Sollicitudo omnium ecclesiarum (Alexander VII.)
With the Apostolic Constitution Sollicitudo omnium Ecclesiarum of December 8, 1661, Pope Alexander VII reopened the discussion about the " Immaculate Conception " of Mary , the mother of Jesus.
Maintaining the faith
As a reason for this Apostolic Constitution, Alexander VII stated that he intended to avert damage to the Church's doctrine of the faith . He referred to the deliberations of the Council of Trent and also cited the established doctrines about the deliverance of original sin . He referred to the discipline for the preservation of the doctrine and the doctrines, which are valid for all Catholics .
Against false writings
In his further remarks, the Pope forbade the disclosure of opposing opinions and assertions as well as the publication of textbooks and books that would be directed against the belief of the Church . He recalled that his predecessors Sixtus IV , Paul V and Gregory XV. would have issued this prohibition. He, Alexander VII, now intended to reaffirm this doctrine and substantiate the statement about the "Immaculate Conception" with further theological interpretations.
Discussion ban and threat of punishment
Pope Alexander VII emphatically declared the invalidity of all declarations, writings and doctrines to the contrary, and even the mere discussion of this doctrine he called a form of disobedience. He gave his "confreres in office" the instruction to impose drastic penalties on those who would not comply with this prohibition.
See also
- Ineffabilis Deus (lat. 'The Ineffable God'), the dogmatic papal bull of Pope Pius IX. (December 8, 1854). It is subtitled: "To explain the dogma of the Immaculate Conception".