Page:The Great Encyclical Letters of Pope Leo XIII.djvu/549



THE BIBLICAL COMMISSION. 543

a certain portion of Our Vatican Library. We shall take care that a numerous collection of manuscripts and vol- umes of every epoch which treat of bibhcal questions shall without delay be classified and placed at the disposi- tion of the commissioners. It is very desirable that well- to-do Catholics should come to Our assistance to establish and enlarge this library in sending to Us resources to be employed for this end, or useful books, and in so doing they will render a service in a most fitting manner to Almighty God, who is the Author of Scriptures and of the Church.

Moreover, We have confidence that divine Providence will amply bless this undertaking, which has for its direct object the safeguarding of Christian faith and the eternal salvation of souls, and that Catholics who are devoted to the Holy Books will respond with an absolute and com- plete submission to the declarations of the Holy See on this point. We wish and We ordain that all and every one of these prescriptions and decisions which it has seemed good to Us to make and to formulate on this point shall be and shall remain ratified and confirmed in the manner which We have adopted and fonnulated, any clause to the contrary notwithstanding.