Apostolicae nostrae caritatis

Apostolicae nostrae caritatis is an encyclical written by Pope Pius IX. , with which he published on August 1, 1854 a "call to immediate prayer for peace". He first described - in his own choice of words for the time - the religious and secular scenarios . He described the "threat to religion " as a catastrophe , the opponents of the faith, as he called it, would try to bring about the overthrow of the authority of the church and they would corrupt the souls and minds of all people. He lamented the violent wars and natural disasters such as the plague and earthquakes , which he believed to be related to the threat to the church.

For these reasons, explained Pius IX, he was writing this circular asking God to calm his anger and he implored the help of the Divine Virgin Mary . In memory of the Holy Year 1850, he gave the bishops , as was already done in the Jubilee year, the authority to carry out a three-month prayer phase; the prayers should be combined with the giving of alms and the sacraments of penance and communion should be intensely observed.

Web links

Text of the encyclical