Praeclara Gratulationis Publicae
Encyclopedia
Praeclara Gratulationis Publicae (on the Reunion of Christendom) was an Encyclical Letter of Pope Leo XIII promulgated on June 20, 1894.
. A previous letter on the same subject, entitled the epistle to the Easterns
, had been written by Pope Pius IX in 1848.
.
The call for unity was re-asserted by the Second Vatican Council's Unitatis Redintegratio
, although the latter statement articulates a different kind of ecclesiology
that is more in line with the Council's spirit of cooperation with fellow Christians.
Praeclara was cited in the encyclical Orientales Omnes Ecclesias of Pope Pius XII on the topic of Eastern Catholic Churches.
Leo XIII has also been criticized by Protestant fundamentalists for having declared in the encyclical that "We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty", which was seen as a sign of the coming apocalypse
.
Content
It called for the reunion of Eastern and Western churches into the "Unity of the Faith". It also condemned FreemasonryFreemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
. A previous letter on the same subject, entitled the epistle to the Easterns
Epistle to the Easterns
The Epistle to the Easterns is an apostolic letter sent by Pope Pius IX in 1848 to the bishops and clergy of the Orthodox Churches not in full Communion with the Pope, urging them to resume such Communion....
, had been written by Pope Pius IX in 1848.
Reactions and legacy
In 1895, it was criticized by Ecumenical Patriarch Anthimus VIIPatriarch Anthimus VII of Constantinople
Anthimus VII or Anthimos VII Tsatsos, was the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 1895 to 1896. He died in Halki, Turkey.In 1895, he criticized the encyclical Praeclara Gratulationis Publicae of Pope Leo XIII....
.
The call for unity was re-asserted by the Second Vatican Council's Unitatis Redintegratio
Unitatis Redintegratio
Unitatis Redintegratio is the Second Vatican Council's Decree on Ecumenism. It was passed by a vote of 2,137 to 11 of the bishops assembled and was promulgated by Pope Paul VI on November 21, 1964...
, although the latter statement articulates a different kind of ecclesiology
Ecclesiology
Today, ecclesiology usually refers to the theological study of the Christian church. However when the word was coined in the late 1830s, it was defined as the science of the building and decoration of churches and it is still, though rarely, used in this sense.In its theological sense, ecclesiology...
that is more in line with the Council's spirit of cooperation with fellow Christians.
Praeclara was cited in the encyclical Orientales Omnes Ecclesias of Pope Pius XII on the topic of Eastern Catholic Churches.
Leo XIII has also been criticized by Protestant fundamentalists for having declared in the encyclical that "We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty", which was seen as a sign of the coming apocalypse
Apocalypse
An Apocalypse is a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, i.e. the veil to be lifted. The Apocalypse of John is the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament...
.
See also
- East–West SchismEast–West SchismThe East–West Schism of 1054, sometimes known as the Great Schism, formally divided the State church of the Roman Empire into Eastern and Western branches, which later became known as the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, respectively...
- Catholicism and Freemasonry
- Papal Documents relating to FreemasonryPapal Documents relating to Freemasonry-Before Pius IX:*Clement XII - In Eminenti Apostolatus - 1738*Benedict XIV - Providas Romanorum - 1751*Pius VII - Ecclesiam a Jesu Christo - 1821*Leo XII - Quo Graviora - 1826*Pius VIII - Traditi Humilitati - 1829...