Officio sanctissimo

Officio sanctissimo is an encyclical of Pope Leo XIII. which he sent to the Bavarian episcopate on December 22, 1887 and in which he wrote "about the church in Bavaria".

Church in Bavaria

He begins with the words: "Guided by the" most sacred duty "(Officio sanctissimo) of the Apostolic Office, I address the bishops in Bavaria" and refers to his encyclical ( Iampridem of January 6, 1886) and the situation of Catholicism in Prussia , this concern has not yet been reached in the Kingdom of Bavaria .

Exhortation

Basically exhorts and encourages ( exhortiert ) he the Bavarian clergy not to let up in his work and his work. The bishops have a special position in relation to church and state . In support he adds a letter from his predecessor Pius IX. who praised the seriousness of the faith and the defense of the Church in Bavaria.

The job of the bishops

The bishops lead the particular Churches assigned to them through advice, encouragement, and example, but also through authority and holy power. This power, which they exercise personally in the name of Christ, belongs to them as their own, ordinary and direct power, even if its execution is ultimately regulated by the highest church authority and is circumscribed with certain limits with regard to the benefit of the church or the believers can. By virtue of this power, the bishops have the right and the duty to enact laws for their subordinates, to pass judgments and to regulate everything that belongs to the order of worship and the apostolate. The constant daily care of their dioceses is fully entrusted to them. They are not to be understood as representatives of the bishops of Rome , because they have a power of their own and, in truth, are called rulers of the people they lead. This statement was adopted in a later church document.

The training of priests

In order to strengthen the youngest members of the clergy in their tasks, it is of great importance to give them a good education. The young priests should not feel left alone to stand against the "false philosophers " and the "evil".

Schools and Church

He also describes the situation at the schools in Bavaria and calls for the religious schools to be maintained. In doing so, he rejects the “mixed school” but also the participation in “religious community lessons and events”, at the same time he warns against false teachers and professors . It is the primary duty of the church and the clergy to maintain Catholic schools and to promote Christian education .

Freedom of action of the church

He grants the church and the bishops that in the context of their activities they have a freedom of action that is for the good of the church, but also for the good of society. This statement is also taken into account in a more recent church document.

Web links

• Text of the encyclical in English

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church "Lumen Gentium" (November 21, 1963), note 95
2. ↑ Declaration "Dignitatis Humanae", On Religious Freedom. The right of the person and the community to social and civil freedom in religious matters (December 7, 1965) Note 32