Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 1.djvu/695

APOLYSIS  of uncultured peoples has been exploited against Christian (theistic belief) on the unwarranted ground that Christianity is but a refinement, through a long process of evolution, of a crude primitive religion originating in ghost-worship. Among those who have distinguished themselves in this branch of apologetics are Döllinger, whose "Heidenthum und Judenthum" (1857), tr. "Gentile and Jew in the Court of the Temple" (London, 1865–67), is a mine of information on the comparative merits of revealed religion and the paganism of the Roman world; Abbé de Broglie, author of the suggestive volume, "Problèmes et conclusions de l'histoire des religions" (Paris, 1886); Hardwick, Christ and other Masters" (London, 1875). Another factor in the growth of apologetics during the last century was the rise of numerous systems of philosophy that, in the teaching of such men as Kant, Fichte, Hegel, Schelling, Comte, and Spencer, were openly or covertly in opposition to Christian belief. To counteract these systems, Pope Leo XIII revived throughout the Catholic world the teaching of Thomistic philosophy. The many works written to vindicate Christian Theism against Pantheism, Materialism, Positivism, and Evolutionary Monism have been of great service to apologetics. Not all these philosophic apologies, indeed, are scholastic. They represent several modern schools of thought. France has furnished a number of able apologetic thinkers who lay chief stress on the subjective element in man, who point to the needs and aspirations of the soul, and to the corresponding fitness of Christianity, and of Christianity alone, to satisfy them. This line of thought has been worked out in various ways by the lately deceased Ollé-Laprune, author of "La certitude morale" (Paris, 1880), and "Le prix de la vie" (Paris, 1892); by Fonsegrive, "Le catholicisme et la vie de l'esprit" (Paris, 1899); and, in "L'action" (Paris, 1893), by Blondel, the founder of the so-called "Immanence School" the principles of which are embodied in the spiritual writings of Father Tyrrell, "Lex Orandi" (London, 1903), "Lex Credendi" (London, 1906). The continued opposition between Catholicism and Protestantism in the last century resulted in the production of a number of noteworthy apologetic writings: Möhler, "Symbolism", published in Germany in 1832, which has gone through many editions in English; Balmes, "Protestantism and Catholicity Compared in their Effects on the Civilization of Europe", a Spanish work published in English in 1840 (Baltimore); the works of the three illustrious English cardinals, Wiseman, Newman, and Manning, most of whose writings have a bearing on apologetics.

It is out of all these varied and extensive studies that apologetics has taken form. The vastness of the field makes it extremely difficult for any one writer to do it full justice. In fact a complete, comprehensive apology of uniform excellence still remains to be written.

2em  Apolysis (Gr.,, dismissal), the dismissal blessing said by the Greek priest at the end of the Mass, Matins, or Vespers. It corresponds fairly well to the Latin Ite, Missa est, and is in use in the Greek Church since the days of St. Athanasius. At the end of the Mass the priest turns to the people and says, if it be Sunday, "He that rose again from the dead, Christ our true God, at the intercession of His immaculate and all-blameless holy Mother, by the power of the precious and life-giving cross, by the protection of the bodiless powers (i.e. angels) of Heaven, at the supplications of the glorious prophet John the Forerunner and Baptist, the holy, glorious, and all-famous Apostles, the holy, glorious, and victorious martyrs (and then he mentions the other saints), have mercy on us and save us; for He is good and loveth man". If the Mass be on a Week day the apolysis omits the opening words of the blessing, "He that rose again from the dead", as those particular words are used to commemorate Sunday as being the day of the Resurrection; There is also a shorter form in use after different parts of the Divine Office, e. g. Prime, Sext, None, etc.

2em  Apolytikion, a dismissal prayer or hymn said or sung at the end of the Greek Mass and at other times during Matins and Vespers; It was originally sung at the end of Vespers, and is very much like the Roman collect or post-communion, inasmuch as it changes for each feast-day of the year and commemorates the subject of the feast. The apolytikion of Christmas reads as follows: "Thy Nativity, O Christ, hath arisen on the world as the light of knowledge; for at it those who worshipped stars were taught by a star to adore Thee, O Sun of Righteousness, and to know Thee, O Orient from on high; Glory to Thee, O Lord". The one for the feast of the Annunciation is: "To-day is the crowning of our salvation and the manifestation of the Mystery which is from eternity; the Son of God becometh the Son of the Virgin, and Gabriel announceth the glad tidings of grace: wherefore let us cry out with him to the Mother of God; Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee!"

2em  Apophthegmata Patrum (, from;, to cry out; pater, father), sayings of the Fathers of the Desert. Various collections exist of aphorisms and anecdotes illustrative of the spiritual life, of ascetic and monastic principle, and of Christian 