Encyclical Letter by Pope Pius IX Announcing a Jubilee

Encyclical Letter of the Pope Pius IX., Announcing a Jubilee.

To all Patriarchs, Primates, Archbishops, Bishops, and other Ordinaries of Places having Grace and Communion with the Apostolic See, and to all Faithful Christians.

Venerable Brothers and Beloved Sons, Health and Apostolical Benediction: Moved not only by the grave calamities of the Church and of this century, but also by the necessity of imploring Divine aid, we have never omitted in the time of our pontificate to arouse the Christian people, in order that they might strive to appease the majesty of God and merit celestial clemency by holy habits of life, by works of penitence, and by pious and dutiful continuance in prayer. To this end we have, with apostolic liberality, several times opened to the faithful the spiritual treasures of the indulgences in order that, animated thereby to the penitence and purged by the sacrament of reconciliation from the stains of sin, they might be able to approach the throne of grace with more confidence, and be worthy of their prayers being benignantly received by God. This also, as at other times, we especially considered our duty to fulfill on the occasion of the Ecumenical Vatican Council, in order that the very grave work undertaken for the benefit of the Universal Church might at the same time, by the prayer of the whole Church, be furthered in the fight of the Almighty; and, although the celebration of the same Council remained suspended, through the calamities of the times, we nevertheless declared and made known for the good of the faithful people that the indulgence to follow it in the form of a jubilee, promulgated on the occasion, continued as it still remains, in all its force, firmness, and vigor.

In Peaceful Times.

Nevertheless, the course of these sorrowful times still continuing, behold the commencement of the seventy-fifth year after he eighteenth century of the Christian era-the year, that is to say, which marks that sacred space of time which the holy custom of our elders and the ordinations of the pontiffs our predecessors consecrated to the celebration of the Universal Jubilee. With what respect and religious feeling the year of the Jubilee was observed when the tranquil times of the Church permitted them to celebrate it with every solemnity, both ancient and recent historical monuments testify, for it was always looked upon as the year of salutary expiration by the whole Christian people, as the year of redemption and of grace, of the remission of sins and of the indulgence, in which they assembled from all the world in this our alma city and seat of Peter, and all the faithful, aroused to works of piety, offered for the health of souls most abundant aids of reconciliation and of grace. What a pious and holy solemnity was seen in this our century when, the Jubilee of the year 1825 having been intimated by Leo XII. of blessed memory, our predecessor, this benefit was received by the Christian people with so much fervor, that the said Pontiff could rejoice in having seen during the whole course of the year a never-interrupted concourse of pilgrims in the city, and through which was marvelously manifested the splendor of religion, piety, faith, love, and all the virtues. O that such were also to-day our condition, and the condition of civil and sacred things, as to permit us happily to celebrate, according to the ancient rites and customs which our elders used to observe, that solemnity of the great Jubilee, which occurring as it did in the year 1800, of this century, it was necessary to omit because of the mournful circumstances of the times! But those grave causes which at that time impeded us from intimating the Jubilee, so far from having ceased, have instead-God so permitting it-increased daily. Nevertheless, observing the many evils which afflict the Church, the many effort of her enemies directed to tear the faith of Christ from souls, to corrupt her sound doctrines, and to propagate the poison of impiety; so many scandals which present themselves everywhere to true believers, the depravity of manners so widely spread, and the infamous emancipation from divine and human duties so amply diffused, so fecund of ruin, and which tends to destroy all sense of rectitude in the souls of men; and considering that in such a flood of evils still more should we endeavor, on accordance with our apostolic duty, that faith, religion, and piety, should be fortified and awakened, that the spirit of prayer be fomented and increased, that the fallen be aroused to penitence of heart and to the mending of their ways, that the sins which merit the wrath of God be redeemed by holy works, all fruits to the obtaining of which the celebration of the great Jubilee is principally directed- we thought that it was not our duty to permit that on this occasion the Christian people should be deprived of this salutary benefit, observing that form which is permitted by the condition of the times, in order that thus comforted in the spirit they may walk in the way of righteousness with greater alacrity, and purged from sins, more easily and more richly merit the divine propitiation and pardon.

A Call to the Church Militant.

Let, then, the Universal Church Militant of Christ receive our utterances, with which we intimated, announce, and promulgate the great and universal Jubilee during the whole of he coming year 1875, for reason of which we, suspending and declaring suspended at our good will and pleasure, and of this Apostolic See, the indulgence above mentioned, conceded in form of Jubilee for the occasion of the Vatican Council, open in all its amplitude that celestial treasure which, formed by the merits, sufferings, and virtue of the Lord Christ and of His Virgin mother, and of all the saints, was intrusted by the Author of human salvation to our dispensation.

