Meminisse iuvat

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Meminisse iuvat ( Latin for "It is helpful to remember") is the last encyclical of Pope Pius XII. , with which he called on July 14, 1958 to "prayers for the persecuted church". In connection with the anniversary of his death on October 9, 1958, this encyclical can be understood in the broader sense as a kind of “testament”. Pius XII. begins his last encyclical with the words: “It seems appropriate to recall that when there was danger to the Christian people and when the Church was threatened, we and my brothers and sisters have prayed to the Virgin Mary, our most loving Mother, in supplication to ask them for protection for our flock ”.

New threats

He recalls that during the last few years, when bloody wars swept across the world, he constantly called for justice and peace with sermons and circulars, and he used his means to warn against war and violence . Now that these wars have been contained, a new threat arises that worries him. It was the fear of terrible weapons that seized him, the use of which represented a tremendous power and the effects of which were aimed at universal annihilation that could cause great damage not only to the victor but to all of humanity.

Church and State

In the next chapter he calls for the observance of the Christian commandments and exhorts the rulers to use their power conscientiously. It is the authority of God that has given men power and therefore they must use their intelligence on the basis of the law. It is the Christian religion that teaches full truth, perfect justice and divine love, which should eliminate hatred, animosity and fighting. But it is also harmful and careless to call for conflicts with the Christian religion, because these reflect that a state without religion has no moral responsibility. Pius XII. laments the persecution of the Church in Europe and Eastern Asia and recalls the reprisals that have been overcome earlier , which would have strengthened the bond of love and brotherly cohesion.

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