UNIVERSAL JUBILEE

New Zealand Tablet, 7 August 1913, Page 22

UNIVERSAL JUBILEE

LETTER OF HIS LORDSHIP THE BISHOP OF DUNEDIN TO THE VERY REV. AND REVEREND CLERGY OF THE DIOCESE. ' ON THE -

PROMULGATED IN MEMORY OF CONSTANTINE’S EDICT OF PEACE, A.D., 313. Dear Rev. Fathers, — During this year we commemorate the sixteenth centenary of an event of Church history which is of deep interest to all Christians. It was in the year of our Lord -313 sixteen centuries ago—that the great Emperor Constantine gave liberty to the Church of Jesus Christ and repose from the persecutions which had afflicted her for nearly three hundred years. The Divine Founder of our Holy Church, our Lord Jesus Christ, was contradicted and persecuted during His life upon earth. His Apostles were cast into prison, scourged, and sentenced to death. For over 250 years the early Christians were most cruelly persecuted. They were treated as slaves, and forced to labor on the n'lllic works. They were cast into prison, cruelly tortured, or put to death. But they cheerfully endured every suffering rather than abandon the Faith which they had

received. In spite of all the efforts of the pagan world tho Christian religion spread overs every part of the great Roman -Empire, ; and' at length, by the interposition of Divine /Providence, 7 persecution ceased, and liberty was granted to -: the Church. ■■■-?.- ,'..■- o ,>■"•:.-:.■■.-.•-•■ ; -" - The tenth general persecution was still raging ; at the beginning of the fourth century, but great events were .then talcing place in the Roman; Empire vwhich : prepared the way -for a new order of things.. The Western portion of the Roman Empire was then governed by the Emperor Constantine, whilst Italy was held by Maxentius, a cruel tyrant who ruled in Rome.- In the year 312, Constantine, led on by the course of events, or rather guided by Divine Providence, resolved to crush Maxentius and take possession of Rome. Accordingly he conducted his troops across the Alps and passed triumphantly through northern Italy. One day, about noon, as he was preparing for a decisive conflict, he saw in the heavens a bright Cross surrounded • by rays of light and bearing this inscription: 'With this sign shalt thou conquer.' This wonderful sign was witnessed by the whole army. On the following night, our Lord Jesus Christ appeared to Constantine and commanded him to make the Cross and its inscription the standard of his army. Constantine obeyed, and under the standard of the Cross he marched to victory. On the banks of the Tiber near the Milvian Bridge, within a few miles of Rome, he encountered the army of Maxentius. " A great battle was fought, in which Constantine was completely victorious. His - rival Maxentius lost his life in the waters of the Tiber. In commemoration of that victory the Senate and the Roman people erected a triumphal arch which still stands near the Coliseum in Rome, and records that under ' Divine guidance Constantine had delivered the city and the Empire from the tyranny • of Maxentius. _-- Some months afterwards, in the year 313, the famous Edict of Milan was published. It declared that the limitations which were imposed on the Christians in former rescripts were to be done away with; that every subject of the Empire who desired to profess the Christian religion might do so without fear of being in any way molested; that churches and church property which had been confiscated should be restored to the rightful owners; and that Christians as a legal association might acquire and hold property. This decree was destined to produce most important effects on the fortunes of the Church. As our Holy Father says in his Apostolic Letter ' Then at last the Church Militant gained the first of those triumphs which throughout its history have invariably followed persecutions of every sort, and from that day ever increasing benefits have accrued to the human race.' Our Holy Father Pope Pius X. has ordained that the sixteenth centenary of this great event should be .celebrated with great solemnity in Rome. And in order that all the faithful spread over the globe may share in the celebration he has proclaimed a General Jubilee, which will continue until the eighth day of December of tho present year. 'To the purpose,' he says, 'that the humble prayers that should be offered on the occasion of this solemn commemoration throughout the Catholic world may redound to the greater spiritual good of the faithful, We ordain that they be enriched with a Plenary Indulgence in Jubilee form, urgently exhorting all the children of the Church that they unite their prayers and their works of piety to Ours, to the end that by means of the spiritual favor of Jubilee offered to them these may bear the greatest possible fruit both to the profit of souls and the advantage of religion.' * ._ The conditions for gaining the Jubilee, as laid down by the Sovereign Pontiff in his Apostolic Letter are: Ist. To make six visits to a church or churches to be designated by the Bishop of the diocese. Persons residing in the city of Dunedin will make three visits to St. Joseph's Cathedral, and three visits to St. Patrick's Church, South Dunedin, or to the Church of the Sacred Heart, North-east Valley. Persons who cannot without inconvenience visit two churches may make the six visits in any one of-the three above-mentioned churches. " ~. ..-- -

Persons living in other parts of the diocese will make six visits to the principal church of = the district, or to the church where they usually assist at Holy Mass on Sundays. Members of religious communities will. make their visits to the church ': where they usually;hear" Mass on Sundays. All who are residing in the Sacred Heart; Home at Anderson's Bay will \ make the visits to the community chapel. " ■-'• ■ * The visits and the prayers must not be otherwise obligatory ■ Hence a visit for the purpose of _ hearing an- obligatory Sunday Mass"does not suffice; it is neces- J sary to leave the church after the obligatory Mass and I re-enter for the Jubilee visit.' Two or more visits may be made oh the same day, but the six visits must be six distinct visits, so it will be necessary to leave the church after each visit and re-enter for a new visit.' _ During each of the visits the faithful will pray 1 according to the intention of the Holy Father for the prosperity and exaltation of the Catholic Church and of the Apostolic See; for the extirpation of heresies, and the conversion of all who are in error; for concord amongst Christian Princes, and peace - and unity amongst all the faithful. , 2nd. Almsgiving according to the means of each individual.—The alms may be given to the needy, or to some pious object. ;■ I would suggest that the alms be given to . St. Vincent's Orphanage, South Dunedin. 'ln the case of those who are under disability by reason of subjection to parents, guardians, or religious superiors, it is sufficient if parents, guardians, or religious superiors make the donation in the name and - with the sanction of their subjects' (7. E. R.). 3rd. A good confession. 4th. A Holy Communion. . It is not necessary that the prescribed works be performed in any fixed order. What is prescribed is that the works be completed on or before the Bth of December, and that the last work be performed in the state of Grace. The plenary indulgence of the* Jubilee may and can be applied by way of suffrage to the souls in Purgatory. It will be useful to have special Jubilee triduiims in the various churches throughout the diocese, during which priests from other parishes may be invited to give instructions and to assist in hearing the confessions of the faithful. In each church, on one or two Sundays set apart for special Jubilee devotions, there may be Solemn" Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament from Mass .until evening devotions, if circumstances permit. Ample choice of a Jubilee confessor • who has all the Jubilee faculties is given to the faithful by the Apostolic Letter of his Holiness Pope Pius X. The selected Jubilee confessor can commute the prescribed works into other works of equal moral value, and can also dispense from Communion children who have not as yet been allowed to receive their First Holy Communion. Moral impossibility or serious difficulty will suffice to enable the confessor to exercise his power of commutation (see Irish Ecclesiastical Record, May and June numbers). You will be good enough to read this letter and explain the Apostolic Letter in each of the churches of your district as soon as circumstances will allow you to do so. Exhort your flocks to perform all the Jubilee works with great fervour. Frequently invite them to pray for our Holy Father the Pope, for the exaltation of the Holy Catholic Church, for our own wants, and for the conversion of sinners. God in His mercy will hear our prayers and shower down His blessings very abundantly upon us. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. * Michael Verdon, Bishop of Dunedin. Dunedin, Ist day of August, 1913.