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9 t » VOL 2 NO 32 ATLANTA, GEORGIA SUPPLEMENT THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 1964 $5.00 PER YEAR Ecclesiam Suam Document iocese of Atlanta SERVING GEORGIA'S 71 NORTHERN COUNTIES Complete Text its own nature, its own mission, its own ultimate destiny, a doctrine never sufficiently investigated and understood, inasmuch as it contains the “pub lication of a mystery, kept hidden from the begin ning of time in the all-creating mind of God...in order that it may be made known...through the Church’* (Eph. 3, 9-l0). This teaching is a mysterious storehouse, or, in other words, a treasury of the mysterious plans of God which are to be revealed through the Church; it is today more than anything else conducive to meditation for everyone who wishes to be a docile follower of Christ and, to an even greater degree, for every man whom, like ourself and you, venerable bre thren, the Holy Spirit has appointed as bishops to govern the very Church of God (cf. Act. 20, 28). From this enlightened and effective realization there arises the spontaneous desire to compare the ideal image of the Church just as Christ sees it, wills it, and loves it as His holy and immaculate spouse (Eph. 5, 27), with the actual image which the Church projects today, faithful, through the grace of God, to the features which its Divine Founder imparted to it and which, through the course of the centuries, the Holy Spirit has energized and developed in a way which is more comprehensive and more in accord to the initial- concept of the Church and to the nature of the human race which it is continually evangelizing and elevating. But the actual image of the Church is never as perfect, as lovely, as holy or as brilliant as that formative divine idea would wish it to be. Hence there arises the unselfish and almost impatient need for renewal, for correction of the defects which this conscience denounces and rejects, as if, standing before a mirror, we were to examine interiorly the image of Christ which He has left us. To find the contemporary duty, so clearly in cumbent on the Church, of correcting the defects of its own members and of leading them to greater perfection; to find the way to achieve wisely so sweeping a renovation, this is the second thought which burdens our heart and which we would like to reveal to you in order not only to find greater courage to undertake the necessary reforms, but also to secure from your collaboration both advice and support in so delicate and difficult an under taking. Our third thought, certainly shared by you, fol lows from the first two, and concerns the rela tionships which the Church of today should estab lish with the world which surrounds it and in which it lives and labors. One part of this world, as everyone knows, has undergone the profound in fluence of Christianity and has assimilated it so completely that often itfails to realize that it owes the credit for its greatest gifts to Christianity it self, but, in recent times, has come to the point of separating and detaching Itself from the Christian foundations of its culture. Another and larger part of the world extends to the boundless horizons of those who are termed emerging nations. But, taken as a whole, it is a world which offers the Church, not one, but a hundred forms of possible contacts, of which some are unimpeded and beck oning, some are sensitive and complex, and un fortunately in these days many are hostile and im pervious to friendly dialogue. Thus we meet what has been termed the problem of the dialogue between the Church and the modem world. This is a problem which it will be for the council to determine in its vastness and complexi ty, and to solve, as far as possible, to the best of its ability. But its existence and its urgency are such as to create a burden on our soul, a stimu (N. C. W. C. NEWS SERVICE VATICAN CITY—Following is the text of an English translation of the encyclical Ecclesiam Suam of Pope Paul VI outlining three paths for the Church today. The document is dated Aug. 6, but was released hei;e by the Vatican Press Office Aug. 10. Since Jesus Christ founded His Church to be the loving mother of all men and the dispenser of sal vation, it is obvious why she has always been specially loved and cherished by those with the glory of God and the eternal salvation of men at heart, among whom, as is fitting, the vicars of Christ on earth, vast numbers of bishops and priests and a wonderful host of saintly Christians have been conspicuous. It will, then, not seem strange to anyone that, in addressing to the world this first encyclical after our elevation, in God’s inscrutable design, to the pontifical throne, we should turn our thoughts with love and reverence towards Holy Church. Conse quently, we propose to ourself in this encyclical the task of showing more clearly to all men the Church’s importance for the salvation of mankind, and her heartfelt desire that Church and mankind should meet each other and should come to know and love each other. PROLOGUE THE PATHS OF THE CHURCH At the opening of