Characteristics of St. Pius X - 2

Source: District of Asia

Remarkable among others is the short and characteristic exhortation which he addressed to the French Bishops whom he himself had consecrated in St. Peter's, at the altar of the Cathedra,' on February 25, 1906, after the rupture of the Concordat by the French Government. Unrecognized and unassisted, they were going forth to fight their battle and nobody could foresee what awaited them. Pius X received them privately in his library, where he wished me to be present, and spoke as follows:

I was anxious to see you all assembled in order to address a word of confidence and affection to you, under the seal of secrecy, and to tell you how much I value the great sacrifice that you have undertaken of facing poverty, privations, and even, which God forbid, of not only seeing your authority discarded, of being persecuted.

This very day you will receive instructions regarding the line of action you are to adopt on your impending return and on taking possession of the dioceses confided to your care. I do not urge the exact observance of what will be suggested to you, for I should be doing injury to your sentiments of obedience and reverence towards every direction of the Holy Apostolic See.

In due time you will be called upon to attend the general assembly of all the French Bishops, to express your judgement upon the law, as soon as the Regulations are published, viz. whether and under what conditions it is suitable to endure the law, whether and how the law should be resisted, etc.

It is not improbable that during your present stay in Rome you may have heard mentioned or even received suggestions upon the subject. I recommend that you should take no notice of this, because the Pope, who hitherto has refrained from revealing his judgement to anybody, before uttering the last word, wishes to hear the views of all the Bishops, free entirely as they are to express their mind upon what they deem best for the glory of God, for the salvation of souls, for the honour of the clergy and for the security of religion in France.

All that I recommend to you is that in the coming conference of Bishops, when giving your vote in reply to the questions submitted to you, (1) you should conform yourselves to the spirit of Jesus Christ, quacumque humana postposita. (2) You should reflect that we are born to strife: non veni pacem mittere, sed gladium. (3) In forming your judgement you should consider the spirit of true Catholics in your country. (4) You should safeguard the essential principles of justice and defend the rights of the Church, which are the rights of God. (5) You should bear in mind not only the judgement of God, but also that of the world that has its eyes upon you, if ever you were to belie your dignity or fail in the duties it lays upon you.

And here I conclude with the assurance that I envy your lot, that I would fain come with you to share your sorrows and anxieties, to be ever at your side to comfort you. But though absent in body, I shall be constantly near you in spirit, and we shall meet each day in the divine sacrifice of the Mass, before the holy Tabernacle whence we derive strength in battle and the sure means of victory.

There was nobody else present besides me at this meeting which the Holy Father held in his private library, two days after the grand ceremony of the Consecration in St. Peter's. In contrast with his usual practice, he had committed this short address to memory, but he read it from his own manuscript in a solemn tone and dwelt upon each word to emphasize the importance of what he wished to convey to his hearers.

From Memoirs of St. Pius X by Card. Merry del Val