In the mean time, relying upon the mercy of God and on the authority of His blessed apostles Peter and Paul, by virtue of that supreme power of binding and loosing which God willed to be conferred upon us, however unworthy-to all and every one of the faithful of Christ, whether living in this our alms city, or who shall be about to come to it; as well as to all those existing outside the said city, in whatever part of the world, and who are in grace of, and in obedience to, the Apostolic See, and who, having truly repented, confessed, and communicated once a day for fifteen days, continuous or interrupted, natural or ecclesiastic, to be computed, that is, from the first vespers of one day until the fall evening twilight of the day following shall as regards the first, visit the basilicas of the Saints Peter and Paul, of St. John Lateran, and of Santa Maria Maggiore, in Rome; and, as regards the second their principals or cathedral church and other three churches of the same city and place, or of the suburbs of the same, to be designated by the ordinaries of the places, or by their vicars, or by others by order of the same, after this our letter shall have come to their notice, and shall there offer up humble prayers to the Lord, according to our intention, for the prosperity and exultation of the Catholic Church and of this Apostolic See, for the extirpation of heresies, for the conversion of all erring, for the peace and unity of all Christian people- we concede and mercifully indulgence of the year of Jubilee and full remission and pardon for all their sins; which indulgence we concede may be applied by “means of suffrage,” and be available for those souls which, united to God by charity, shall have left this world.

Rules and Discipline.

In virtue, also, of this our present letter, we concede that the travelers by sea or by land who, as soon as they shall have returned to their homes, or shall have reached a fixed dwelling-place, completed the work above described, and visited as many times the cathedral, principal or parochial church of the place of their domicile or dwelling, can and shall be able to obtain the same indulgence. Likewise, we concede, in virtue of this our present letter, to the above-mentioned ordinaries of the places, that they may, according to their prudent counsel, dispense solely as regards the visits, the oblate nuns, the girls and women living in the cloisters of monasteries or in other pious or religious houses or communited, as well as anchorites, and hermits, and other persons, whoever they may be, whether laymen, ecclesiastics, or regulars, existing in prison or in captivity, or affected by some infirmity of body, or prevented by any other impediment which makes it an absolute impossibility for them to perform the said visits; to children, also, not yet admitted to first communion, we concede that they may also dispense from the prescribed communion, prescribing to them, all and every one, be it to themselves, be it by means of their superiors or regular prelates, or by means of prudent confessors, other works of plenty, charity, and religion, in place of the visits or of the sacramental communion which should be fulfilled by the same; and, with regard also to chapters and congregations, whether secular or religious, to companies, confraternities, universities, which shall processionally visit the above-named churches, we concede that they may reduce the prescribed visits to a lesser number; and also to the said nuns and their novices we conceded that they can to this effect select any one among the confessors, approved by the actual ordinary of the place where their monastery is situated, to hear the confessions of the nuns; and to all and everyone of the other faithful of both sexes, whether lay or ecclesiastic, and to the regulars of whatever order, congregation, and institute, which has yet to be specially named, we concede license and faculty that they may to the same effect select whatever priestly confessor, whether secular or regular, of whatever different order or institute, and at the same time approved for hearing confessions of secular persons by the actual ordinaries in the cities, diocese, and territories, where they will have to hear he said confessions; by those confessors, within the period of the above-mentioned year, those men and women who sincerely and seriously have undertaken to obtain the benefit of the present Jubilee, and, with this intention of benefiting by it, and to complete the other works necessary to do so, shall approach them to make their confessions, for this time and only in fore conscientias can absolve them from excommunication, suspension, and other ecclesiastical sentences, and censures threatened and inflicted a jure vel ab homine, for whatever cause even reserved to the ordinaries of the places and to us, or to the Apostolic See, and which otherwise, in whatever concession, however ample, would not be understood as conceded.

Equally may the same confessors absolve the above-named penitents from all the sins and excesses, however serious and enormous they may be, as has been said, reserved to the said ordinaries and to us, or to the Apostolic See, enjoined to them as a salutary penitence, and other things to be enjoined by right; as also they shall be able to commute into other pious and salutary works whatsoever vow, even sworn and reserved to the Apostolic See (excepting, however, vows, of chastity, of religion, and of obligation, which may have been accepted by a third person, or which may be to the prejudice of a third person, not to say the penal vows, which are called preservatives from sin, unless the commutation may not be judged such, as that, not less that the first material of the vow, it may prevent the commission of sin); and, finally, with the same authority and fullness of apostolic benignity, we concede and permit that they may dispense such penitents, even among the regulars constituted in sacred order, from secret irregularity in the exercise of the said orders, and to ascend to the other superiors, contracted solely through violation of censures.

