MISERENTISSIMUS
REDEMPTOR
ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PIUS XI
ON REPARATION TO THE SACRED HEART
TO OUR VENERABLE BRETHREN THE PATRIARCHS, PRIMATES,
ARCHBISHOPS, AND OTHER LOCAL ORDINARIES
IN PEACE AND COMMUNION WITH THE APOSTOLIC SEE.
Venerable Brethren, Health and the Apostolic Blessing.
Our Most Merciful Redeemer, after He had wrought
salvation for mankind on the tree of the Cross and before He ascended
from out this world to the Father, said to his Apostles and Disciples,
to console them in their anxiety, "Behold I am with you all
days, even to the consummation of the world." (Matt. xxviii,
20). These words, which are indeed most pleasing, are a cause
of all hope and security, and they bring us, Venerable Brethren,
ready succor, whenever we look round from this watch-tower raised
on high and see all human society laboring amid so many evils
and miseries, and the Church herself beset without ceasing by
attacks and machinations. For as in the beginning this Divine
promise lifted up the despondent spirit of the Apostles and enkindled
and inflamed them so that they might cast the seeds of the Gospel
teaching throughout the whole world; so ever since it has strengthened
the Church unto her victory over the gates of hell. In sooth,
Our Lord Jesus Christ has been with his Church in every age, but
He has been with her with more present aid and protection whenever
she has been assailed by graver perils and difficulties. For the
remedies adapted to the condition of time and circumstances, are
always supplied by Divine Wisdom, who reacheth from end to end
mightily, and ordereth all things sweetly (Wisdom viii, 1). But
in this latter age also, "the hand of the Lord is not shortened"
(Isaias lix, 1), more especially since error has crept in and
has spread far and wide, so that it might well be feared that
the fountains of Christian life might be in a manner dried up,
where men are cut off from the love and knowledge of God. Now,
since it may be that some of the people do not know, and others
do not heed, those complaints which the most loving Jesus made
when He manifested Himself to Margaret Mary Alacoque, and those
things likewise which at the same time He asked and expected of
men, for their own ultimate profit, it is our pleasure, Venerable
Brethren, to speak to you for a little while concerning the duty
of honorable satisfaction which we all owe to the Most Sacred
Heart of Jesus, with the intent that you may, each of you, carefully
teach your own flocks those things which we set before you, and
stir them up to put the same in practice.
2. Among the many proofs of the boundless benignity
of our Redeemer, there is one that stands out conspicuously, to
wit the fact that when the charity of Christian people was growing
cold, the Divine Charity itself was set forth to be honored by
a special worship, and the riches of its bounty was made widely
manifest by that form of devotion wherein worship is given to
the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, "In whom are hid all the
treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Coloss. ii, 3). For as
in olden time when mankind came forth from Noe's ark, God set
His "bow in the clouds" (Genesis ix, 13), shining as
the sign of a friendly covenant; so in the most turbulent times
of a more recent age, when the Jansenist heresy, the most crafty
of them all, hostile to love and piety towards God, was creeping
in and preaching that God was not to be loved as a father but
rather to be feared as an implacable judge; then the most benign
Jesus showed his own most Sacred Heart to the nations lifted up
as a standard of peace and charity portending no doubtful victory
in the combat. And indeed Our Predecessor of happy memory, Leo
XIII, admiring the timely opportuneness of the devotion to the
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, said very aptly in his Encyclical
Letter, "Annum Sacrum," "When in the days near
her origin, the Church was oppressed under the yoke of the Caesars
the Cross shown on high to the youthful Emperor was at once an
omen and a cause of the victory that speedily followed. And here
today another most auspicious and most divine sign is offered
to our sight, to wit the most Sacred Heart of Jesus, with a Cross
set above it shining with most resplendent brightness in the midst
of flames. Herein must all hopes be set, from hence must the salvation
of men be sought and expected."
