Gravissimas

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Gravissimas (lat .: most serious) is an encyclical of Pope Leo XIII. It is dated May 16, 1901. With this circular he addressed Cardinal José Sebastião Neto , Patriarch of Lisbon , and the Portuguese bishops . In terms of content, he wrote “about the religious mission in Portugal ” and expresses the fact that there should be no sequence or different weighting of religion in connection with the state.

  • The Pope informed the Patriarch of Lisbon that his concern was the daily confrontation with religious discipline in many areas of Portugal. He praises the effort and zeal with which one tries to stand up for the needs and usefulness of the pastoral tasks with the king .
  • The unrest would be brought about by religious societies, which are contrary to the rights of the Church , they would also not react to the last decrees . Cooperation with the state institutions must therefore be sought in the Catholic Church in accordance with the discipline, and it must be clarified that the religious mandate is on an equal footing with the state mandate, and therefore “no religious order can exist”.
  • It is therefore correct and necessary to coordinate the necessary civil regulations with the church laws with the state institutions. This can only happen in such a way that the religious dignity of the individual is preserved and the nature of the state is preserved.
  • He recommends to the Patriarch to unite and enlarge the Catholic powers, to maintain publications and organizations and to defend the rights of the Church. This also includes the good will to put private opinions and political rivalries in the background, this is, according to Leo XIII, his "most serious" wish to the Patriarch.

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