Multiplices inter
Multiplices inter is an " Apostolic Letter " from Pope Pius IX. , it is dated September 25, 1865. With this letter he again takes up the subject of “ Freemasonry ” and “ secret societies ” and condemns their existence in the strongest possible way.
Introduction and review
Already in the greeting he goes to court with Freemasonry strictly, he names their activities and secret meetings as hostile insults against the name of Christ and the Church . Despite vehement efforts against these perverse societies, it has still not been possible to keep the damage away from religion and human society . His predecessors in the chair of Peter imposed excommunications against these sects and expressly forbade believers to get involved with them. Clement XII. it was who led the main attack against Freemasonry, his successor Benedict XIV had confirmed the instructions of his predecessor and, when threatened with excommunication, forbade any handling of these elements. Likewise, his predecessors Pius VII and Leo XII. fought the Carbonari with a lightning strike , but the measures taken had not yet achieved their goal.
Fight against Freemasonry
The “Masonic sects ”, the Pope diagnosed , are still not tamed and they are still spreading. But, he asks, what would these secret meetings mean, what is the strict oath supposed to do? They have to be dragged out of the dark into the daylight, because in the Catholic Church there is nothing to hide or hide, it is permeated in all laws by the work of love and the knowledge of the gospel . The Pope underlines his ecclesiastical authority , by virtue of which he once again calls for the smashing of the heretical sect, which should be banished and punished with church rights.
Exhortation and invocation
The Pope exhorts and encourages the faithful to follow the advice of the Church, especially to oppose the ominous groups, they should not be heeded and neither welcomed. Now it is important to serve justice and to stand together in the community so that one is finally spared from this numerous calamities.
In order for this work to succeed, he asked the help of the Virgin Mary , so that the enemies of the Church would be crushed and the blessing would be distributed over the Christian.
See also
Web links
- Lettres apostoliques de Pie IX, Grégoire XVI, Pie VII, encycliques, brefs, etc.: texte latin avec la traduction française , Multiplices inter can be found on page 140 of the book