3. And rightly indeed is that said, Venerable
Brethren. For is not the sum of all religion and therefore the
pattern of more perfect life, contained in that most auspicious
sign and in the form of piety that follows from it inasmuch as
it more readily leads the minds of men to an intimate knowledge
of Christ Our Lord, and more efficaciously moves their hearts
to love Him more vehemently and to imitate Him more closely? It
is no wonder, therefore, that Our Predecessors have constantly
defended this most approved form of devotion from the censures
of calumniators, and have extolled it with high praise and promoted
it very zealously, as the needs of time and circumstance demanded.
Moreover, by the inspiration of God's grace, it has come to pass
that the pious devotion of the faithful towards the Most Sacred
Heart of Jesus has made great increase in the course of time;
hence pious confraternities to promote the worship of the Divine
Heart are everywhere erected, hence too the custom of receiving
Holy Communion on the first Friday of every month at the desire
of Christ Jesus, a custom which now prevails everywhere.
4. But assuredly among those things which properly
pertain to the worship of the Most Sacred Heart, a special place
must be given to that Consecration, whereby we devote ourselves
and all things that are ours to the Divine Heart of Jesus, acknowledging
that we have received all things from the everlasting love of
God. When Our Savior had taught Margaret Mary, the most innocent
disciple of His Heart, how much He desired that this duty of devotion
should be rendered to him by men, moved in this not so much by
His own right as by His immense charity for us; she herself, with
her spiritual father, Claude de la Colombiere, rendered it the
first of all. Thereafter followed, in the course of time, individual
men, then private families and associations, and lastly civil
magistrates, cities and kingdoms. But since in the last century,
and in this present century, things have come to such a pass,
that by the machinations of wicked men the sovereignty of Christ
Our Lord has been denied and war is publicly waged against the
Church, by passing laws and promoting plebiscites repugnant to
Divine and natural law, nay more by holding assemblies of them
that cry out, "We will not have this man to reign over us"
(Luke xix, 14): from the aforesaid Consecration there burst forth
over against them in keenest opposition the voice of all the clients
of the Most Sacred Heart, as it were one voice, to vindicate His
glory and to assert His rights: "Christ must reign"
(1 Corinthians xv, 25); "Thy kingdom come" (Matth. vi,
10). From this at length it happily came to pass that at the beginning
of this century the whole human race which Christ, in whom all
things are re-established (Ephes. i, 10), possesses by native
right as His own, was dedicated to the same Most Sacred Heart,
with the applause of the whole Christian world, by Our Predecessor
of happy memory, Leo XIII.
5. Now these things so auspiciously and happily
begun as we taught in Our Encyclical Letter "Quas primas,"
we Ourselves, consenting to very many long-continued desires and
prayers of Bishops and people, brought to completion and perfected,
by God's grace, when at the close of the Jubilee Year, We instituted
the Feast of Christ the King of All, to be solemnly celebrated
throughout the whole Christian world. Now when we did this, not
only did we set in a clear light that supreme sovereignty which
Christ holds over the whole universe, over civil and domestic
society, and over individual men, but at the same time we anticipated
the joys of that most auspicious day, whereon the whole world
will gladly and willingly render obedience to the most sweet lordship
of Christ the King. For this reason, We decreed at the same time
that this same Consecration should be renewed every year on the
occasion of that appointed festal day, so that the fruit of this
same Consecration might be obtained more certainly and more abundantly,
and all peoples might be joined together in Christian charity
and in the reconciliation of peace, in the Heart of the King of
kings and Lord of lords.
6. But to all these duties, more especially to
that fruitful Consecration which was in a manner confirmed by
the sacred solemnity of Christ the King, something else must needs
be added, and it is concerning this that it is our pleasure to
speak with you more at length, Venerable Brethren, on the present
occasion: we mean that duty of honorable satisfaction or reparation
which must be rendered to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. For
if the first and foremost thing in Consecration is this, that
the creature's love should be given in return for the love of
the Creator, another thing follows from this at once, namely that
to the same uncreated Love, if so be it has been neglected by
forgetfulness or violated by offense, some sort of compensation
must be rendered for the injury, and this debt is commonly called
by the name of reparation.