the second session of the Sec ond Vatican Ecumenical Council on thefeastof St. Michael the Archangel of last year, through the goodness of God we had the opportunity of speaking to all of you as you were gathered in the basilica of St. Peter. On that occasion we made clear our in tention of addressing you also in writing, as is customary at the outset of each pontificate, with brotherly and fatherly words, in order to commu nicate to you some of the dominant thoughts in our heart which seem useful as practical guidelines at the beginning of our service as Pope. It is truly difficult for us to specify such thoughts, because we ought to derive them from the attentive meditation of the teaching of God, we ourself always keeping in mind those words of Christ: “My doctrine is not so much mine as that of Him who sent me’* (John 7:^6). Further, we ought to apply our thoughts to the present situation of the Church at a time when both energy and toil characterize its internal spiritual experience as well as its external apostolic efforts. Finally, we ought not to ignore the contemporary state of hu manity in the midst of which our mission is to be accomplished. But it is not our intention to express ideas that are either new or fully developed; the ecumenical council exists for thatpurpose; its work should not be disturbed by this simple conversational letter of ours; rather, it is to be commended and en couraged. This encyclical intends neither to claim a solemn and strictly doctrinal function, nor to pro pose particular moral or social teachings, but merely to communicate a fraternal and informal message. In fact, through this document we wish simply to fulfill our duty of revealing ourmind to you in order to impart closer cohesion and deeper joy to that unity in faith and charity which, thank God, binds us together. We hope thereby to inject new vigor into our sacred work, to await more profitably the effec tive deliberations of the ecumenical council, and to impart greater clarity'to some doctrinal and prac tical norms which can give helpful guidance to the spiritual and apostolic activity', not only of the ecclesiastical hierarchy and of all who respond to it with obedience and collaboration, but also of all who regard it merely with kindly attention. We will tell you without further delay, venerable brethren, that there are three thoughts which con tinually disturb our heart when we reflect on the exalted responsibility which, contrary to what we desire and out of all proportion to what we deserve, providence has willed to entrust to us. We bear the responsibility of ruling the Church of Christ because we hold the office of Bishop of Rome and consequently the office of successor to the blessed Apostle Peter, the bearer of the mas ter keys to the Kingdom of God, the vicar of the same Christ who made of him the supreme shep herd of his worldwide flock. The first thought is that this is the hour in which the Church should deepen its consciousness of it self, in which it ought to meditate on that mystery which is peculiar to it, in which it ought to examine, for its own enlightenment and for its own development, a particular doctrine which it al ready knows and which it has formulated and made known during this past century. That doctrine concerns the origin of the Church, her message of brotherhood and of salvation. She needs to experience Christ in herself, ac cording to the words of the Apostle Paul: “May Christ find a dwelling place, through faith, in your hearts'* (Eph. 3, 17). It is known to all that the Church has her roots deep in mankind, that she is part of it, that she draws her members from it, that she receives from it precious treasures of culture, that she suffers from its historical vicissitudes, that she favors its progress. Now, it is likewise known that at present man kind is undergoing great transformations, up heavals, and developments which are profoundly changing not only its exterior modes of life but also its ways of thinking. Mankind’s range of thought, culture, and spirit have been intimately modified either by scientific, technical and social progress or by the currents of philosophical and political thought which overwhelm or pass through it. All of this, like the waves of an ocean, envelops and agitates the Church itself. Men committed to the Church are greatly influenced by the climate of the world; so much so that a danger bordering almost on vertiginous confusion and bewilderment can shake the Church’s very foundations and lead men to embrace most bizarre ways of thinking, as though the Church should disavow herself and t8ke up the very latest and untried ways of life. Was not the phenomenon of modernism, forex- ample, which still crops up in the various attempts at expression which is foreign to the authentic na ture of the Catholic religion, an episode of abuse exercised against the faithful and genuine expres sion of the doctrine and criterion on the Church of Christ by psychological and cultural forces of the profane world? Now it seems to us that to check the oppressive and complex danger coming from many sides, a good