''Augustissimae Virginis Mariae'' () is an

encyclical An encyclical was originally a circular letter sent to all the churches of a particular area in the ancient Roman Church. At that time, the word could be used for a letter sent out by any bishop. The word comes from the Late Latin (originally from ...

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...

. It was issued 12 September 1897 in

Saint Peter's Basilica The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican ( it, Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply Saint Peter's Basilica ( la, Basilica Sancti Petri), is a church built in the Renaissance style located in Vatican City, the papal e ...

in Rome. This is an encyclical on the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary.

Benefit of pious associations

While recognizing the natural tendency of people to associate in groups of like-minded interests, he notes the beneficial usefulness of various Catholic associations. Among these, however, he gives prominence to the Rosary Sodality. "Everyone knows how necessary prayer is for all men; not that God's decrees can be changed, but, as St. Gregory says, "that men by asking may merit to receive what Almighty God hath decreed from eternity to grant them" "We are taught by the Catholic faith that we may pray not only to God himself, but also to the Blessed in heaven ( Conc. Trid. Sess. xxv.), though in different manner; because we ask from God as from the Source of all good, but from the Saints as from intercessors. ..Wherefore, it is said in the Apocalypse (viii., 4): 'The smoke of the incense of the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God from the hand of the angel' ( Summa Theol. 2a tae, q. lxxxiii. a. iv.). ..Now, of all the blessed in heaven, who can compare with the august Mother of God in obtaining grace? ...For, so great is her dignity, so great her favour before God, that whosoever in his need will not have recourse to her is trying to fly without wings. Leo also likens concerted communal prayer to the office of the angels. "With what confidence may we not hope that those who on earth have united with the Angels in this ministry will one day enjoy their blessed company in Heaven?" In ''Augustissimae Virginis'', Leo contrasted the growth of the society devoted to the Rosary, the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary, versus the evil societies of his time, the

Socialists Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the eco ...

and

Freemasons Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

: "The natural tendency of man to association has never been stronger, or more earnestly and generally followed, than in our own age. This is not at all to be reprehended, unless when so excellent a natural tendency is perverted to evil purposes, and wicked men, banding together in various forms of societies, conspire 'against the Lord and against His Christ' (Ps ii., 2). It is, however, most gratifying to observe that pious associations are becoming more and more popular among Catholics also .. We do not hesitate to assign a pre-eminent place among these societies to that known as the Society of the Holy Rosary. If we regard its origin, we find it distinguished by its antiquity, for St. Dominic himself is said to have been its founder."

Notes

Sources

* {{cite web , title=Augustissimae Virginis Mariae at the Vatican website , url=https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/leo_xiii/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_12091897_augustissimae-virginis-mariae_en.html , website=www.vatican.va , ref=CITEREFAugustissimae_Virginis_Mariae Encyclicals of Pope Leo XIII 1897 in Christianity 1897 documents September 1897 events Rosary

Benefit of pious associations

See also

Notes

Sources