7. Now though in both these matters we are impelled
by quite the same motives, none the less we are holden to the
duty of reparation and expiation by a certain more valid title
of justice and of love, of justice indeed, in order that the offense
offered to God by our sins may be expiated and that the violated
order may be repaired by penance: and of love too so that we may
suffer together with Christ suffering and "filled with reproaches"
(Lam. iii, 30), and for all our poverty may offer Him some little
solace. For since we are all sinners and laden with many faults,
our God must be honored by us not only by that worship wherewith
we adore His infinite Majesty with due homage, or acknowledge
His supreme dominion by praying, or praise His boundless bounty
by thanksgiving; but besides this we must need make satisfaction
to God the just avenger, "for our numberless sins and offenses
and negligences." To Consecration, therefore, whereby we
are devoted to God and are called holy to God, by that holiness
and stability which, as the Angelic Doctor teaches, is proper
to consecration (2da. 2dae. qu. 81, a. 8. c.), there must be added
expiation, whereby sins are wholly blotted out, lest the holiness
of the supreme justice may punish our shameless unworthiness,
and reject our offering as hateful rather than accept it as pleasing.
8. Moreover this duty of expiation is laid upon
the whole race of men since, as we are taught by the Christian
faith, after Adam's miserable fall, infected by hereditary stain,
subject to concupiscences and most wretchedly depraved, it would
have been thrust down into eternal destruction. This indeed is
denied by the wise men of this age of ours, who following the
ancient error of Pelagius, ascribe to human nature a certain native
virtue by which of its own force it can go onward to higher things;
but the Apostle rejects these false opinions of human pride, admonishing
us that we "were by nature children of wrath" (Ephesians
ii, 3). And indeed, even from the beginning, men in a manner acknowledged
this common debt of expiation and, led by a certain natural instinct,
they endeavored to appease God by public sacrifices.
9. But no created power was sufficient to expiate
the sins of men, if the Son of God had not assumed man's nature
in order to redeem it. This, indeed, the Savior of men Himself
declared by the mouth of the sacred Psalmist: "Sacrifice
and oblation thou wouldest not: but a body thou hast fitted to
me: Holocausts for sin did not please thee: then said I: Behold
I come" (Hebrews x, 5-7). And in very deed, "Surely
He hath borne our infirmities, and carried our sorrows. . . He
was wounded for our iniquities (Isaias liii, 4-5), and He His
own self bore our sins in His body upon the tree . . . (1 Peter
ii, 24), "Blotting out the handwriting of the decree that
was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken the
same out of the way, fastening it to the cross . . ." (Colossians
ii, 14) "that we being dead to sins, should live to justice"
(1 Peter ii, 24). Yet, though the copious redemption of Christ
has abundantly forgiven us all offenses (Cf. Colossians ii, 13),
nevertheless, because of that wondrous divine dispensation whereby
those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ are
to be filled up in our flesh for His body which is the Church
(Cf. Colossians i, 24), to the praises and satisfactions, "which
Christ in the name of sinners rendered unto God" we can also
add our praises and satisfactions, and indeed it behoves us so
to do. But we must ever remember that the whole virtue of the
expiation depends on the one bloody sacrifice of Christ, which
without intermission of time is renewed on our altars in an unbloody
manner, "For the victim is one and the same, the same now
offering by the ministry of priests, who then offered Himself
on the cross, the manner alone of offering being different"
(Council of Trent, Session XXIII, Chapter 2). Wherefore with this
most august Eucharistic Sacrifice there ought to be joined an
oblation both of the ministers and of all the faithful, so that
they also may "present themselves living sacrifices, holy,
pleasing unto God" (Romans xii, 1). Nay more, St. Cyprian
does not hesitate to affirm that "the Lord's sacrifice is
not celebrated with legitimate sanctification, unless our oblation
and sacrifice correspond to His passion" (Ephesians 63).
For this reason, the Apostle admonishes us that "bearing
about in our body the mortification of Jesus" (2 Corinthians
iv, 10), and buried together with Christ, and planted together
in the likeness of His death (Cf. Romans vi, 4-5), we must not
only crucify our flesh with the vices and concupiscences (Cf.
