Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci was born March 2, 1810, and became Pope Leo XIII on February 20, 1878. His reign was one of the longest in history, during which he produced a total of eighty-six encyclicals—a record approached by no other pope before or since. Out of this immense canon, fifteen have been collected for this volume based on their social impact and doctrinal profundity. They cover subjects such as the proper relationship between church and state, the foundations of political authority, the study of Sacred Scripture, Christian philosophy, and Catholic Social Teaching, including Pope Leo's most famous social encyclical, Rerum Novarum. While all papal letters are timely in their own manner, these were chosen because they are, in the opinion of the publisher, most indispensable:-- Inscrutabili Dei Consilio, Aeterni Patris, Arcanum Divinae Sapientia, Diuturnum, Humanum Genus, Immortale Dei, Libertas, Exeunte Iam Anno, Sapientiae Christianae, Rerum Novarum, Providentissimus Deus, Satis Cognitum, Divinum Illud Munus, Testem Benevolentiae Nostrae, Graves de Communi Re, Mirae Caritatis.

The Leonine Encyclicals: 1878-1902

Leo XIII, Pope

Religion & Spirituality

Agnus Dei Publishing

Leo XIII: On The Condition of the Working classes

Pauline Books & Media

When Our Lord was tempted in the desert, the devil offered Him "all the kingdoms of the world and their glory." (Mt 4:8-9) It stands to reason that Satan was able to offer Jesus earthly kingdoms because he owned them. History has repeatedly demonstrated that earthly kingdoms remain a stronghold of Satan's evil works through man's lust for power. What then is a Christian to do while living under such earthly authority?\nOur Lord's rejection of Satan's temptation teaches the Christian to follow Christ alone and His Kingdom is "not of this world." (Jn 18:36). Saints throughout history, from Saint Peter to Venerable Fulton Sheen, have echoed Christ's example by rejecting the desire for earthly power and freely choosing to love God and neighbor despite living within modern day kingdoms replete with evil influence. They teach: "We must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29), "An unjust law is no law at all" (Saint Augustine of Hippo), and not to "wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person" (Saint Teresa of Calcutta).\nFollowing the method Saint Thomas Aquinas used in Summa Theologiae, Summa Libertas draws on Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and the writings of the saints to guide a sound case for a libertarian Christianity. Readers will find that not only are the principles of liberty compatible with the faith-they are, in fact, necessary.

Summa Libertas: A Compendium on Faith and Freedom

AQUINAS, ST. THOMAS

Libertas Press

Poesies: Traduccio Catalana (1903) (Spanish Edition)

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

Poesies: Traduccio Catalana (Spanish Edition)

Literature & Fiction

Literary

Kessinger Pub

Excerpt: Liberty, the highest of natural endowments, being the portion only of intellectual or rational natures, confers on man this dignity - that he is “in the hand of his counsel” and has power over his actions. But the manner in which such dignity is exercised is of the greatest moment, inasmuch as on the use that is made of liberty the highest good and the greatest evil alike depend. Man, indeed, is free to obey his reason, to seek moral good, and to strive unswervingly after his last end. Yet he is free also to turn aside to all other things; and, in pursuing the empty semblance of good, to disturb rightful order and to fall headlong into the destruction which he has voluntarily chosen. The Redeemer of mankind, Jesus Christ, having restored and exalted the original dignity of nature, vouchsafed special assistance to the will of man; and by the gifts of His grace here, and the promise of heavenly bliss hereafter, He raised it to a nobler state. In like manner, this great gift of nature has ever been, and always will be, deservingly cherished by the Catholic Church, for to her alone has been committed the charge of handing down to all ages the benefits purchased for us by Jesus Christ. Yet there are many who imagine that the Church is hostile to human liberty. Having a false and absurd notion as to what liberty is, either they pervert the very idea of freedom, or they extend it at their pleasure to many things in respect of which man cannot rightly be regarded as free. 2. We have on other occasions, and especially in Our encyclical letter Immortale Dei, in treating of the so-called modern liberties, distinguished between their good and evil elements; and We have shown that whatsoever is good in those liberties is as ancient as truth itself, and that the Church has always most willingly approved and practiced that good: but whatsoever has been added as new is, to tell the plain truth, of a vitiated kind, the fruit of the disorders of the age, and of an insatiate longing after novelties.

