Saint Pius X: Fighting Talk… Bible Vs Modernists
Below, extracts from the encyclical Praestantia Scripturae: On The Bible Against The Modernists
“… in order to check the daily increasing audacity of many modernists who are endeavouring by all kinds of sophistry and devices to detract from the force and efficacy not only of the decree “Lamentabili sane exitu” (the so-called Syllabus), issued by our order by the Holy Roman and Universal Inquisition on July 3 of the present year, but also of our encyclical letters “Pascendi dominici gregis” given on September 8 of this same year, we do by our apostolic authority repeat and confirm both that decree of the Supreme Sacred Congregation and those encyclical letters of ours, adding the penalty of excommunication against their contradictors, and this we declare and decree that should anybody, which may God forbid, be so rash as to defend any one of the propositions, opinions or teachings condemned in these documents he falls, ipso facto, under the censure contained under the chapter “Docentes” of the constitution “Apostolicae Sedis,” which is the first among the excommunications latae sententiae, simply reserved to the Roman Pontiff. This excommunication is to be understood as salvis poenis, which may be incurred by those who have violated in any way the said documents, as propagators and defenders of heresies, when their propositions, opinions and teachings are heretical, as has happened more than once in the case of the adversaries of both these documents, especially when they advocate the errors of the modernists that is, the synthesis of all heresies.
Wherefore we again and most earnestly exhort the ordinaries of the dioceses and the heads of religious congregations to use the utmost vigilance over teachers, and first of all in the seminaries; and should they find any of them imbued with the errors of the modernists and eager for what is new and noxious, or lacking in docility to the prescriptions of the Apostolic See, in whatsoever way published, let them absolutely forbid the teaching office to such; so, too, let them exclude from sacred orders those young men who give the very faintest reason for doubt that they favour condemned doctrines and pernicious novelties. We exhort them also to take diligent care to put an end to those books and other writings, now growing exceedingly numerous, which contain opinions or tendencies of the kind condemned in the encyclical letters and decree above mentioned; let them see to it that these publications are removed from Catholic publishing houses, and especially from the hands of students and the clergy. By doing this they will at the same time be promoting real and solid education, which should always be a subject of the greatest solicitude for those who exercise sacred authority.
All these things we will and order to be sanctioned and established by our apostolic authority, aught to the contrary notwithstanding.
Given at Rome in Saint Peter’s, the 18th November 1907, the fifth year of our Pontificate.
Pius PP. X. Source
Editor writes…
Today, 3rd September, the Feast of Pope Saint Pius X reminds us of what Catholic life is like under a good pontiff. The above fighting talk with clear instructions/requirements, and penalties spelt out for dissidents, is what we may look forward to in the (hopefully) not too far distant future. Francis, eat your heart out! Your thoughts.
Comments (17)
Happy Feast of Pope Saint Pius X, to one and all!
I tried, but failed, to find a version of the hymn Faith of Our Fathers to post here, which featured (a) the old familiar tune and (b) all the verses including “Mary’s prayer shall win our country back to Thee”.
Anyway, enjoy the Feast – and a reminder for those of you making the First Five Saturdays, today is the First Saturday in September.
Happy Feast!
I tried to find that hymn too but it’s actually a lot of Protestant choirs singing it, and always to a different tune, LOL!
Editor,
Here is Father Faber’s hymn, with his original tune, that you are looking for. Interesting note below the video: Father Rodriguez is David Rodriguez’ (works at The Fatima Center) brother. Father has been persecuted by his bishop since 2014 for refusing to say the Novus Ordo.
The verse you cite is slightly different in this performance, though it still refers to Our Lady.
RCA Victor,
I had to search hard – the tune you post is all over the internet but it’s not the tune we have always sung in Scotland (and Ireland – this is an Irish singer). It doesn’t have the “Mary” verse, but I think the rest are there, plus one I’ve never heard before at the end which the singer doesn’t actually sing – the words are put up but he doesn’t sing them.
RCA Victor,
Nay, nay, that is the tune that I am finding everywhere – it is like a lullaby! It’s nothing like the rousing tune we used to sing in our parishes (and I’m assured is still sung, on occasion in some parishes at least, in the Archdiocese of Glasgow).
