ON THE CHURCH IN PORTUGAL

PERGRATA

Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII promulgated on September 14, 1886.

To the Bishops of Portugal.

Venerable Brethren, Greetings and Apostolic Benediction.

Your gratifying joint letter was received last month. It gave convincing 
evidence that you and your people are aware of Our most recent agreement 
with the kingdom of Portugal, and that you approve of it and expect that it 
will greatly benefit the common good. What was proposed to Us in all these 
negotiations was that the privileges which the Roman Pontiffs had given to 
your kings, who have supported the Catholic cause, might be preserved for 
the prestige of the empire, and at the same time that the Christian 
interests of the Indians be better provided for. We seem to have partly 
achieved this purpose, and We have confidence that We will achieve it all 
with the gift and the blessing of God. Therefore, considering this most 
desirable outcome, We look to the future not prophetically but with a firm 
hope that the Christian name in your Portugal will continue to flourish for 
the common good and grow greater from day to day.

2. We shall be the first to strive that the final outcome will fully 
justify Our hope. May God be propitious! Without doubt We shall find great 
assistance in the prudence and vigilance of your bishops, in the skillful 
support of the clergy, and in the good will of the Portuguese people. 
Indeed in a cause so noble and fruitful, the cooperation of all the men 
ruling the state will be at hand. We have no doubt that they will assist Us 
with their impartial wisdom, as We have recently had proof, and that they 
will continue to do so. And this the more because zeal for the Catholic 
faith and the tradition of Church service is not unusual in Portugal nor of 
recent origin, but is long-standing and renowned.

3. Though Portugal is located at the extremity of the Spanish peninsula and 
hemmed in by narrow boundaries, your renowned kings, have nevertheless 
extended their empire into Africa, Asia, and Oceania. Thus Portugal yields 
to none of the more distinguished nations and even excels many.--Where did 
they find the strength equal to the magnitude of their undertakings? If one 
is to judge them in truth, it was from their love of religion. For in their 
dangerous expeditions to barbarous nations, they were inspired, as can 
often be proven, to serve Christ before their own advantage or glory, to 
spread the Christian religion before extending their empire. Together with 
the visible image of the wounds of Jesus Christ, which was the popular flag 
of the nation, your ancestors had the holy cross on their galleys. In 
battle they were devout and confident that they would win noble victories 
whose glory would remain, not so much by arms as by the cross.-Their piety 
was particularly evident when the kings of Portugal diligently sought out 
apostolic men from other nations, men to follow in the footsteps of St. 
Francis Xavier. More than once these men were given the authority of 
Apostolic Nuncios by the Roman Pontiffs. It was most unusual and will 
forever accrue to the praise of your ancestors that their leaders brought 
the light of the Christian faith to the most remote peoples and so merited 
well of the Apostolic See.

4. Nor was there ever a time when Our predecessors failed to give evidence 
of gratitude to your nation. An excellent proof of this is the unusual 
insignia given to your kings. We often recall the great things that have 
been accomplished by a nation comparatively small, and exult to use the 
Portuguese as an example to illustrate the great power of religion and 
piety. At the same time We are deeply moved by feelings of admiration and 
benevolence. So let it be. Recently We showed Our paternal benevolence when 
We arbitrated in the controversy concerning the East India matter. We 
treated Portugal as liberally as the nature of Our office permitted. Since 
it is just for equals to receive and return good will, We expect much from 
the friendly government of that state. We are confident that they will not 
only use the greatest care in carrying out what was agreed upon, but that 
they will work together with Us and in consultation with you to repair the 
damage which the Church suffered there.

5. And the damage is significant, especially if We consider the condition 
of your clergy and of the religious orders, whose downfall has affected not 
only the Church but the state as well. We have seen a dearth of prudent and 
strenuous helpers, who would have labored to shape the habits of the 
people, to educate the youth, and to train the colonists themselves in a 
Christian way of life. Today especially with the great need for sacred 
missions in the interior of Africa, We feel this loss.