and obvious remedy is for the Church to deepen her awareness of what she really is according to the mind of Christ, as preserved in Sacred Scripture and in Tradition, and inter preted and developed by the authentic tradition of the Church. The Church is, as we know, en lightened and guided by the Holy Spirit, who is still ready, if we implore Him and listen to Him, to fulfill without fail the promise of Christ: “the- Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send on my ac count, will in his turn make everything plain, and recall to your minds everything I have said to you” (Jn. 14, 26). We could make a similar discourse concerning errors which circulate even within the Church and into which fall those who have but a partial under standing of its nature and of its mission, and who do not pay close enough attention to the documents of divine Revelation and of the teaching body es tablished by Christ Himself. Moreover, this need to consider in reflection things that are known, in order to contemplate them in the interior mirror of his own mind, is characteristic of the mentality of modern man. His thought easily turns back upon himself and finds certitude and fullness in the light of its own conscience. W'e do not say that this habit is with out serious danger. Philosophical movements of great renown have studied and extolled this form of man’s spiritual activity as something definitive and supreme, as though it were the measure and source of reality, urging thought on to con clusions that are abstruse, barren, contradictory and radically fallacious. But this does not mean that an education aiming at the search for reflex truth within man’s con sciousness is not in itself highly appreciated and today quite widespread as a refined expression of modern culture. Just as this habit carefully co ordinated with the development of thought for the lus, a vocation, one might term it, which we would wish, both ourself and you, brothers, who are sure ly not less experienced than we in this apostolic anguish, to clarify in some way in order to pre pare ourselves somehow for the discussions and deliberations which we shall try, together in the council, to outline in our treatment of a matter so weighty and complex. Surely you will notice that this summary outline of our encyclical does not envisage the treatment of urgent and serious topics which involve not only the Church but humanity itself, such as peace among nations and among social classes, the destitution and famine which still plague entire countries, the rise of new nations toward independence and civic progress, the currents of modern thought and Christian culture, the sad conditions of so many people and of so many segments of the Church where the very rights of free citizens and of hu man beings are being denied, the moral problems regarding birth, and so on. Regarding the great and universal question of world peace, we say at once that we shall feel it specially incumbent upon us not merely to devote a watchful and understanding interest, but also to entertain a more assiduous and efficacious con cern. This will be, of course, within the limits of our ministry and so utterly divorced from purely temporal interests and strictly political forms, but it will be eager to make its contribution in educating mankind to sentiments and ways of acting contrary to violent and deadly conflict, and in fostering rational and civilized agreements for peaceful relations between nations. We shall also be solicitious to help by proclaim ing higher human principles, that should serve to temper the passions and selfishness from which armed conflicts spring, and promote the harmon ious relations and fruitful collaboration of all peoples, and we shall be ready to intervene, where an opportunity presents itself, in order to assist the contending parties to find honorable and fra ternal solutions for their disputes. We do not, indeed, forget that this loving ser vice is a duty which the development, of doctrine on the one hand, and of international institutions on the other, has rendered all the more urgent in our awareness of our Christian mission in the world today. This mission is none other than mak ing men brothers by virtue of the kingdom of Jus tice and peace inaugurated by Christ's coming into the world. But even if we now limit ourself to some meth odological considerations concerning the life of the Church, we do not therefore forget those great problems. To some of them the council will devote its attention, while we personally will make them the objects of our study and of our action in the course of the exercise of our apostolic ministry, as it shall please the Lord to give us the inspira tion and the strength for the task. I AWARENESS We think that it is a duty today for the Church to deepen the awareness that she must have of herself, of the treasure of truth of which she is heir and custodian and of her mission in the world. Even before proposing for study any particular question, and even before considering what atti tude to assume before the world around her, the Church in this moment must reflect