CIRCULAR BY THE BISHOP OF DUNEDIN

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 36, 8 September 1904, Page 4

CIRCULAR BY THE BISHOP OF DUNEDIN

The following circular to the clergy and laity of the Diacese of Dunedih has been issued by his Lordship Bislhoip Veridon :— Dearly beloved in Christ,— Our Holy Father Pope Pius X. has issiued an Encyclical letier in which he reminds us that the anniversary is approaching of . that happy day on which, lifty years ago, the great Pontiff of holy memory, Pius IX., pronounced a.nd defined that ' the doctrine which holds that tjhe ißles-sed Virgin Mary in the first ifistant of her conception was, by a special grace of the Almighty and a singular privilege, and in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, preserved exempt from all stain of Original Sin, has been revealed by God, and is therefore to be firmly and constantly believed by all tthe Faithful.' This solemn definition was hailed witlh pious enthusiasm by all the Bishops of the Catholic Church, and was received with demonstrations of the liveliest joy by the Faithful in every part of the world. All hoped that our Blesfeed Mother so honored by t|he Successor of St. Peter would obtain for the whole Church more abundant graces and blessings from her All-,p,owerful Son. Nor weVe those hopes disappointed , ' for,' as our Holy Father says in his Encyclical letter, ' who can number the secret gifts of grace which (!;od has bestowed upon His Church through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin throughout this period ? And even overlooking these gifts, what is to be said of tha Vat'iicam Council so opportunely convoked ; or of the dogma of Papal Infallibility so suitably proclaimed to meet the errors that were about to arise ; or, finally, of that new and unprecedented fervor with which the Faithful of all classes and of every nation have long been fiodking to venerate in person the Vicar of Christ V And now whpn after the lapse of Half a century we renew the memory of that joyous event our Holy Faflher~Po,?e Pius X. earnestly de.sires that ' an echo of that holy joy will be awakened in oiir minds, and that those ma-eni/icont scenes of a distant day, of faith and of love towards the august Mother of God, will be repeated.' To entourage us to celebrate the approaching festival of t|he Immaculate Conception with greater earnestness, and to prepare us for more abundant grace, the Sovereign Pontiff opens the treasury of the Church and grants to the Catholic world an Extraordinary Indulgence in tine form of a Jubilee. His woids are: ' And that heave/nly graces may help us more abundantly than usual to attain tjhe imitation of the Virgin, during this year in which we pay her fuller honor, 'and that thus We may) more easily j-eeure Our object of restoring all tlhing,s> in Christ, We have determined, after the example of Our Prc'cleces?ors at the beginning of their Pontificates, to grant lo the Catholic world an Extraordinary Indulgence in the form of a Jubilee.' The Jubilee thus announced will commence in the Diocose of Dunedin on the Bth Sentember, the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and will end on the 7tih December, the Eve of the Feast of the Immaciulate Conception. The Conditions to be fulfilled in order to gain the Plemary Indulgence of the Jubilee are :—: — Ist. To Visit three times a church designated by the Bis/hop of the Diocese 2nd. To fast on meagre or black-fast fare, on any one day at the choice of each individual. 3rd. To make a good Confession and receive Holy Communion worthily. Catholics who live in the city or suburbs of Dunedin shall make the three prescribed visits to St. Joseph's Cathedral. In all other parts of the Diocese tihe Faithful win make the three prescribed visits to uhe church in whi/ch they are accustomed to hea.r Mass on Sundays. These visits must be made with devotion, and they

mjuM be separate and distinct yisitis. Persons who wish to makje two or three visits in succession must leave the qhiureh after each visit, though they may return immediately to make the next visit. D'urijng each visit prayers should be said for the liberty an 4 exaltation of the Catholic Church and the Ajtostplic See, for the extirpation of heresies aoid the conversion of all who are in error, for the concord of Chrißitaan princes and tine peace and uoiity of all the Faitlhfiulj and according to the intention of the Holy Fatjher. No special form of prayer is required The Our Father and Hail Mary repeated fiive times durmr eadh visit, or .vomc equivalent prayers, will sulhee-. "* Persons who are* legitimately prevented from r>erforming any of the prescribed works should apply tor direction tio their Confessors, who, in ssuch cases are empowered to commute the works enjoined by the' Holy Father for other works of piety. Children may be dispensed "by their Confessors from receiving Holy Communion if they have not yet been admitted to receive it. The Indulgence of the Jubilee can be gained once ojnly, and ' may be applied in suffrage for the souls which have passed from this life united in charity with God.' During this time of Jubilee we still enjoy the privilege 08 gaining all other indulgences, not excepting Plenary indulgences, which have been granted by the Holy See. • } Our Holy Father says in conclusion : ' We close those letters Venerable Brethren, by manifesting anew the great hope we earnestly cherish tJiat through this extraordinary gift of Jubilee granted by Us under the aaipipices of the Immaculate Virgin,. large ■n.um'bers bf those who are unhappily separated from Jesus Christ may return to Him, and that love of virtue and fervor of devotion may flourish anew among the Christian people Fifty years ago, when Pius IX proclaimed as an article of faith the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Mother of Christ, it seemed, as we nave already said, as if an incredible wealth of grace vas Poured out upon the earth and with the increase of confidence m the Virgin Mother of God the old religious f^-jj o c Dea P le was everywhere augmented Is it future m hh ° Pc f ° r &tiU greater * tthisn § s for the We sfoicerely trust, Dearly Beloved in Christ, that the *K*pes of our Holy Father will be fully realised Let us join, then, with the Faithful spread over the face of the earth, in performing the works enjoined by the yS •♦£?!?*• ° Ur Prayers asce » din g to heaven ,n union with the prayers of our Catholic Brethren and Eh „° + ,°V r , Divine Lor d His Immaculate Motheir catono* fail to be efficacious ; they will assuredly »arJL^ US ab f unda^ S^es and blessings. Let us earnesftly^ gray for the welfare of our Holy Church we aije llndeed passing through disastrous times. The WiS C Vl'% as9ailed n all side® by powerful enemies KJhnSJ d < r V ? C n S Ct US Cry out m the wo * ds of the t?™ ? 1* 1 w^ G0d + ar l Se L and let His enemieis be scatWe desire, Dearly Beloved in Christ, that the Feast oJ the Immaculate Conception this year will be kept &s a day of very special devotion, and that all who can will as&i&t at Solemn Mass., and at devotions consisting of the Rosary and Litany of the Blessed Virgin to te followed by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and the Te Deum. As an immediate preparation far the Feast, tfoore will be a solemn triduum in the principal church of each parish of the diocese an sth, 6th, and 7tjh December. The demotions will consist of the Rosary and the Litany of the Blessed Virgin, ami a short instruction, to be followed where possible by the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. The Faithful who cannot assist at the devotions in a church are earnestly exhorted to make <he triduum in their own homes by reciting the Rosary and the Litany and some prayers ' in honor of the Blessed Virgin. From Bth September to the Bth December the Collect tlaken Prom the Mass of the Immaculate Conception will' tto .saiid as. ' o,ratio imperat'a ' at Ma I? si whenever the rubric will permit. T'hq Encyclical letter of our Holy Father Pius X. ■which accompanies 1 this letter will be read in each church of this diocese on stome Sunday before the emd of November. This letter will be read arfd afterwards placed in a conspicuous place in every church lajnd chapel of the diocese. >i« MICHAEL VERDON, Bishop of Dunedin. St. Joseph's Cathedral, Dunedin. Ist September, 1904.