Cum primum (Gregory XVI.)
Cum primum is an encyclical of Pope Gregory XVI. , with which he addressed the Archbishops and Bishops of the Kingdom of Poland on June 9, 1832 . After the suppression of Poland by Tsar Nicholas I of Russia , the Pope wrote “On civil obedience”.
Gregory XVI. lamented the violent change in power politics in Poland and deplored the oppression of Poland. He made no mention of the names of rulers, but the Pope expressed that peace and legitimate authority must be restored for this region as soon as possible. This wish was also the cause of his encyclical, he intended to encourage the Polish people and therefore praised their loyalty and loyalty .
The Pope referred to biblical passages in which the state duties of Christians are documented ( Romans 13, 1-2, 5 ), he also referred to passages in the Gospel in which the power given by God is described as the legitimate power of the one has to submit ( 1 Peter 2:13 ). He called for civil obedience , because the power given by God is only a power for a time. At the same time he demanded that the tsar conscientiously and Christianly exercise the power he had received from God.