Galatians v, 24), "flying the corruption of that concupiscence
which is in the world" (2 Peter i, 4), but "that the
life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our bodies" (2
Corinthians iv, 10) and being made partakers of His eternal priesthood
we are to offer up "gifts and sacrifices for sins" (Hebrews
v, 1). Nor do those only enjoy a participation in this mystic
priesthood and in the office of satisfying and sacrificing, whom
our Pontiff Christ Jesus uses as His ministers to offer up the
clean oblation to God's Name in every place from the rising of
the sun to the going down (Malachias i, 11), but the whole Christian
people rightly called by the Prince of the Apostles "a chosen
generation, a kingly priesthood" (1 Peter ii, 9), ought to
offer for sins both for itself and for all mankind (Cf. Hebrews
v, 3), in much the same manner as every priest and pontiff "taken
from among men, is ordained for men in the things that appertain
to God" (Hebrews v, 1).
10. But the more perfectly that our oblation
and sacrifice corresponds to the sacrifice of Our Lord, that is
to say, the more perfectly we have immolated our love and our
desires and have crucified our flesh by that mystic crucifixion
of which the Apostle speaks, the more abundant fruits of that
propitiation and expiation shall we receive for ourselves and
for others. For there is a wondrous and close union of all the
faithful with Christ, such as that which prevails between the
head and the other members; moreover by that mystic Communion
of Saints which we profess in the Catholic creed, both individual
men and peoples are joined together not only with one another
but also with him, "who is the head, Christ; from whom the
whole body, being compacted and fitly joined together, by what
every joint supplieth, according to the operation in the measure
of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of
itself in charity" (Ephesians iv, 15-16). It was this indeed
that the Mediator of God and men, Christ Jesus, when He was near
to death, asked of His Father: "I in them, and thou in me:
that they may be made perfect in one" (John xvii, 23).
11. Wherefore, even as consecration proclaims
and confirms this union with Christ, so does expiation begin that
same union by washing away faults, and perfect it by participating
in the sufferings of Christ, and consummate it by offering victims
for the brethren. And this indeed was the purpose of the merciful
Jesus, when He showed His Heart to us bearing about it the symbols
of the passion and displaying the flames of love, that from the
one we might know the infinite malice of sin, and in the other
we might admire the infinite charity of Our Redeemer, and so might
have a more vehement hatred of sin, and make a more ardent return
of love for His love.
12. And truly the spirit of expiation or reparation
has always had the first and foremost place in the worship given
to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, and nothing is more in keeping
with the origin, the character, the power, and the distinctive
practices of this form of devotion, as appears from the record
of history and custom, as well as from the sacred liturgy and
the acts of the Sovereign Pontiffs. For when Christ manifested
Himself to Margaret Mary, and declared to her the infinitude of
His love, at the same time, in the manner of a mourner, He complained
that so many and such great injuries were done to Him by ungrateful
men - and we would that these words in which He made this complaint
were fixed in the minds of the faithful, and were never blotted
out by oblivion: "Behold this Heart" - He said - "which
has loved men so much and has loaded them with all benefits, and
for this boundless love has had no return but neglect, and contumely,
and this often from those who were bound by a debt and duty of
a more special love." In order that these faults might be
washed away, He then recommended several things to be done, and
in particular the following as most pleasing to Himself, namely
that men should approach the Altar with this purpose of expiating
sin, making what is called a Communion of Reparation, - and that
they should likewise make expiatory supplications and prayers,
prolonged for a whole hour, - which is rightly called the "Holy
Hour." These pious exercises have been approved by the Church
and have also been enriched with copious indulgences.
13. But how can these rites of expiation bring
solace now, when Christ is already reigning in the beatitude of
Heaven? To this we may answer in some words of St. Augustine which
are very apposite here, - "Give me one who loves, and he
will understand what I say" (In Johannis evangelium, tract.
XXVI, 4).
For any one who has great love of God, if he will look back through
the tract of past time may dwell in meditation on Christ, and
see Him laboring for man, sorrowing, suffering the greatest hardships,
"for us men and for our salvation," well-nigh worn out
with sadness, with anguish, nay "bruised for our sins"
(Isaias liii, 5), and healing us by His bruises. And the minds
of the pious meditate on all these things the more truly, because
the sins of men and their crimes committed in every age were the
cause why Christ was delivered up to death, and now also they
would of themselves bring death to Christ, joined with the same
griefs and sorrows, since each several sin in its own way is held
to renew the passion of Our Lord: "Crucifying again to themselves
the Son of God, and making him a mockery" (Hebrews vi, 6).
