PIUS PP. X Venerabilis Frater, salutem et Apostolicam
benedictionem.
Tuum illud opusculum, in quo scripta Cardinalis Newman tantum
abesse ostendis ut Encyclicis Nostris Litteris Pascendi sint dissentanea, ut valde cum iisdem congruant, vehementer Nobis probari scito: melius
enim cum veritati servire, tum hominis dignitati non poteras. Apparet, inter
eos, quorum errores per eas Litteras damnavimus, quasi quoddam constitutum esse
factum, ut quae ipsi commenti sint, hisce e praeclarissimi viri nomine
commendationem petant. Ita contendunt passim, se ex illo fonte et capite
praecipua quaedam sumpsisse, ob eamque causam non potuisse a Nobis suas ipsorum
improbari doctrinas, quin simul atque adeo prius improbarimus quae talis
tantusque auctor docuisset. Quod, nisi cognitum sit, elati animi tumor quantum
ad obruendam mentem valeat, incredibile videatur inveniri, qui sese putent
atque {201} ostentent catholicos, quum in ipsa intima religionis disciplina
auctoritatem privati doctoris, quamvis insignis, magisterio Apostolicae Sedis
anteponant. Quorum non modo tu contumaciam coarguis, sed fallaciam. Nam, si in
iis, quae hic ante catholicam professionem scripserat, licet fortasse aliquid
deprehendere, quod similitudinem quamdam habeat cum certis Modernistarum
formulis, iure id negas istis suffragari: propterea quod et longe alia ibidem
est subiecta vocibus sententia, aliudque scribentis est propositum, et ipse
auctor, in aditu ad Ecclesiam catholicam, omnia sua scripta Ecclesiae ipsius
auctoritati detulit, utique emendanda, si viderentur. Quod autem ad libros
attinet, quos magno vel numero vel pondere confecit catholicus, vix opus est,
cum hac haeresi cognationem ab eis repellere. Etenim in luce Angliae, quod nemo
ignorat, sic Henricus Newman perpetuo causam catholicae fidei scribendo egit,
ut eius opera simul civibus suis maxime esset salutaris, simul a decessoribus
Nostris maximi fieret: itaque dignus est habitus, quem Leo XIII, aestimator
certe sagax hominum atque rerum, Cardinalem diceret; cui quidem in omni
deinceps vita merito fuit carissimus. Profecto in tanta lucubrationum eius
copia quidpiam reperiri potest, quod ab usitata theologorum ratione alienum
videatur: nihil potest, quod de ipsius fide suspicionem afferat. Recteque
affirmas, mirum non esse, si quum indicia haeresis novae nulla apparerent,
certis quibusdam in locis non ita cautum adhibuit loquendi genus: sed perperam
doloseque Modernistas facere, qui illa verba, invito totius orationis contextu,
ad suam ipsorum sententiam detorqueant. Nos igitur gratulamur tibi, quod
memoriam optimi et sapientissimi viri, pro tua scriptorum eius omnium notitia,
egregie ab iniuria vindicaris: simulque, quantum in te fuit, effeceris, ut
inter populares tuos, Anglos praesertim, iam desinant qui hoc nomine abuti
consueverunt, imperitos decipere. Atque utinam illi auctorem rite sequantur
Newman, non ita nempe ut praeiudicatis {202} opinionibus addicti scrutentur
eius volumina, ex hisque dolo malo eliciant aliquid, quo illas confirmari
contendant; verum ut sincera et integra eiusdem principia, documenta
spiritusque percipiant. Multa e tali magistro discent praeclara: in primis
autem, sanctum habere magisterium Ecclesiae, inviolate tueri traditam a
Patribus doctrinam, et, quod caput est ad custodiam catholicae veritatis,
Successori Beati Petri summa cum fide obsequi et obedire. Tibi praeterea,
Venerabilis Frater, tuoque clero ac populo, quod missa communi stipe tenuitati
Nostrae subvenire pie studuistis, grates agimus ex animo: atque ad concilianda
vobis, primunique omnium tibi, divinae benignitatis munera, itemque ad
testandam benevolentiam Nostram, peramanter Apostolicam benedictionem
impertimus.
Datum Romae apud S. Petrum, die x Martii anno MCMVIII,
Pontificatus Nostri quinto.
