Iamdudum cernimus

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Iamdudum cernimus is an allocation from Pope Pius IX. which was published March 18, 1861 .

This is an address by the Pope to the College of Cardinals on important questions of the Church. Allocations, like Papal Encyclicals, are named after their first words . The allocation begins with the sentence:

"Iamdudum cernimus, Venerabiles Fratres, quo misero sane conflictu ob invicem pugnantia inter veritatem et errorem, inter virtutem et vitium, inter lucem et tenebras principia, hac miserrima nostra praesertim aetate civilis exagitetur societas."

"For a long time, venerable brethren, we have seen the fierce struggle between the competing principles of truth and error, virtue and vice, light and darkness, disturbing civil society, especially in our unhappy times."

- Pii IX Pontificis Maximi Acta, pars prima, vol. III

background

The allocation serves as the basis for the condemnation of the 80th thesis of the Syllabus errorum , namely the supposedly necessary reconciliation of the Pope with the liberalism and nationalism that was emerging at the time and the social currents associated with them, especially in Italy.

Pius IX particularly castigated in this allocation the Risorgimento , which strove for an Italian nation-state. So that this movement also threatened the temporal power of the Pope over the Papal States . After the Sardinian War in 1859, France was under Napoléon III. , who saw himself as the protector of Catholicism, was only ready to guarantee the Lazio region around Rome military protection. As a result, the Papal State lost a large part of its territory, namely Umbria and the Marches . These areas were added to the Kingdom of Sardinia , the forerunner of the Kingdom of Italy . In 1860 Giuseppe Garibaldi occupied the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies , which was dissolved soon after and joined the Kingdom of Italy. Garibaldi's stated aim was to attack the papal state and make Rome the capital of the Italian kingdom.

It was under this impression that the Iamdudum cernimus allocation to the College of Cardinals was held. Pius IX denounced not only the intellectual currents of his time, but also the political efforts to further reduce the power of the Pope.

Directives

Those who have conformed to views common to a modern civilization , according to Pius IX, call on the Pope for reconciliation with progress , liberalism and newer politics, while the others, who follow the laws of justice of the most sacred Defend religion, plead duly ( vero merito ) for the maintenance of the immovable and inviolable principles of eternal justice. The supporters of today's civilization are hardly aware of this demarcation because they consider themselves true and sincere friends of religion . The Pope would want to believe them if the unfortunate acts that are being committed today in front of everyone did not show the opposite. He asked whether these acts could induce the servant of Christ to join, without the most serious offense against conscience and the greatest shame, of today's civilization, through whose work so many evils to be wept had appeared as never before (in Latin : “ cuius opera tot nunquam satis deploranda eveniunt mala ”) and so many heinous opinions and errors would be published which contravened the Catholic religion and its doctrines. Among these acts, the Pope particularly highlights the abolition, condemned by him, of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies in 1860, which ruined the conventions between the Holy See and royal principles.

According to the Pope, today's modern civilization cheapens non-Catholic cults, hardly opposes the clothing of state offices by unbelievers, at the same time closes Catholic schools and is angry at high clergy who would then have to eke out their poor existence in exile or in shackles . But even the lay faithful to the Holy See would not be spared. While this civilization richly finances non-Catholic institutions and individuals (in Latin : " acatholicis institutis ac personis subsidia largitur "), it deprives the Catholic Church of its fair owners (in Latin: " catholicam Ecclesiam iustissimis suis possessionibus spoliat "). Although the Holy See was a supporter of true civilization, civilization has moved away from humanity and morals, discipline and wisdom. And if the term civilization is used to weaken and possibly destroy the Church of Christ, the Pope and the Holy See could never approach such a civilization. Pius IX invokes this. to the 2nd letter of Paul to the Corinthians VI, 15: Quae autem conventio Christi ad Belial?

No agreement could be made, thereby weakening the most sacred faith and putting Italy in danger of losing its greatest glory and glory, which for 19 centuries revolved around the center of Catholic truth. The unrestrained freedom was seized by the harmless generosity of the Pope and the halls where the delegates and ministers met were splattered with blood. Pius IX describes the separation of so-called national churches. as the tearing of Christ's clothes (in Latin : “ Christi vestem lacerare contendunt ”) and the simultaneous call to deal with today's civilization as hypocrisy through which they wanted to reconcile the Pope with Italy .

Finally, Pius IX calls. the prelates to pray so that the supporters of today's civilization could calm down and come to, so that they might deserve his blessings . As soon as they came to, he would be ready to forgive and bless them. However, it will now be impossible not to get upset and not consider the evils and harms they have conjured up.

Pius IX Ask God to enlighten the minds of those so that they would repent of their terrible crime and turn back with a beating. (In Latin : " qui horrendi facinoris poenitentes revertebantur percutientes pectora sua ").

aftermath

When the French troops withdrew from Rome in 1870 after the start of the Franco-Prussian War , Italian troops took the city and dissolved the Papal States . Pope Pius IX addressed his protest in the encyclical Ubi nos of May 15, 1871 to the entire church people. As already announced in the Iamdudum cernimus allocation , he still strictly refused to sign a contract with the new Italian state. In that contract, he had been offered compensation payments. He called the new rulers usurpers and excommunicated them. The dispute over the Roman Question , a 60-year conflict over the status of the city of Rome, began.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f Pii IX Pontificis Maximi Acta , pars prima, vol. III, Iamdudum cernimus is on pp. 220-229 of the book.

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