Now if, because of our sins also which were as yet in the future,
but were foreseen, the soul of Christ became sorrowful unto death,
it cannot be doubted that then, too, already He derived somewhat
of solace from our reparation, which was likewise foreseen, when
"there appeared to Him an angel from heaven" (Luke xxii,
43), in order that His Heart, oppressed with weariness and anguish,
might find consolation. And so even now, in a wondrous yet true
manner, we can and ought to console that Most Sacred Heart which
is continually wounded by the sins of thankless men, since - as
we also read in the sacred liturgy - Christ Himself, by the mouth
of the Psalmist complains that He is forsaken by His friends:
"My Heart hath expected reproach and misery, and I looked
for one that would grieve together with me, but there was none:
and for one that would comfort me, and I found none" (Psalm
lxviii, 21).
14. To this it may be added that the expiatory
passion of Christ is renewed and in a manner continued and fulfilled
in His mystical body, which is the Church. For, to use once more
the words of St. Augustine, "Christ suffered whatever it
behoved Him to suffer; now nothing is wanting of the measure of
the sufferings. Therefore the sufferings were fulfilled, but in
the head; there were yet remaining the sufferings of Christ in
His body" (In Psalm lxxxvi). This, indeed, Our Lord Jesus
Himself vouchsafed to explain when, speaking to Saul, "as
yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter" (Acts ix, 1),
He said, "I am Jesus whom thou persecutest" (Acts ix,
5), clearly signifying that when persecutions are stirred up against
the Church, the Divine Head of the Church is Himself attacked
and troubled. Rightly, therefore, does Christ, still suffering
in His mystical body, desire to have us partakers of His expiation,
and this is also demanded by our intimate union with Him, for
since we are "the body of Christ and members of member"
(1 Corinthians xii, 27), whatever the head suffers, all the members
must suffer with it (Cf. 1 Corinthians xii, 26).
15. Now, how great is the necessity of this expiation
or reparation, more especially in this our age, will be manifest
to every one who, as we said at the outset, will examine the world,
"seated in wickedness" (1 John v, 19), with his eyes
and with his mind. For from all sides the cry of the peoples who
are mourning comes up to us, and their princes or rulers have
indeed stood up and met together in one against the Lord and against
His Church (Cf. Psalm ii, 2). Throughout those regions indeed,
we see that all rights both human and Divine are confounded. Churches
are thrown down and overturned, religious men and sacred virgins
are torn from their homes and are afflicted with abuse, with barbarities,
with hunger and imprisonment; bands of boys and girls are snatched
from the bosom of their mother the Church, and are induced to
renounce Christ, to blaspheme and to attempt the worst crimes
of lust; the whole Christian people, sadly disheartened and disrupted,
are continually in danger of falling away from the faith, or of
suffering the most cruel death. These things in truth are so sad
that you might say that such events foreshadow and portend the
"beginning of sorrows," that is to say of those that
shall be brought by the man of sin, "who is lifted up above
all that is called God or is worshipped" (2 Thessalonians
ii, 4).
16. But it is yet more to be lamented, Venerable
Brethren, that among the faithful themselves, washed in Baptism
with the blood of the immaculate Lamb, and enriched with grace,
there are found so many men of every class, who laboring under
an incredible ignorance of Divine things and infected with false
doctrines, far from their Father's home, lead a life involved
in vices, a life which is not brightened by the light of true
faith, nor gladdened by the hope of future beatitude, nor refreshed
and cherished by the fire of charity; so that they truly seem
to sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. Moreover, among
the faithful there is a greatly increasing carelessness of ecclesiastical
discipline, and of those ancient institutions on which all Christian
life rests, by which domestic society is governed, and the sanctity
of marriage is safeguarded; the education of children is altogether
neglected, or else it is depraved by too indulgent blandishments,
and the Church is even robbed of the power of giving the young
a Christian education; there is a sad forgetfulness of Christian
modesty especially in the life and the dress of women; there is
an unbridled cupidity of transitory things, a want of moderation
in civic affairs, an unbounded ambition of popular favor, a depreciation
of legitimate authority, and lastly a contempt for the word of
God, whereby faith itself is injured, or is brought into proximate
peril.
