Acerba animi

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Acerba animi is an encyclical of Pope Pius XI. , with which he turned to the bishops of Mexico on September 29, 1932, denouncing the persecution of the Church in Mexico and giving instructions and advice on the behavior of pastors , towards the culturally restricted state laws.

Compromises between church and state

First, Pius XI referred. to his encyclical Iniquis afflictisque of November 18, 1926, with which he had also criticized the persecution of the Church in Mexico and encouraged the Mexican clergy to persevere. In this new letter he deals with the political and religious situation in Mexico and states that the rift between church and state has changed. The compromise consists in the state recognizing the church as a social entity and in return the church abstaining from any political influence. The government no longer demands strict adherence to the constitution and tolerates denominational schools and universities under church leadership. Orders could also be active in Mexico again, but the quantitative state admission of Catholic priests , which is too low to fulfill the apostolic and pastoral mandate of the churches , is criticized .

recommendations

As a countermeasure, Pius XI recalled. of the work of the lay organizations , which had publicly formulated their concerns and articulated the positions of the Church in the dispute over socialist education in the 1930s. But in general, both sides would stick to the agreements. Political mandate holders who too insistently demand that the constitution be adhered to in ecclesiastical questions sometimes lose their office and priests critical of the state are on the other hand called to order by their superiors. Now he called on the clergy, although they were in a difficult political situation, to insist on their Christian doings through activities and actions.

See also

With the encyclical Nos es muy conocida of March 28, 1937, Pius XI. again to the Mexican episcopate and made recommendations on how to overcome the religious situation in Mexico.

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