PIUS
PP. X
[from
Acta Sanctae Sedis, vol. 41, 1908]
English
translation, provided by Michael Davies, also included in Davies' Lead Kindly Light: The Life of John Henry
Newman, Neumann Press, 2001.
LETTER
In which Pope Pius X approves the work of the Bishop of Limerick
on the writings of Cardinal Newman.
To his Venerable Brother
Edward Thomas Bishop of Limerick
Venerable Brother, greetings and Our Apostolic blessing. We
hereby inform you that your essay, in which you show that the writings of
Cardinal Newman, far from being in disagreement with Our Encyclical Letter Pascendi,
are very much in harmony with it, has been emphatically approved by Us: for you
could not have better served both the truth and the dignity of man. It is clear
that those people whose errors We have condemned in that Document had decided
among themselves to produce something of their own invention with which to seek
the commendation of a distinguished person. And so they everywhere assert with
confidence that they have taken these things from the very source and summit of
authority, and that therefore We cannot censure their teachings, but rather
that We had even previously gone so far as to condemn what such a great author
had taught. Incredible though it may appear, although it is not always
realised, there are to be found those who are so puffed up with pride that it
is enough to overwhelm the mind, and who are convinced that they are Catholics
and pass themselves off as such, while in matters concerning the inner
discipline of religion they prefer the authority of their own private teaching
to the pre-eminent authority of the Magisterium of the Apostolic See. Not only
do you fully demonstrate their obstinacy but you also show clearly their
deceitfulness. For, if in the things he had written before his profession of
the Catholic faith one can justly detect something which may have a kind of
similarity with certain Modernist formulas, you are correct in saying that this
is not relevant to his later works. Moreover, as far as that matter is
concerned, his way of thinking has been expressed in very different ways, both
in the spoken word and in his published writings, and the author himself, on
his admission into the Catholic Church, forwarded all his writings to the
authority
of
the
same Church so that any corrections might be made, if judged appropriate.
Regarding the large number of books of great importance and influence which he
wrote as a Catholic, it is hardly necessary to exonerate them from any
connection with this present heresy. And indeed, in the domain of England, it
is common knowledge that Henry Newman pleaded the cause of the Catholic faith
in his prolific literary output so effectively that his work was both highly
beneficial to its citizens and greatly appreciated by Our Predecessors: and so
he is held worthy of office whom Leo XIII, undoubtedly a shrewd judge of men
and affairs, appointed Cardinal; indeed he was very highly regarded by him at
every stage of his career, and deservedly so. Truly, there is something about
such a large quantity of work and his long hours of labour lasting far into the
night that seems foreign to the usual way of theologians: nothing can be found
to bring any suspicion about his faith. You correctly state that it is entirely
to be expected that where no new signs of heresy were apparent he has perhaps
used an off-guard manner of speaking to some people in certain places, but that
what the Modernists do is to falsely and deceitfully take those words out of
the whole context of what he meant to say and twist them to suit their own
meaning. We therefore congratulate you for having, through your knowledge of
all his writings, brilliantly vindicated the memory of this eminently upright
and wise man from injustice: and also for having, to the best of your ability,
brought your influence to bear among your fellow-countrymen, but particularly
among the English people, so that those who were accustomed to abusing his name
and deceiving the ignorant should henceforth cease doing so. Would that they
should follow Newman the author faithfully by studying his books without, to be
sure, being addicted to their own prejudices, and let them not with wicked
cunning conjure anything up from them or declare that their own opinions are
confirmed in them; but instead let them understand his pure and whole
principles, his lessons and inspiration which they contain. They will learn
many excellent things from such a great teacher: in the first place, to regard
the Magisterium of the Church as sacred, to defend the doctrine handed down
inviolately by the Fathers and, what is of highest importance to the
safeguarding of Catholic truth, to follow and obey the Successor of St. Peter
with the greatest faith. To you, therefore, Venerable Brother, and to your
clergy and people, We give Our heartfelt thanks for having taken the trouble to
help Us in Our reduced circumstances by sending your communal gift of financial
aid: and in order to gain for you all, but first and foremost for yourself, the
gifts of God's goodness, and as a testimony of Our benevolence, We
affectionately bestow Our Apostolic blessing.
Given in Rome at St. Peter's, on 10 March 1908, in the fifth
year of Our Pontificate.
Pius PP. X