Ad Beatissimi Apostolorum
Encyclopedia
Ad Beatissimi Apostolorum is a encyclical
of Pope Benedict XV
given at St. Peter's, Rome, on the Feast of All Saints on November 1, 1914, in the first year of his Pontificate. The first encyclical written by Pope Benedict XV coincided with the beginning of World War I
, which he labelled The Suicide of Civilized Europe.
Benedict described the combatants as the greatest and wealthiest nations of the earth; they are well provided with the most awful weapons modern military science has devised, they strive to destroy one another with refinements of horror. There is no limit to the measure of ruin and of slaughter; day by day the earth is drenched with newly-shed blood, and is covered with the bodies of the wounded and of the slain.
In light of the senseless slaughter, the Pope pleads for "peace on earth to men of good will" (Luke ii. 14), insisting that there are other ways and means whereby violated rights can be rectified.
The origin of the evil is a neglect of the precepts and practices of Christian wisdom, particularly a lack of love and compassion. Jesus Christ came down from Heaven for the very purpose of restoring among men the Kingdom of Peace, "A new commandment I give unto you: That you love one another "This is my commandment that you love one another" Materialism
, nationalism
, racism
and class warfare
are the characteristics of the age instead, so Benedict XV:
A second cause of the general unrest is the absence of respect for the authority of those who exercise ruling powers. Human power is weakened, if separated from God the Creator and Ruler of the Universe, resulting in contempt of law and crime, Human authority fails where religion, which authorizes it, is set aside.
A deeper root of the evils is according to the Bible, "the desire of money, the root of all evils" (I. Tim vi. 10). Against calls for class war, strikes, revolution and new social orders, Benedict upholds what he considers the Christian alternative of the Sermon of the Mount: "Blessed are ye poor . . . Blessed are ye that weep now; . . . Blessed shall you be when men shall hate you and when they shall separate you, and shall reproach you and cast out your name as evil" He teaches, that
Benedict opposes theological or political labelling of other views such as liberal or conservative as divisive. There is no need of adding any qualifying terms to the profession of Catholicism: it is quite enough for each one to proclaim "Christian is my name and Catholic
my surname," only let him endeavour to be in reality what he calls himself. 24 He repeats the condemnation of "Modernism
," which Pius X declared to be "the synthesis of all heresies," But adaptation to the times is necessary too. As a guide in matters subject to change, he defines the rule, which was later used by John XXIII and Paul VI during Vatican II: "Old things, but in a new way." The encyclical concluded with a renewed call for the end of the most disastrous war, for the sake of human society and for the sake of the Church;
Encyclical
An encyclical was originally a circular letter sent to all the churches of a particular area in the ancient Catholic Church. At that time, the word could be used for a letter sent out by any bishop...
of Pope Benedict XV
Pope Benedict XV
Pope Benedict XV , born Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa, reigned as Pope from 3 September 1914 to 22 January 1922...
given at St. Peter's, Rome, on the Feast of All Saints on November 1, 1914, in the first year of his Pontificate. The first encyclical written by Pope Benedict XV coincided with the beginning of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, which he labelled The Suicide of Civilized Europe.
Benedict described the combatants as the greatest and wealthiest nations of the earth; they are well provided with the most awful weapons modern military science has devised, they strive to destroy one another with refinements of horror. There is no limit to the measure of ruin and of slaughter; day by day the earth is drenched with newly-shed blood, and is covered with the bodies of the wounded and of the slain.
In light of the senseless slaughter, the Pope pleads for "peace on earth to men of good will" (Luke ii. 14), insisting that there are other ways and means whereby violated rights can be rectified.
The origin of the evil is a neglect of the precepts and practices of Christian wisdom, particularly a lack of love and compassion. Jesus Christ came down from Heaven for the very purpose of restoring among men the Kingdom of Peace, "A new commandment I give unto you: That you love one another "This is my commandment that you love one another" Materialism
Materialism
In philosophy, the theory of materialism holds that the only thing that exists is matter; that all things are composed of material and all phenomena are the result of material interactions. In other words, matter is the only substance...
, nationalism
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
, racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
and class warfare
Class conflict
Class conflict is the tension or antagonism which exists in society due to competing socioeconomic interests between people of different classes....
are the characteristics of the age instead, so Benedict XV:
- Race hatred has reached its climax; peoples are more divided by jealousies than by frontiers; within one and the same nation, within the same city there rages the burning envy of class against class; and amongst individuals it is self-love which is the supreme law over-ruling everything.
A second cause of the general unrest is the absence of respect for the authority of those who exercise ruling powers. Human power is weakened, if separated from God the Creator and Ruler of the Universe, resulting in contempt of law and crime, Human authority fails where religion, which authorizes it, is set aside.
A deeper root of the evils is according to the Bible, "the desire of money, the root of all evils" (I. Tim vi. 10). Against calls for class war, strikes, revolution and new social orders, Benedict upholds what he considers the Christian alternative of the Sermon of the Mount: "Blessed are ye poor . . . Blessed are ye that weep now; . . . Blessed shall you be when men shall hate you and when they shall separate you, and shall reproach you and cast out your name as evil" He teaches, that
- Through the sorrows and sufferings and miseries of this life, patiently borne with, as it is right that they should be, that we shall enter into possession of those true and imperishable goods which "God hath prepared for them that love Him" (I. Cor. ii. 9). This most important teaching of our Faith is overlooked by many, and by not a few it has been completely forgotten.
Church life
Turning to Church life, Benedict praises his predecessor Pius X, who succeeded in a revival of religious life. Not to lose sight of this, he appeals to Catholics not to be divided in this time of war, but united. In the Catholic Church so Benedict, is room for divergent opinions. Everybody has a clear right to express and defend his own opinion, but this should be done with charity and moderation respecting the different views of others and of the magisteriumBenedict opposes theological or political labelling of other views such as liberal or conservative as divisive. There is no need of adding any qualifying terms to the profession of Catholicism: it is quite enough for each one to proclaim "Christian is my name and Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
my surname," only let him endeavour to be in reality what he calls himself. 24 He repeats the condemnation of "Modernism
Modernism
Modernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes the modernist movement, its set of cultural tendencies and array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society...
," which Pius X declared to be "the synthesis of all heresies," But adaptation to the times is necessary too. As a guide in matters subject to change, he defines the rule, which was later used by John XXIII and Paul VI during Vatican II: "Old things, but in a new way." The encyclical concluded with a renewed call for the end of the most disastrous war, for the sake of human society and for the sake of the Church;