gins with the eulogies of the Archangel Gabriel and of St. Elizabeth, and ends with that very pious supplication by which we beg the help of the Blessed Virgin now and at the hour of our death. To these invocations, said aloud, is added the contemplation of the sacred mysteries, through which they place, as it were, under our eyes the joys, sorrows and 4 ON THE HOLY ROSARY triumphs of Jesus Christ and of His Mother, so that we re- ceive relief and comfort in our sorrows. Following those most holy examples, we ascend to the happiness of the heavenly country by steps of ever higher virtue. This practise of piety. Venerable Brethren, admirably diffused by St. Dominic, not without the heavenly suggestion and inspiration of the Virgin Mother of God, is without doubt easy for all, even for the ignorant and the simple. But those wander from the path of truth who consider this devotion merely an annoying formula repeated with mo- notonous singsong intonation, and refuse it as good only for children and silly women ! Revered as 'Mode of Prayer In this regard, it is to be noted that both piety and love, though always renewing the same words, do not always re- peat the same thing, but always express something new issuing from the intimate sentiment of devotion. And be- sides, this mode of prayer has the perfume of evangelic sim- plicity and requires humility of spirit; and, if we disdain humility, as the Divine Redeemer teaches, it will be impos- sible for us to enter the heavenly kingdom: “Amen, I say to you, unless you become as little children you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt, xviii, 3). Nevertheless, if men in our century, with its derisive pride, refuse the Holy Rosary, there is an innumerable mul- titude of holy men of every age and every condition who have always held it dear. They have recited it with great devotion, and in every moment they have used it as a power- ful weapon to put the demons to flght, to preserve the in- tegrity of life, to acquire virtue more easily, and in a word to attain real peace among men. Nor are there lacking men famous as to doctrine and wisdom who, although intensely occupied in scientific study and researches, never even for a day fail to pray fervently on bended knee, before the image of the Virgin, in this most pious form. Thus kings and princes, however burdened with most urgent occupations and affairs, made it their duty to recite the Rosary. This mystic crown, then, not only is found in and glides through the hands of the poor, but it also is honored by citi- zens of every social rank. And We do not wish here to pass ON THE HOLY ROSARY 5 over in silence the fact that the Blessed Virgin herself, even in our times, has solicitiously recommended this manner of prayer, when she appeared and taught it to the innocent girl in the Grotto of Lourdes. Special October Devotion Therefore why should We not hope for every grace if We supplicate Our Heavenly Mother in this manner with due disposition and holiness? We desire very earnestly. Vener- able Brethren, that the Holy Rosary should be recited in a special manner in the month of October and with increased devotion both in the churches and in homes. And so much the more must it be done since the enemies of the Divine Name—^that is, those who have rebelled against and denied and scorned the Eternal God—spread snares for the Catholic Faith and the liberty due to the Church, and finally rebel with insane efforts against divine and human rights, to send mankind to ruin and perdition. Through efficacious recourse to the Virgin Mother of God, they may be finally bent and led to penance and return to the straight path, trusting to the care and protection of Mary. The Holy Virgin who once victoriously drove the terri- ble sect of the Albigenses from Christian countries, now suppliantly invoked by us, will turn aside the new errors, especially those of Communism, which reminds us in many ways, in its motives and misdeeds, of the ancient ones. And as in the times of the Crusades, in all Europe there was raised one voice of the people, one supplication; so to- day, in all the world, the cities, and even the smallest villages, united with courage and strength, with filial and constant insistence, the people seek to obtain from the great Mother of God the defeat of the enemies of Christian and human civilization, to the end that true peace may shine again over tired and erring men. Calming Present Tempest If, then, all will do this with due disposition, with great faith and with fervent piety, it is right to hope that as in the past, so in our day, the Blessed Virgin will obtain from her divine Son that the waves of the present tempests be calmed 6 ON THE HOLY ROSARY and that a brilliant victory crown this rivalry of Christians in prayer. The Holy Rosary, besides, not only serves admirably to overcome the enemies of God and Religion, but is also a stimulus and spur to the practise of evangelic virtues which it injects and cultivates in our souls. Above all, it nourishes the Catholic Faith, which flourishes again by due meditation on the sacred mysteries, and raises minds to the truth re- vealed to us by God. Every one can understand how salutary it is, especially in our times wherein sometimes a certain annoyance of the things of the spirit is felt even among the Faithful, and a dislike, as it were, for the Christian doctrine. Therefore, re- vive the hope of immortal welfare, while the triumph of Jesus Christ and of His Mother, meditated on by us in the last part of the Rosary, shows us Heaven open and invites us to the conquest of the Eternal Country. Thus while an unbridled longing for the things of this earth has penetrated into the hearts of mortals and each one more ardently longs for the short-lived riches and ephemeral pleasures, all feel a fruitful call back to the heavenly treasures “where thieves do not break in and neither rust nor moth doth consume” (Matt, xii, 33), and to the wealth that will never perish. Rekindling Charity And the charity which has been weakened and cooled in many, how can it fail to be rekindled into love in the souls of those who recall with a full heart the tortures and death of our Redeemer and the afflictions of His Sorrowful Mother ? From this charity towards God, then, there cannot but rise a more intense love of one’s neighbor if one dwells on the labors and sorrows