Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 15.djvu/635

 WEALTH

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WEALTH

The erection of the Stations in churches did not become at all common until towards the end of the seventeenth century, and the popularity of the prac- tice seems to have been chiefly due to the indulgences attached. The custom originated with the Francis- cans, but its special connexion with that order has now disappeared. It has already been said that niunerous indulgences were formerly attached to the holy places at Jerusalem. Realizing that few persons, compara- tively, were able to gain these by means of a personal pilgrimage to the Holy l^and. Innocent XI, in 1686, granted to the Franciscans, in answer to their petition, the right to erect the Stations in all their churches, and declared that all the indulgences that had ever been j;iven for devoutly visiting the actual scenes of Christ's Passion, could thenceforth be gained by Franciscans ind all others affiliated to their order if they made the Way of the Cross in their own churches in the accus- tomed manner. Innocent XII confirmed the privi- lege in 1694 and Benedict XIII in 1726 extended it to all the faithful. In 1731 Clement XII still further extended it by permitting the indulgenced Stations to all churches, provided that they were erected by a Franciscan father with the sanction of the ordinary. At the same time he definitely fixed the number of Stations at foiu'teen. Benedict XIV in 1742 exhorted all priests to enrich their churches with so great a treasure,and there are few churches now without the Stations. In 1857 the bishops of England received Faculties from the Holy See to erect Stations them- selves, vi-ith the indulgences attached, wherever there ivere no Franciscans available, and in 1862 this last restriction was removed and the bishops were empow- ered to erect the Stations themselves, either person- ally or by delegate, an^TS-here within their jurisdiction. These faculties are quinquennial. There is some uncertainty as to what are the precise indulgences belonging to the stations. It is agreed that all that have ever been granted to the faithful for visiting the holy places in person can now be gained by making the Via Crucis in any church where the Stat ions have been erected in due form, but the Instructions of the Sacred Congregation, approved by Clement XII in 17.31, prohibit priests and others from specifying what 3r how many indulgences may be gained. In 1773 Clement XIV attached the same indulgence, under 3ertain conditions, to crucifixes duly blessed for the purpose, for the use of the sick, those at sea or in prison, and others lawfully hindered from making the Stations in a church. The conditions are that, whilst holding the crucifix in their hands, they must say the 'Pater" and "Ave" fourteen times, then the "Pater", ■'Ave", and "Gloria" five times, and the same again ance each for the pope's intentions. If one person hold the cnicifix, a number present may gain the indul- gence provided the other conditions are fulfilled by all. ■such crucifixes cannot be sold, lent, or given away, Knthout losing the indulgence.

The following are the principal regulations imiver- ially in force at the present time with regard to the stations: (1) If a pastor or a superior of a convent, hospital, etc., wishes to have the Stations erected in their places he must a-sk permis.sion of the bishop. If there are Franciscan Fathers in the same town or city, their superior must be asked to bless the Stations or delegate some priest either of his own monastery or a secular priest. If there are no Franciscan Fathers in that place the bishops who have obtained from the Holy See the extraordinary faculties of Form C can Irlegate any priest to erect the Stations. This dele- a;ation of a certain priest for the blessing of the Sta- tions must necessarily be done in WTiting. The pastor af such a church, or the superior of such a hosjiital, nonvent, etc., should take care to sign the document the bishop or the superior of the Franciscan mona.stery sends, so that he may thereby express his consent to have the Stations erected in their place, for the

bishop's and the respective pastor's or superior's con- sent must be had before the Stations are blessed, otherwise the blessing is nuU and void; (2) Pictures or tableaux of the various Stations ai-e not necessary. It is to the cross placed over them that the indulgence is attached. These crosses must be of wood; no other material will do. If only painted on the wall the erection is null (Cong. Ind., 1837, 1838, 1845); (3) If, for restoring the chiu-ch, for placing them in a more convenient position, or for any other reasonable cause, the crosses are moved, this may be done without the indulgence being lost (1845). If any of the crosses, for some reason, have to be replaced, no fresh blessing is required, unless more than half of them are so replaced (1839). (4) There should if possible be a separate meditation on each of the fourteen incidents of the Via Crucis, not a general meditation on the Passion nor on other incidents not included in the Stations. No particular prayers are ordered; (5) The distance required between the Stations is not defined. Even when only the clergy move from one Station to another the faithful can still gain the indulgence without moving; (6) It is necessary to make all the Stations uninterruptedly (S. C. I., 22 January, 1858). Hearing Mass or going to Confession or Communion between Stations is not considered an interruption. According to many the Stations may be made more than once on the same day, the indulgence may be gained each time; but this is by no means certain (S. C. I., 10 Sept., 1883). Confession and Commu- nion on the day of making theSf ations are not necessary provided the person making them is in a state of grace; (7) Ordinarily the Stations should be erected within a church or public oratory. If the Via Crucis goes outside, e. g. in a cemetery or cloister, it should if possible begin and end in the church.

In conclusion it may be safely asserted that there is no devotion more richly endowed with indulgences than the Way of the Cross, and none which enables us more hterally to obey Christ's injunction to take up om' cross and follow Him. A perusal of the prayers usually given for this devotion in any manual will show what abundant spiritual graces, apart from the indulgences, may be obtained through a right use of them, and the fact that the Stations may be made either publicly or privately in any church renders the devotion specially suitable for all. One of the most popularly attended Ways of the Cross at the present day is that in the Colosseum at Rome, where every Friday the devotion of the Stations is conducted publicly by a Franciscan Father.

THmisTON, Thr Slnlions of the Cross (London, 1906); The RarroUa, tr. St. John (London, 1857); Miqke. Did. dcs CM- monies (Paris, 1865); DE MoNTAULT, Le chemin de la croix, Bk. VII of TraM pratique de la construction dcs (glises (Paria, 1878); Keppler, Die XIV Stalionen dcs hi. Kreuzueg (Freiburg, 1899).

G. Cyprian Alston.

Wealth, Use of. — The term wealth is not used here in the technical sense in which it occurs in trea- tises on economic subjects, but rather in its common acceptation, synonymous with riches. The purpose of this article is not to discu.ss the various uses to which wealth may be put with advantage to the public weal or that of the individual, but to determine whether and how far there is any employment of it which is obligatory, i. e. is the subject matter of a positive precept. It is usual with writers on spiritual .subjects to say that the possessors of wealth hold it in trust. This does not mean that they are not in any true sense owners, but only that their ownership is not unquahfied to the extent of being unburdened by certain duties in its use. To say that one may act as he likes with his own brings forth the obvious rejoinder, what value is then to be attached to the word nwnt If it be regarded a.s that which one may dispose of according to his good pleasure, we have a crude instance of a vicious circle. If it be identi-