17. But all these evils as it were culminate
in the cowardice and the sloth of those who, after the manner
of the sleeping and fleeing disciples, wavering in their faith,
miserably forsake Christ when He is oppressed by anguish or surrounded
by the satellites of Satan, and in the perfidy of those others
who following the example of the traitor Judas, either partake
of the holy table rashly and sacrilegiously, or go over to the
camp of the enemy. And thus, even against our will, the thought
rises in the mind that now those days draw near of which Our Lord
prophesied: "And because iniquity hath abounded, the charity
of many shall grow cold" (Matth. xxiv, 12).
18. Now, whosoever of the faithful have piously
pondered on all these things must need be inflamed with the charity
of Christ in His agony and make a more vehement endeavor to expiate
their own faults and those of others, to repair the honor of Christ,
and to promote the eternal salvation of souls. And indeed that
saying of the Apostle: "Where sin abounded, grace did more
abound" (Romans v, 20) may be used in a manner to describe
this present age; for while the wickedness of men has been greatly
increased, at the same time, by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost,
a marvelous increase has been made in the number of the faithful
of both sexes who with eager mind endeavor to make satisfaction
for the many injuries offered to the Divine Heart, nay more they
do not hesitate to offer themselves to Christ as victims. For
indeed if any one will lovingly dwell on those things of which
we have been speaking, and will have them deeply fixed in his
mind, it cannot be but he will shrink with horror from all sin
as from the greatest evil, and more than this he will yield himself
wholly to the will of God, and will strive to repair the injured
honor of the Divine Majesty, as well by constantly praying, as
by voluntary mortifications, by patiently bearing the afflictions
that befall him, and lastly by spending his whole life in this
exercise of expiation.
19. And for this reason also there have been
established many religious families of men and women whose purpose
it is by earnest service, both by day and by night, in some manner
to fulfill the office of the Angel consoling Jesus in the garden;
hence come certain associations of pious men, approved by the
Apostolic See and enriched with indulgences, who take upon themselves
this same duty of making expiation, a duty which is to be fulfilled
by fitting exercises of devotion and of the virtues; hence lastly,
to omit other things, come the devotions and solemn demonstrations
for the purpose of making reparation to the offended Divine honor,
which are inaugurated everywhere, not only by pious members of
the faithful, but by parishes, dioceses and cities.
20. These things being so, Venerable Brethren,
just as the rite of consecration, starting from humble beginnings,
and afterwards more widely propagated, was at length crowned with
success by Our confirmation; so in like manner, we earnestly desire
that this custom of expiation or pious reparation, long since
devoutly introduced and devoutly propagated, may also be more
firmly sanctioned by Our Apostolic authority and more solemnly
celebrated by the whole Catholic name. Wherefore, we decree and
command that every year on the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart
of Jesus, - which feast indeed on this occasion we have ordered
to be raised to the degree of a double of the first class with
an octave - in all churches throughout the whole world, the same
expiatory prayer or protestation as it is called, to Our most
loving Savior, set forth in the same words according to the copy
subjoined to this letter shall be solemnly recited, so that all
our faults may be washed away with tears, and reparation may be
made for the violated rights of Christ the supreme King and Our
most loving Lord.
21. There is surely no reason for doubting, Venerable
Brethren, that from this devotion piously established and commanded
to the whole Church, many excellent benefits will flow forth not
only to individual men but also to society, sacred, civil, and
domestic, seeing that our Redeemer Himself promised to Margaret
Mary that "all those who rendered this honor to His Heart
would be endowed with an abundance of heavenly graces." Sinners
indeed, looking on Him whom they pierced (John xix, 37), moved
by the sighs and tears of the whole Church, by grieving for the
injuries offered to the supreme King, will return to the heart
(Isaias xlvi, 8), lest perchance being hardened in their faults,
when they see Him whom they pierced "coming in the clouds
of heaven" (Matth. xxvi, 64), too late and in vain they shall
bewail themselves because of Him (Cf. Apoc. i, 7). But the just
shall be justified and shall be sanctified still (Cf. Apoc. xxii.