6. Now if We consider the sources of these evils, We conclude that the 
desire for impiety, which grew so greatly during the preceding century, was 
not primary, even though it penetrated your minds too as by the contagion 
of disease and by its presence gave rise to serious problems. Nevertheless 
those who maintain that greater harm was done by internal discord in the 
conduct of political parties and by the upheavals of seditious mobs seem 
close to the truth. For no force could extinguish and no means could shake 
the belief and the ancient faith in the Roman Pontiff of the Portuguese 
people. In the very midst of the storms in your state, your people always 
held that concord with the Church is the great beginning on which Christian 
states ought to be ruled. For this reason the holy bond of religious unity 
not only remained unbroken, but by the authority and consent of the law, 
this bond afforded the foundation for political regulation. These consoling 
facts show that the Catholic cause can be easily strengthened with suitable 
remedies. Good seeds are still alive; when in constancy of mind and concord 
they have matured the will, they will produce an abundance of the desired 
fruit.

7. Those who are at the head of the government and whose cooperation is so 
necessary to heal the wounds of the Church easily understand that, just as 
Portugal attained great glory from the strength and blessings of the 
Catholic religion, so too the Church provides the only speedy elimination 
of the causes of evil. The state must always be governed under the 
leadership and guidance of this same religion. If this is done wisely, then 
the government will conform to the genius, the character, and the will of 
the people. For the Catholic faith is the legitimate religion of Portugal. 
Therefore it is entirely fitting that it be defended by the protection of 
the law and the authority of the state officials, and that its safety, 
continuance, and honor be publicly assured. Let its freedom and action 
legitimately lie in the political as well as ecclesiastical Power. All 
should be convinced of what daily experience confirms, that far from 
opposing the civil power by invidious rivalry, the Church aids the safety 
of the citizens and public tranquillity.

8. On the other hand, those ecclesiastical authorities should realize that 
the rulers of the state can and ought to trust them; nor should the 
ecclesiastical rulers accept a cause, such as retaining laws, which the 
interests of the Church do not want retained. Suspicion and lack of trust 
often result from the rivalry of political parties. This you know well from 
experience. Surely the greatest duty of Catholic men and especially of 
clerics is never to support a cause or to offer an opinion if it conflicts 
with the faith of the Church or counteracts the preservation of its rights. 
Everyone may hold his own opinion in purely political matters and defend it 
honestly and legitimately, provided it is not contrary to religion or 
justice. Yet those, if there are any, who do not distinguish clearly 
between what is holy and what is merely civil, commit a pernicious error 
which lends the name of religion to a political party.

9. Therefore if prudence and moderation are used, not only will there be no 
room for suspicion, but that unity of Catholics which We so vehemently 
desire will be strengthened. If it was more difficult formerly to obtain 
this unity, the reason was perhaps too many, surely more than was 
reasonable, tenaciously clung to their opinions and never for any reason 
retreated from their partisan position. These positions, though they cannot 
be criticized if kept within bounds, nevertheless greatly impede the 
attainment of the unanimity so greatly desired.

10. Therefore cultivate a salutary union of minds, prudently removing any 
and all obstacles. You will succeed better by putting all your concerns 
together and acting not individually, but as a group, in matters of such 
great importance. In the first place therefore it seems that you need 
timely communications and the selection of a group of councilors. That this 
will aptly achieve your purpose you can hardly deny, especially if you 
consider the norms proposed and prescribed by the Apostolic See to deal 
with such matters, i. e., Our Encyclical letters about the Christian 
regulation of the state.

11. For the rest We shall not mention in detail everything which requires 
suitable remedies, particularly since these matters are better understood 
by those of you whom the force of the difficulties especially oppresses. 
Nor shall We mention those matters that require action by the civil power 
in order that the Catholic cause may receive the just consideration it 
deserves. The government cannot doubt Our paternal interest nor your 
compliance with civil law; thus it is proper to trust that it will give 
full weight to Our and your good will. It will then strive to restore a 
Church afflicted with so many evils to its due degree of liberty and 
dignity. As for Us, as Our duty demands, We shall always be prepared to act 
in ecclesiastical affairs and to decide with common consent what is most 
appropriate. We are also prepared to gladly accept good and just 
conditions.

12. But there are some significant things which your diligence must cure 
one by one. The first matter is the shortage of priests caused by an 
insufficiency of seminaries. As a result neither the Christian instruction 
of the faithful nor the administration of the sacraments has received 
proper care. Now, however, by the blessing of divine Providence each 
diocese has its own seminary; where the seminaries have not yet been 
restored, We hope that they will be shortly. Here then is the means of 
supplying a body of priests, provided the learning of the candidates is 
such as reason demands. We entrust this matter to you, as We respect your 
prudence and wisdom. However lest you should lack Our advice in this 
matter, consider as addressed to yourselves what We have prescribed a short 
time ago to the bishops of Hungary:

13. "In the education of clerics two elements are essential: learning for 
the development of the mind and virtue for the perfection of the soul. To 
the humanistic curriculum by which youths are educated must be added sacred 
and canonical studies. Care must be taken that their content is sound, 
entirely pure, and in full harmony with the documents of the Church; today 
especially the style must be forceful and eloquent, so that he may be able 
to exhort . . . and to refute those who contradict.--Holiness of life 
without which knowledge puffs up and does not edify, consists not only in 
good and honorable habits, but also in that body of sacerdotal virtues 
which makes good priests exemplars of Jesus Christ the eternal High 
Priest.... In these institutions take care that the men appointed as 
teachers be men of sound doctrine and good morals, men to whom you can 
entrust a matter of such great importance. Choose rectors and spiritual 
directors who are outstanding for prudence, counsel, and experience. The 
common life and discipline should be so arranged by your authority that the 
students will never offend against piety; furthermore there should be an 
abundance of all aids which nourish piety, so that the seminarians may make 
daily progress in acquiring the virtues proper to the sacerdotal state."

14. Moreover your vigilance for your priests must be great and even 
singular, so that the smaller the number of workers, the greater their zeal 
in cultivating the vineyard of the Lord. The words of the Gospel, the 
harvest is indeed great, seem to apply literally to you, since the people 
of Portugal have always loved religious instruction; they receive it 
eagerly when they perceive in the priests, their teachers, the 
embellishments of virtue and the reputation for learning. It is marvelous 
how fruitful the future work of the clergy will be in instructing the 
people, but especially the youth, when that work is crowned with dignity 
and zeal. Good example is the best means of cultivating in men the love of 
virtue. For this reason let all priests take care not only that nothing is 
noted in them which is at variance with their office and the rules of their 
state, but also that the holiness of their lives and morals may shine 
forth, like a lamp on a lampstand, giving light to all in the house.

15. A third problem which should engage your continuous care concerns the 
printed material that is published either daily or at stated intervals. You 
know the times, venerable brethren: on the one hand men are consumed with 
an insatiable passion for reading; on the other an enormous amount of bad 
literature is freely disseminated. Given these facts it is impossible to 
estimate how much harm is done to good morals, what destruction daily 
threatens the integrity of religion. Therefore by exhortation, by 
admonition. by every possible means continue to call men back from such 
fountains of corruption and lead them to salutary waters. It will be a 
great help if by your initiative and leadership daily papers are published, 
under the patronage of truth, virtue, and religion, to offset these 
poisonous evils. Now an admonition for authors who by an honest and holy 
determination combine the love of writing with a love and zeal for the 
Catholic cause. If they really want their works to be fruitful and worthy 
of praise, let them remember what is required of those who engage in 
controversy for a good cause. In writing they must exercise the greatest 
care to be moderate and prudent, but above all loving. Love is the mother 
and companion of all the other virtues. You can see that fickle suspicion 
and rash accusations are detrimental indeed to fraternal love. From this 
you can understand the injustice of those who, in favoring one political 
party, do not hesitate in matters of religion to accuse others of 
unorthodoxy. They do this only because they belong to another party, as 
though orthodox Catholic faith is necessarily the prerogative of this or 
that political party.

16. We commend all which We have either warned against or commanded to your 
authority, which all whom you govern must respect and accept. This applies 
especially to priests who are, subject to you in their private and public 
lives, whether they are engaged in the duties of the sacred ministry or in 
teaching in the schools. They never cease to be under the authority of the 
bishops. And just as they are obliged to lead others to the beauty of 
virtue by their example, so too must they lead others to obedience and the 
submission due to episcopal authority.

17. That everything may proceed prosperously according to Our desire, We 
ask for heavenly assistance. First of all let us approach that perennial 
font of divine grace, the holy Heart of our Savior Jesus Christ, devotion 
to whom is both primary and ancient with you. We implore the patronage of 
the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God, under whose special guardianship the 
kingdom of Portugal boasts to be. Finally we ask for the intercession of 
St. Elizabeth, the most holy of royal and saintly women, and of all the 
holy martyrs who in the first days of the Church established or propagated 
Christianity in Portugal.

18. Meanwhile, as proof of Our good will and as a promise of heavenly 
gifts, We grant you. your clergy, and all your people most affectionately 
Our Apostolic Blessing in the Lord.

Given at Rome, at St. Peter's, September 14, 1886, in the ninth year of Our 
Pontificate.