LIBERTAS On the Nature of Human Liberty

CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

LIBERTAS On The Nature of Human Liberty

Excerpt: The God of all Providence, Who in the adorable designs of His love at first elevated the human race to the participation of the Divine nature, and afterwards delivered it from universal guilt and ruin, restoring it to its primitive dignity, has in consequence bestowed upon man a splendid gift and safeguard - making known to him, by supernatural means, the hidden mysteries of His Divinity, His wisdom and His mercy. For although in Divine revelation there are contained some things which are not beyond the reach of unassisted reason, and which are made the objects of such revelation in order “that all may come to know them with facility, certainty, and safety from error, yet not on this account can supernatural Revelation be said to be absolutely necessary; it is only necessary because God has ordinated man to a supernatural end.” This supernatural revelation, according to the belief of the universal Church, is contained both in unwritten Tradition, and in written Books, which are therefore called sacred and canonical because, “being written under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, they have God for their author and as such have been delivered to the Church.” This belief has been perpetually held and professed by the Church in regard to the Books of both Testaments; and there are well-known documents of the gravest kind, coming down to us from the earliest times, which proclaim that God, Who spoke first by the Prophets, then by His own mouth, and lastly by the Apostles, composed also the Canonical Scriptures, and that these are His own oracles and words - a Letter, written by our heavenly Father, and transmitted by the sacred writers to the human race in its pilgrimage so far from its heavenly country. If, then, such and so great is the excellence and the dignity of the Scriptures, that God Himself has composed them, and that they treat of God’s marvelous mysteries, counsels and works, it follows that the branch of sacred Theology which is concerned with the defense and elucidation of these divine Books must be excellent and useful in the highest degree.

PROVIDENTISSIMUS DEUS On The Study Of Holy Scripture

Excerpt: The God of all Providence, Who in the adorable designs of His love at first elevated the human race to the participation of the Divine nature, and afterwards delivered it from universal guilt and ruin, restoring it to its primitive dignity, has in consequence bestowed upon man a splendid gift and safeguard - making known to him, by supernatural means, the hidden mysteries of His Divinity, His wisdom and His mercy. For although in Divine revelation there are contained some things which are not beyond the reach of unassisted reason, and which are made the objects of such revelation in order “that all may come to know them with facility, certainty, and safety from error, yet not on this account can supernatural Revelation be said to be absolutely necessary; it is only necessary because God has ordinated man to a supernatural end.” This supernatural revelation, according to the belief of the universal Church, is contained both in unwritten Tradition, and in written Books, which are therefore called sacred and canonical because, “being written under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, they have God for their author and as such have been delivered to the Church.” This belief has been perpetually held and professed by the Church in regard to the Books of both Testaments; and there are well-known documents of the gravest kind, coming down to us from the earliest times, which proclaim that God, Who spoke first by the Prophets, then by His own mouth, and lastly by the Apostles, composed also the Canonical Scriptures, and that these are His own oracles and words - a Letter, written by our heavenly Father, and transmitted by the sacred writers to the human race in its pilgrimage so far from its heavenly country. If, then, such and so great is the excellence and the dignity of the Scriptures, that God Himself has composed them, and that they treat of God’s marvelous mysteries, counsels and works, it follows that the branch of sacred Theology which is concerned with the defense and elucidation of these divine Books must be excellent and useful in the highest degree.