11) and they will devote themselves wholly and with new ardor
to the service of their King, when they see Him contemned and
attacked and assailed with so many and such great insults, but
more than all will they burn with zeal for the eternal salvation
of souls when they have pondered on the complaint of the Divine
Victim: "What profit is there in my blood?" (Psalm xxix,
10), and likewise on the joy that will be felt by the same Most
Sacred Heart of Jesus "upon one sinner doing penance"
(Luke xv, 10). And this indeed we more especially and vehemently
desire and confidently expect, that the just and merciful God
who would have spared Sodom for the sake of ten just men, will
much more be ready to spare the whole race of men, when He is
moved by the humble petitions and happily appeased by the prayers
of the community of the faithful praying together in union with
Christ their Mediator and Head, in the name of all. And now lastly
may the most benign Virgin Mother of God smile on this purpose
and on these desires of ours; for since she brought forth for
us Jesus our Redeemer, and nourished Him, and offered Him as a
victim by the Cross, by her mystic union with Christ and His very
special grace she likewise became and is piously called a reparatress.
Trusting in her intercession with Christ, who whereas He is the
"one mediator of God and men" (1 Timothy ii, 5), chose
to make His Mother the advocate of sinners, and the minister and
mediatress of grace, as an earnest of heavenly gifts and as a
token of Our paternal affection we most lovingly impart the Apostolic
Blessing to you, Venerable Brethren, and to all the flock committed
to your care.
Given at Rome, at St. Peter's, on the eighth day
of May, 1928, in the seventh year of Our Pontificate.
Prayer of Reparation
O sweetest Jesus, whose overflowing charity towards
men is most ungratefully repaid by such great forgetfulness, neglect
and contempt, see, prostrate before Thy altars, we strive by special
honor to make amends for the wicked coldness of men and the contumely
with which Thy most loving Heart is everywhere treated.
At the same time, mindful of the fact that we too have sometimes
not been free from unworthiness, and moved therefore with most
vehement sorrow, in the first place we implore Thy mercy on us,
being prepared by voluntary expiation to make amends for the sins
we have ourselves committed, and also for the sins of those who
wander far from the way of salvation, whether because, being obstinate
in their unbelief, they refuse to follow Thee as their shepherd
and leader, or because, spurning the promises of their Baptism,
they have cast off the most sweet yoke of Thy law. We now endeavor
to expiate all these lamentable crimes together, and it is also
our purpose to make amends for each one of them severally: for
the want of modesty in life and dress, for impurities, for so
many snares set for the minds of the innocent, for the violation
of feast days, for the horrid blasphemies against Thee and Thy
saints, for the insults offered to Thy Vicar and to the priestly
order, for the neglect of the Sacrament of Divine love or its
profanation by horrible sacrileges, and lastly for the public
sins of nations which resist the rights and the teaching authority
of the Church which Thou hast instituted. Would that we could
wash away these crimes with our own blood! And now, to make amends
for the outrage offered to the Divine honor, we offer to Thee
the same satisfaction which Thou didst once offer to Thy Father
on the Cross and which Thou dost continually renew on our altars,
we offer this conjoined with the expiations of the Virgin Mother
and of all the Saints, and of all pious Christians, promising
from our heart that so far as in us lies, with the help of Thy
grace, we will make amends for our own past sins, and for the
sins of others, and for the neglect of Thy boundless love, by
firm faith, by a pure way of life, and by a perfect observance
of the Gospel law, especially that of charity; we will also strive
with all our strength to prevent injuries being offered to Thee,
and gather as many as we can to become Thy followers. Receive,
we beseech Thee, O most benign Jesus, by the intercession of the
Blessed Virgin Mary, the Reparatress, the voluntary homage of
this expiation, and vouchsafe, by that great gift of final perseverance,
to keep us most faithful until death in our duty and in Thy service,
so that at length we may all come to that fatherland, where Thou
with the Father and the Holy Ghost livest and reignest God for
ever and ever. Amen.
PIUS XI
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