on herself to find strength in the knowledge of her place in the divine plan; to find again greater light, new energy and fuller joy in the fulfilment of her own mission; and to determine the best means for making more immediate, more efficacious and more beneficial her contacts with mankind to which she belongs, even though distinguished from it by unique and un mistakable characteristics. Indeed it seems to us that such an act of reflec tion can look to the very manner chosen by God to reveal Himself to men and to establish with them those religious bonds, of which the Church is both the instrument and the expression. Because if it is true that divine revelation was made “in many ways and by many means” (Heb. 1;1) in a his torical and incontestable context, nonetheless it entered into human life through ways proper to the word and the grace of God, who communicates Himself interiorly to men by their listening to the message of salvation and by the act of faith that follows end which is at the beginning of our jus tification. We should wish this reflection on the origin and on the nature of the new and vital relationship which the religion of Christ establishes between God and man, to become an act of docility to the words of the Divine Teacher spoken to His listen ers, and especially to His disciples, among whom even today, and with good reason, we ourself like to be considered. From among so many we will choose one of the weightiest and most often repeated recommenda tions made to them by our Lord and which is still valid today for whoever wishes to be His faithful follower, namely vigilance. It is true that this warning of our Master has to do principally with man's final destiny, be it proximate or remote in time. But precisely because this vigilance should always be present and operative in the conscience of the faithful servant, it determines his every day behavior, characteristic of the Christian in the world. The Lord's reminder about vigilance is also made with reference to close and immediate things, that is, to the dangers and temptations which can threaten damage or ruin to man’s con duct (cf. Mt. 26, 4l). Thus, it is easy to discover in the Gospel a continuous appeal to rectitude of thought and action. Was this not perhaps the theme of the Precur sor's preaching, by which the public phase of the Gospel begins? And did not Jesus Christ Him self call for the Kingdom of God to be received in teriorly? (Mt. 17, 21) Is not His whole pedagogy an exhortation, and initiation to the Interior life? Psychological awareness and moral conscience are both called by Christ to a simultaneous ma turity, as a condition for receiving the divine gifts of truth and of grace, as ultimately befits man. And this awareness of the disciple will later become his recollection (cf. Mt. 26, 75; Lk. 24, 16; 16, 4) of what Jesus had taught and of what had taken place around Him; it will develop and grow in understanding who He was and what he taught and did. The birth of the Church and the enlightening of her prophetic consciousness are the two charac teristic events which coincide with Pentecost. Together they will progress: the Church in her organization and the development of her hierarchy and of the body of the faithful; the awareness of her own vocation, of her own mysterious nature, of her own doctrine, of her own mission will ac company this gradual development. This will be according to the desire of St. Paul: “And this is my prayer for you; may your love grow richer and richer yet, in the fullness of its knowledge and the depth of its perception” (Phil. 1;9), We could express this invitation in another way, which we address to each of those who wish to re ceive it——that is, to each of you, venerable broth ers, and to your followers, as also the “gathering of the faithful” considered as a whole, which is the Church. And thus we could invite all men to make a living, profound and conscious act of faith in Jesus Christ Our Lord. We should mark this moment of our religious life by such a profession of faith, firm and reso lute, though always humble and timorous, similar to the one we read about in the Gospel, uttered by the man born blind, whose eyes Jesus Christ had opened with a goodness equal to His power: “1 do believe, Lord'’* (Jn. 9, 38). Or that of Martha in the same Gospel: “Yes, Lord, I have learned to believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, He who has come into this world” (Jn. U, 27); or that, specially dear to us, of Simon, who was later to become Peter: “You ere the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Mt. *6, 16). Why do we have the boldness to invite you to this act of ecclesiastical awareness? To this explicit, though interior, act of faith? Many are the reasons, in our opinion, and they all derive from the profound and key demands of the unique moment reached by the life of the Church. The Church needs to reflect on herself. She needs to feel the throb of her own life. She must learn to know herself better, if she wishes to live her own proper vocation and to offer to the world YOUR PRIZE-WINNING NEWSPAPER