Excerpt: 2. Although God can do by His own power all that is effected by created natures, nevertheless in the counsels of His loving Providence He has preferred to help men by the instrumentality of men. And, as in the natural order He does not usually give full perfection except by means of man’s work and action, so also He makes use of human aid for that which lies beyond the limits of nature, that is to say, for the sanctification and salvation of souls. But it is obvious that nothing can be communicated amongst men save by means of external things which the senses can perceive. For this reason the Son of God assumed human nature-”who being in the form of God.... emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of man” (Philipp. ii., 6,7)-and thus living on earth He taught his doctrine and gave His laws, conversing with men. The Church Always Visible 3. And, since it was necessary that His divine mission should be perpetuated to the end of time, He took to Himself Disciples, trained by himself, and made them partakers of His own authority. And, when He had invoked upon them from Heaven the Spirit of Truth, He bade them go through the whole world and faithfully preach to all nations, what He had taught and what He had commanded, so that by the profession of His doctrine, and the observance of His laws, the human race might attain to holiness on earth and never-ending happiness in Heaven. In this wise, and on this principle, the Church was begotten. If we consider the chief end of His Church and the proximate efficient causes of salvation, it is undoubtedly spiritual; but in regard to those who constitute it, and to the things which lead to these spiritual gifts, it is external and necessarily visible. The Apostles received a mission to teach by visible and audible signs, and they discharged their mission only by words and acts which certainly appealed to the senses. So that their voices falling upon the ears of those who heard them begot faith in souls-”Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the words of Christ” (Rom. x., 17). And faith itself - that is assent given to the first and supreme truth - though residing essentially in the intellect, must be manifested by outward profession-”For with the heart we believe unto justice, but with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. x., 10). In the same way in man, nothing is more internal than heavenly grace which begets sanctity, but the ordinary and chief means of obtaining grace are external: that is to say, the sacraments which are administered by men specially chosen for that purpose, by means of certain ordinances. Jesus Christ commanded His Apostles and their successors to the end of time to teach and rule the nations. He ordered the nations to accept their teaching and obey their authority. But his correlation of rights and duties in the Christian commonwealth not only could not have been made permanent, but could not even have been initiated except through the senses, which are of all things the messengers and interpreters.

Satis Cognitum On the Unity of the Church

Excerpt: To examine into the nature and to promote the effects of those manifestations of His wondrous love which, like rays of light, stream forth from Jesus Christ - this, as befits Our sacred office, has ever been, and this, with His help, to the last breath of Our life will ever be Our earnest aim and endeavour. For, whereas Our lot has been cast in an age that is bitterly hostile to justice and truth, we have not failed, as you have been reminded by the Apostolic letter which we recently addressed to you, to do what in us lay, by Our instructions and admonitions, and by such practical measures as seemed best suited for their purpose, to dissipate the contagion of error in its many shapes, and to strengthen the sinews of the Christian life. Among these efforts of Ours there are two in particular, of recent memory, closely related to each other, from the recollection whereof we gather some fruit of comfort, the more seasonable by reason of the many causes of sorrow that weigh us down. One of these is the occasion on which We directed, as a thing most desirable, that the entire human race should be consecrated by a special act to the Sacred Heart of Christ our Redeemer; the other that on which We so urgently exhorted all those who bear the name Christian to cling loyally to Him Who, by divine ordinance, is "the Way, the Truth, and the Life," not for individuals alone bur for every rightly constituted society. And now that same apostolic charity, ever watchful over the vicissitudes of the Church, moves and in a manner compels Us to add one thing more, in order to fill up the measure of what We have already conceived and carried out. This is, to commend to all Christians, more earnestly than heretofore, the all - holy Eucharist, forasmuch as it is a divine gift proceeding from the very Heart of the Redeemer, Who "with desire desireth" this singular mode of union with men, a gift most admirably adapted to be the means whereby the salutary fruits of His redemption may be distributed. Indeed We have not failed in the past, more than once, to use Our authority and to exercise Our zeal in this behalf. It gives Us much pleasure to recall to mind that We have officially approved, and enriched with canonical privileges, not a few institutions and confraternities having for their object the perpetual adoration of the Sacred Host; that We have encouraged the holding of Eucharistic Congresses, the results of which have been as profitable as the attendance at them has been numerous and distinguished; that We have designated as the heavenly patron of these and similar undertakings St. Paschal Baylon, whose devotion to the mystery of the Eucharist was so extraordinary.

MIRAE CARITATIS On The Holy Eucharist

Worship & Devotion

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Books by Leo XIII, Pope

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The Leonine Encyclicals: 1878-1902

Leo XIII: On The Condition of the Working classes

Summa Libertas: A Compendium on Faith and Freedom

Poesies: Traduccio Catalana (Spanish Edition)

LIBERTAS On the Nature of Human Liberty

LIBERTAS On The Nature of Human Liberty

PROVIDENTISSIMUS DEUS On The Study Of Holy Scripture

PROVIDENTISSIMUS DEUS On The Study Of Holy Scripture

Satis Cognitum On the Unity of the Church

MIRAE CARITATIS On The Holy Eucharist