I note that Michaela has unearthed the version I’ve been trying to find, although, yet again, the “Mary’s prayers” verse is omitted. Still, most of them are there and to my delight, the singer ignored the words “And blest” replacing them with “How sweet” [would be their children’s fate… ] which is what I’ve always known. They’ve no right changing the words I know! 😀
Anyway, thank you for your kindness in searching for that glorious hymn – you get 10/10 for effort 😀
And thank YOU, Michaela – you get 11/10… just this once.
What a great saint, was Pius X – such a true fighter for the faith!
Happy Feast everyone!
Dear Editor and Laura
I completely agree with you. If only we had a pope of his ilk during these diabolically disorientated times we are living in. Then the world would sit up and take notice that their immoral souls are in peril and change their lives accordingly.
Happy feast day everyone
Ave Maria
Every blessing
Michael
Great Popes change The World.
Unfortunately Bad Popes do Likewise. It is as The South Pole is to the North between this Great Saint and He who occupies the Seat of St Peter at the Moment. St Pius X would go through that Mob in Rome like Our Lord Jesus Christ chased The Money Lenders from The Temple.
Happy Feast Day All .
Pius X, a fantastic pope!
Happy Feast Day to everyone at CTS.
I’d never heard of Praestantia Scripturae – it’s astonishing to know that Pius X was not letting go the modernists who were ignoring his encyclicals against modernism. His remarks about their “audacity” show his character, made of steel, and his determination to pull the offenders into line. What a wonderful pope he was.
I wish everyone a very happy Feast.
Pope St. Pius X would probably be attacked as an “extremist” in these dark days. May the present occupant of St. Peter’s throne be replaced by someone as zealous as today’s saint.
I’ve just been remembering a story in the life of Pius X where he was on a train and got into conversation with two priests who didn’t recognise him – he was their new bishop. They were criticising their new bishop! I can’t remember the details and tried to find the story on the internet just now, but I can’t find it. the upshot was that he was very pleasant to them and didn’t show any annoyance at being criticised, the sign of a strong soul, very humble. When trying to find that story I found this one – LOL! I hardly ever find the thing I’m looking for – Google is not my friend! This also shows his humility, though. https://traditionalscripture.com/humility-of-saint-pius-x/
Michaela,
Apparently Father Faber wrote both tunes – I’ve heard the one you posted but never sung it in church. On this website it is called “Faith of Our Fathers B”:
https://musicasacra.com/music/english-hymns-in-the-commons/
(scroll down almost halfway)
RCA Victor,
That’s such a relief. I felt uneasy preferring the tune that I assumed someone else must have written. I should have known that Father Faber would have realised the need to pep up that first version 😀 The words just don’t match the tune, in my exceptionally humble view. Did you know about my exceptional humility?
Anyway, thank you for letting me know that. I can now rest in peace (in a manner of speaking 😀 )
I’ve just copied the link to the pdf with the music, and notice this – the words “How sweet…” (not “How blest”). I wish I knew the identity of the menaces who keep changing the words and tunes of my favourite hymns. It will not be a pleasant meeting for he, she or (dare I say) they 😀
https://media.musicasacra.com/books/hymns/pbeh_faith_of_c.pdf
PS I’m willing to concede that someone must have changed “Mankind shall then indeed be free” to “Scotland [or sometimes “this land”] shall then indeed be free.” I don’t suppose Father Faber thought of Scotland, to be fair, at the time 😀 Also, someone must have added “Mary’s prayer shall win our country back to thee…” I’ll concede that, given my exceptional humility. But, I do have my limits, so don’t push it 😀
Michaela,
I pray that we have another Pope in the near future who is like Pope Pius X. This tells his story from childhood to the priesthood.
https://catholicism.org/piusx.html
Theresa Rose,
Pius X is such a beautifully humble saint, yet he also had a very strong character so that he didn’t hesitate to punish dissenters. His determination to beat modernism shows his strength, even though he did not succeed in stamping it out, just held it back for a bit, unfortunately.
I wish everyone a very happy Feast, a bit late in the day, mea culpa!
I’ll close this thread now, with sincere thanks to all who contributed to it.
For what’s left of the day… Happy Feast 😀
Comments are closed.