QUAM
AERUMNOSA
ENCYCLICAL OF POPE LEO XIII
ON ITALIAN IMMIGRANTS
To
Our Venerable Brothers the Archbishops and Bishops of America.
Venerable
Brethren, Greeting and the Apostolic Blessing.
How sad
and fraught with trouble is the state of those who yearly emigrate in
bodies to America for the means of living is so well known to you that
there is no need of Us to speak of it at length. For the evils which press
about them are witnessed by you close at hand, and more than once in your
letters to Us, many of you have mournfully referred to the matter. It
is, indeed, piteous that so many unhappy sons of Italy, driven by want
to seek another land, should encounter ills greater than those from which
they would fly. And it often happens that to the toils of every kind by
which their physical life is wasted, is added the far more wretched ruin
of their souls. The very first voyage of the emigrants is full of perils
and hardships, for they fall for the most part into the hands of avaricious
traders, whose slaves they in a manner are, and thrown together by droves
in the narrow spaces of the ships, with but slight clothing, they are
gradually driven into depraved habits. When they reach the lands for which
they are destined, ignorant as they are of the language and the place,
and hired out for daily labour, they fall
into the hands of the dishonest, and into the snares of those more powerful
men to whom they enslave themselves. Even those who by their industry
are able to provide the wherewithal of life by continually mixing with
men who value everything by profit and worldly advantage, they learn to
toss aside by degrees the high aspirations of humanity and to live the
life of those who place all their hopes and desires upon this world. Then
the troubles of ambition are on all sides in their path, and the deceits
of sects, which in these countries are widespread in their hostility to
religion, pull down many into the path that points to ruin.
2. Among
all these evils, however, that is by far the most calamitous which, among
so many men, and in so wide and difficult a country, renders it not as
easy as it should be to obtain the saving assistance of God's servants
who are unable to speak to them the word of life in the Italian tongue,
to administer the sacraments, or to uphold by the aids whereby the soul
is raised to the desire of heavenly things, and the life of the spirit
is strengthened and nourished. Hence in many places very few are consoled
by a priest in death, and many are deprived of baptism at birth; and there
are many whose marriage is not blessed by the lawful ceremonies of the
Church, and hence
a young generation is born like their fathers, and on every side by man's
forgetfulness Christian morality is killed and all that is most wicked
grows rank.
3.
Considering these things with care, and sorrowing over the wretchedness
of so many men, whom We saw to be wandering like sheep on steep and difficult
places without a shepherd, and at the same time calling to mind the charity
and teaching of the Eternal Father, We considered it to be Our duty to
hasten, with all the help in Our power, to prepare healthy pastures, and
by every possible exertion to advance their salvation and their good.
And We did so with the greater goodwill because the love for men who spring
from the same race as ourselves makes Us more zealous for their benefit,
and We had the certain hope that your zeal and assistance would never
be wanting to Us. Wherefore We ordained that in the Sacred Council of
Propaganda this matter should be discussed, and We issued commands that
when the remedies had been carefully inquired into and well weighed, by
means of which these evils might be crushed, or a least alleviated, the
most opportune should be laid before Us, both questions being at the same
time carefully considered, namely, the salvation of souls and the lessening
of the material distress of the emigrants as far as possible. Moreover,
as the principal cause of the growing ill lay in this, that these unhappy
men were without the help of a priestly ministry by means of which the
grace of heaven is given and increased, We determined to send from Italy
to that land many priests to console their countrymen in their own tongue,
to teach the faith and the obligations of the Christian life, which were
unknown or neglected, to administer to them the saving sacraments, to
spread among the rising generation religion and charity-in fine to help
all of every class, by word and work, and to assist them by all the duties
of the priestly office. And for the fuller and more convenient accomplishment
of this, We founded, by Our letter of December 15th, last year, sealed
by the seal of the Fisherman, the Apostolic College of Priests in the
Episcopal See of Placentia, under the care of the Venerable Brother John
Baptist, Bishop of Placentia, in which ecclesiastics, stimulated by Christ's
love, might be practiced in those duties and that discipline by which
they might well and worthily fulfil Christ's mission among the scattered
sons of Italy, and become fit dispensers of God's mysteries.
4.
Among the students of this college, which We wish to be considered a seminary
for God's ministers for the assistance of Italians dwelling in America,
We desire youths born of Italian parents even in your country to be received,
provided they are called and desire to fulfil the Lord's ministry, so
that when they have become priests they may go forth, under your pastoral
authority, to fulfil all the duties of the Apostolic ministry as far as
there is need for it. Nor do We daubs that these will be received by you
with fatherly affection, and will obtain the necessary faculties for the
sacred ministry to their countrymen, to exercise them under the instruction
of the parish priest; behold they come to you as helpers, that, under
the authority of each of you in whose diocese they are working, they may
give their best aid in the holy warfare. In truth, in the beginning their
help will not be so large as the needs of the occasion demand, nor will
it be possible, from the numbers and necessities of the faithful, to appoint
priests in separate remote districts for the cure of souls. Wherefore
We consider it the wisest course that, in the dioceses where the Italians
are most numerous, there should be communities of priests who may go forth
and journey in the surrounding districts and arrange touring missions.
But on what system or in what special places this can be done, it will
be for your prudence to decide. All these things which We considered to
be a duty of our Apostolic care We have commanded to be made known to
you by this letter. But if any one of you shall learn-either by his own
instinct and judgment or from the united counsel of brethren-anything
in addition which We may do for the comfort and profit of these men, you
will be doing a favour to Us if you make it known to the Sacred Council
of Propaganda.
5. And
from this work which We have undertaken for the good of many souls deprived
of every consolation of the Catholic religion, We promise the most abundant
fruits, especially if, as We trust, We are assisted in its growth by the
zeal and assistance of those of the faithful whose means equal their piety.
Moreover, We pray to the good God Who wishes all to be saved and to arrive
at the knowledge of truth, that He may look graciously upon those beginnings,
and may give a successful increase; and We very lovingly grant
the Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of Our most devoted affection to you,
Venerable Brethren, and to all the Clergy and Faithful whom you rule.
Given
at Rome at St. Peters, December 10th, 1888. The 11th year of Our Pontificate.
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