We do not intend, however, in force of these presents, to dispense from whatsoever other irregularity- whether public or secret, whether wanting or known- or from whatsoever other incapacity or inability, in whatsoever way contracted, or to grant any faculty for dispensing from the same, or to rehabilitate and restore into the primal state even in fore conscientiae; nor yet do we intend to derogate from the constitution, with the opportune declarations give forth by Benedict XIV., of blessed memory, our predecessor, which begins, “Sacramentum pænitentiæ,” dated the 1st of June, in year 1741, the first of his pontificate. Neither, finally, do we intend that these same, our letters, can or ought to benefit those who by us and by the Apostolic See, or by whatsoever other prelate or ecclesiastical judge, may have been by name excommunicated, suspended, interdicted, or declared fallen under other sentences or censures, or publicly denounced, unless within the limit of the present year they may not have satisfied or come to and arrangement where needful with the others. For the rest, if any, having the intention of gaining this Jubilee, after having commenced the fulfillment of the prescribed works, overtaken by death, shall not be able to accomplish the prescribed number of visits, we, desiring to fill up the measure of their pious and ready intention, will that the said persons, truly penitent, confessed and communicated, may participate in the aforesaid indulgence and remission in the same manner as if they had in the prescribed days really visited the aforesaid churches. If any, however, after obtaining on the strength of these presents the absolution from the censures or the commutations of their vows or the aforesaid dispensations, shall change that serious and sincere intention otherwise necessary to benefit by this jubilee, and thereby fail to complete the works necessary to gain it, although by this same they can scarcely consider themselves blameless, we, nevertheless, decree and declare valid the absolutions, commutations, and dispensations, obtained with the aforesaid dispositions. We also will and decree that these present letters be fully valid and effective, and have and obtain their plenary effect wherever they are published and put in execution by the local ordinaries, and that they be of use to all the faithful of Christ who remain in the grace and obedience of the Apostolic See, and who are either living in the several jurisdictions or have just reached them on their journeys by land or sea; notwithstanding the constitutions about not granting indulgence ad instar and the other apostolic constitutions, and the constitutions, ordinances, and the general or special reservations of absolutions, relaxations, and dispensations, decreed in general, provincials, and synodal councils, as well as the statutes, laws, customs, and uses, of every mendicant or military order, congregation, or institution, even though confirmed by oath, or apostolic approval, or any other kind of ratification, as well as privileges, pardons, and letters apostolic, granted to the same, especially those in which the professors of any order, congregation, or institution, are expressly prohibited from confessing themselves outside their own community. With regard to which things, all and singular, although for their complete repeal, a special, specific, express, and individual mention should be made of them and of their whole tenor, or some special form should be used- nevertheless, we, holding as though their full tenor were inserted, and such form were most accurately adhered to, for this occasion and only for the above-indicated purpose, repeal them fully, as we repeal everything else to contrary effect.

To the Faithful.

