Quod numquam

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With the encyclical Quod numquam (What [we] never [expected]) of February 5, 1875, “On the Church in Prussia ”, Pope Pius IX condemned . the Prussian legislation.

"The Kulturkampf"

Pope Pius IX declared the culture war laws null and void in the encyclical Quod numquam in 1875 . This was followed by Prussia a final tightening with the bread basket Act , the prohibition of almost all religious communities , Catholic with the state asset management parishes and the Expatriierungsgesetz . The Catholic priesthood refused to recognize the May laws and made use of their right to civil disobedience. The culture fighters reacted to the resistance of the Catholics with the mass removal of priests from office. Many clerics were expelled from Germany or thrown into prison. In 1876 almost all of Prussia's Catholic bishops were either in prison or in exile.

Fight the adversaries

In his encyclical Pius IX. expresses that what was never expected has happened, namely that the rulers in Prussia could turn against the Roman Catholic Church . That is why he only addresses the bishops and cardinals in Prussia. He describes these disputes as a wild storm in a country where the church could otherwise have lived in peace. The new laws would destroy the divine order and the sacred rights of the bishops.

Call for resistance

With great respect he praised the Prussian clergy and declared that one should not weep for the confreres, because they deserve praise and high recognition. It is now important to preserve the freedom of the church, to abolish the invalid laws and to restore equality. May the power of the Holy Spirit come down on them and support them in the fight against injustice.

justice

He let the opponents in the Kulturkampf know that the injustice of the law would lead to strife. As justice he understands the well-known words: “So give the emperor what belongs to the emperor, and to God what belongs to God” ( Gospel according to Matthew ) ( Mt 22:21  EU ) and “it is better to follow God than men to follow". But it is fair to obey God's right in this matter and to resist wrong.

The “divine” victory

Both tasks, the divine and the worldly, should be distributed fairly. But if they are not, then one will have to continue to be patient, continues to emphasize. Ultimately, victory in the name of God will be on their side, who fight in awe and hope for divine rule and consequently accomplish what God promised: “In the world you are in distress; but by making an effort, you are brave [...] because I have conquered the world. ”( Jn 16:33  EU )

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