that Our Lord suffered for all, reinstating the lost inheritance of the children of God. Therefore see to it. Venerable Brethren, that such a fruitful practice shall be more diffused, more highly esteemed by all, and that common piety be increased. Through your work and that of the priests who help you in the care of souls, its praises and advantages shall be preached and repeated to the Faithful of every social class. From it, the young will draw fresh energy with which to control the rebellious tendencies to evil and to preserve in- ON THE HOLY ROSARY tact the stainless purity of the soul; also in it, the old will again find repose, relief and peace from their anxious cares. To those who devote themselves to Catholic Action may it be a spur to impel them to a more fervent and active work of apostolate ; and to all those who suffer in any way, especially the dying, may it bring comfort and increase the hope of eternal happiness. Families in Particular The fathers and mothers of families particularly must give an example to their children, especially when, at sunset, they gather together after the day’s work, within the domes- tic walls, and recite the Holy Rosary on bended knees before the image of the Virgin, together fusing voice, faith and senti- ment. This is a beautiful and salutary custom, from which certainly there cannot but be derived tranquillity and abun- dance of heavenly gifts for the household. When very frequently We receive newly-married couples in audience and address paternal words to them. We give them rosaries. We recommend these to them earnestly, and We exhort them, citing Our own example, not to let even one day pass without saying the Rosary, no matter how bur- dened they may be with many cares and labors. For these reasons. Venerable Brethren, We have thought fit earnestly to exhort you, and through you, all the Faithful, to carry out this pious practise. Nor do We doubt that you, listening, with your usual response to Our paternal invita- tion will bring about abundant fruits once more. Thanks for Better Health And in addressing this Encyclical to you, another motive impels Us. We wish that, together with Us, Our many chil- dren in Jesus Christ shall unite and render thanks to the Mother of God for the better health We have happily re- gained. This grace, as We have had occasion to write (Cf. Letter to Cardinal E. Pacelli, Osservatore Romano, September 5, 1937), We attribute to the special intercession of the virgin of Lisieux, St. Teresa of the Child Jesus. But We know, though, that everything comes to us from Almighty God through the hands of Our Lady. And lastly, as there has been launched in the public press 8 ON THE HOLY ROSARY with rash insolence, a very grave injury to the Blessed Vir- gin, We cannot do less than profit by this occasion to offer, together with the Episcopate and the people of that nation which venerates Mary as “Queen of the Kingdom of Po- land,” and with the homage of our piety, due reparation to the august Queen, and denounce to the whole world this sacrilege committed with impunity, as a painful and un- worthy thing. Meanwhile, with a full heart We impart to you. Vener- able Brethren, and to the flock entrusted to the care of each of you, the Apostolic Blessing as an augury of heavenly graces and in token to Our Paternal benevolence. Given at Castel Gandolfo, near Rome, on the 29th day of the month of September, on the Feast of the Dedication of St. Michael the Archangel, in the year 1937, the sixteenth of Our Pontificate. Pius PP., XI. Helps to Mental Prayer "LET US PRAY' SERIES 'AS IT IS WRITTEN" SERIES By Francis P. LeBuffe, 5! / . they possess to a high degree the qualities of the ideal meditation book. . . . The books may be recommended to Senior and Men Sodalists. They are pleasantly printed and well bound.” Anima Christi Our Father-Hail Mary Litany of Our Lady Creed-Confiteor Prayers for the Dying Christmas Annunciation-Visitation Infancy-Hidden Life MARY’S CALL (Heythrop College). 30 CENTS EACH SET OF EIGHT—$2.40 THE AMERICA PRESS 53 Park Ploca New York, N. Y, LEONARD FEENEY, SJ. Tells the Story of AN AMERICAN WOMAN ELIZABETH SETON $2j>o WHAT ONi MVIEWER SAYS: When it was first announced that Father Feeney was engaged upon a biography of Mother Seton, there were misgivings in many quarters. Those who had enjoyed his writings were somewhat timorous about his venture into hagiography. Many, whose prayers go up daily to the throne of God for Mother Seton’s beatification, felt that her Cause could hardly be benefitted by a character sketch from Father Feeney’s pen. So, one opened this neatly and handsomely printed book with somewhat uneasy feelings. The title of the opening chapter, “Credentials,” only added to one’s disquiet. A good start was made, however, with an excellent definition of a saint; “He or she is not merely a noble character possessed of a number of sound, solid virtues; but rather a creature struck by the light- ning of God’s Grace.” But the very next sentence aroused a sense of alarm: “And a person struck by lightning behaves, in the force of the impact, very strangely at times.” Our worst fears were justified: Mother Seton’s beautiful life story was in danger. The next chapter was headed with one word, “Nightmare.” Happily we found only a description of Elizabeth’s spiritual difficulties (at eighteen) due to the reading of Voltaire and Emile and to the influence of her father’s humanitarianism. By this time the book took hold with ils fascinating humor, its charm of diction, its glowing enthusiasm, but above all by its profound analysis of the spiritual life. Elizabeth Seton’s deep, religious nature grows and bursts into full bloom as the story of her development unfolds. Then follow chapter by chapter delightfully written sketches of those who came and went or who remained in her life to the end. As these figures develop and passed across the stage of her life, our confidence in Father Feeney’s skill in this new field increased, and we closed An American Woman wth the realization that this book, while it reads swiftly, was never written swiftly. Father Feeney has created his own genre in this very difficult field of literature, as he has in others, and he has succeeded so well that he deserves the gratitude of^ll Mother Seton’s friends. PETER GUILDAY in America. THE AMERICA PRESS 53 Pork Ploce New York^ N. Y.