While thus by the apostolic office which we exercise, and through the solicitude with which we are bound to embrace the whole flock of Christ, we propose the salutary opportunity of obtaining remission and grace, we cannot abstain from beseeching and adjuring by the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, the Prince of Pastors, all the patriarchs, primates, archbishops, bishops, and other local ordinaries, prelates, and those who are legitimately exercising the office or the ordinary jurisdiction of the above said bishops and prelates in their stead, who maintain grace and communion with the Apostolic See, that they announce so great a benefit to the people committed to their charge, and that they give all diligence in order that all the faithful, being reconciled to God by penance, may turn to gain and profit of their souls the grace of the Jubilee. Therefore, your first care, venerable brethren, after having implored with public prayers the divine clemency to fill the minds and hearts of all with His light and grace, shall be to direct, by means of timely instruction and admonition, the Christian people to perceive the fruit of the Jubilee, so that they may understand accurately what are the force and the nature of the Christian Jubilee for the profit and advantage of souls in which with a spiritual reason are abundantly fulfilled by virtue of the Lord Christ those benefits, which among the Jewish people were promised by the law on the return of every fiftieth year, and so that they may be still sufficiently instructed with regard to the force of indulgences, and of all those things which ought to be performed for the fruitful confession of sins, and for the holy receiving of the sacrament of the eucharist. Because then not only the example but the whole work of the ecclesiastical ministry is necessary in order that the fruits of the desired holiness may be had among the people, do not omit, venerable brethren, to excite the zeal of your priests, willingly and readily to exercise their ministry particularly in this time of salvation; for which and for the common good, it will certainly conduce much, when it can be done, if they, preceding the Christian people with the example of piety and religion, will, by means of spiritual exercises, renew the spirit of their holy calling, so that they may employ themselves more usefully and salutarily in the discharge of their own offices and in the sacred missions to be directed to the people according to the order and method prescribed by you. Since, therefore, at the present time so many are the evils which need to be repaired and the benefits which need to be sought, drawing the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God, give every heed that your people be led to detest the immense sin of blasphemy, the violation of which nothing at the present time is too sacred to escape, and that they be led to know and fulfill their duties about the holy observance of the festival days and about the laws of fasting and abstinence to be observed according to the prescription of the Church of God, and this to avoid those punishments which the contempt of such things has called down upon the earth. So likewise let your anxious zeal watch constantly over the maintenance of discipline among the clergy and securing the right ordering of the clergyman, and in every possible way give assistance to the youth around you, who are placed in so many dangers and who are subjected to so many great perils. You certainly are not ignorant. This king of evil was so bitterly sad for the heart of the Divine Redeemer himself as to cause him to utter against the authors of the same these words: “Whosoever shall offend one of these little children that believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck and he were cast into the sea” (St. Mark ix, 41). Nothing then is more worthy the time of the Holy Jubilee than being unweariedly occupied in every work of charity; this, then, also shall be the duty of your zeal, venerable brethren, the adding of stimulus, so that the poor may be relieved, sins may be redeemed with alms, the benefits of which are shown to be so numerous in Holy Scripture; and that the fruit of love may be greater and more lasting, shall be very opportune if the funds supplied by charity are directed to aid or establish those pious institutions which at the present time are considered most conductive to the well-being of souls and bodies. If to obtain these benefits your minds and efforts are united, it cannot fail but that the kingdom of Christ and His righteousness shall receive great increase, and that in this acceptable time and in these days of salvation the divine clemency shall pour upon the sons of love a great abundance of heavenly gifts.

To you, finally, all ye sons of the Catholic Church, we direct our discourse, and you, each and all, we exhort with paternal affection so to make use of this opportunity of the Jubilee to obtain pardon as the sincere pursuit of your salvation requires of you. If at all times it is necessary- now more especially is it so- most beloved sons, to cleanse the conscience from dead works, to offer the sacrifices of righteousness, to bring forth fruits meet for repentance and to sow in tears that you may reap in joy. The Divine Majesty sufficiently shows what he requires from us, while now, for a long time, through our depravity, we are laboring under His threatenings and under the inspiration of the spirit of His anger. In truth, “men are accustomed when they are suffering under a too hard necessity, to send embassadors to neighboring nations to receive some aid. We, as is better, send as embassy to God himself;” from Him we implore aid, to Him we turn with all our hearts, with prayers, and fastings, and alms. For “the nearer we are to God the further shall our enemies be driven from us” (S. Maxim., Hom. xci.). But do ye chiefly hear the apostolic voice because we are embassadors of Christ, ye who labor and are heavy laden, and who, departing from the path of salvation, are oppressed by the yoke of depraved desires, and by the slavery of the devil, do not despise the riches of the goodness and patience and long-suffering of God, and while there is opened out before you so easy and broad a way for the obtaining of pardon, do not, by your obstinacy, render yourselves inexcusable before the Divine Judge, and lay up for yourselves a treasure of wrath in the day of wrath, and of the revelation of the just judgment of God. Return, therefore, sinners, be reconciled to God; the world passeth away, and the lust thereof; cast off the works of darkness, put on the armor of light; cease to be the enemies of your own souls, so that you may at the last merit peace in this world, and in the world to come the eternal rewards of the just. These are our desires, these things we will not cease to ask from the most merciful Lord, and these same benefits- all the sons of the Catholic Church being united to us in this society f prayer- we trust we can obtain accumulatively from the Father of Mercies. Meanwhile, for the successful and salutary fruits of this holy work, let the auspicious omen of all grace and heavenly gift be the apostolic benediction, which from our inmost heart we affectionately grant in the Lord to you all, venerable brethren, and to you beloved children, as many as are numbered within the Catholic Church.

Given in Rome, near St. Peter’s, the 24th of December, of the year 1874, and twenty- ninth of our pontificate.

Pope Pius IX.