Ubi arcano Dei

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Usually, the inaugural encyclical Pope Pius XI. Ubi arcano Dei Consilio of December 23, 1922 seen as the 'founding document' of Catholic Action . He coined Pax Christi in Regno Christi as the motto of his pontificate. The causes of the First World War and the decline in public morality are discussed in detail . Pius XI. considered resuming the 1st Vatican Council , but postponed this question in view of the difficult world situation after the war.

The idea of ​​Catholic Action

See main article: Catholic Action .

In fact, Catholic action is only mentioned in passing and it also shows that Pius XI. had no concrete form of organization in mind. In this encyclical Pius XI. Catholic action as the participation of the laity in the apostolate of the hierarchy ; for the first time, the laity are trusted to participate in the central execution of the church. While the term apostolate was reserved exclusively for the bishops and the pope, possibly also the clergy and religious orders during the 19th century, Pius XI. massive use of this term for the work of laypeople. If one previously saw their task in acting for the church , they are now trusted to act as a church . So far they have been seen as a bulwark to protect the church in the socio-political debate, but they are now gradually being recognized as subjects of actual church life, as an active part of the body of Christ.

Beginnings in Italy

Pope Pius XI coined the term " Azione Cattolica " for these Catholic movements in his first encyclical . Appealing to the common priesthood of all baptized, he called all believers to expand and renew the kingdom of Christ. He defined this apostolate as participation of the laity in the hierarchical apostolate. In the background stood the pressing problem of the hostility to the church of liberalism, which emphasized the independence of the world from church tutelage, and the lack of priests. For these reasons, the Pope considered it advisable that the Catholic lay world should not stand idle, but rather take part in the holy battles in close connection with the church hierarchy and its instructions and do so with full devotion of their person through prayer and activity.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xi_enc_19221223_ubi-arcano-dei-consilio_lt.html

literature

  • Carl Andresen , Georg Denzler : dtv dictionary of church history , Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich, May 1982, ISBN 3-423-03245-6 .
  • Rudolf Fischer-Wollpert, do you know? - Lexicon of religious and ideological questions . Verlag Friedrich Pustet, Regensburg, 1980 (expanded edition 1982), ISBN 3-7917-0738-8 .

Web links