Apostolic see

When, however, in 1004 Henry II entered Pavia, many of the bishops and nobles rallied to him and chose him king, and he received the crown from the Archbishop of Milan.

If he could have remained in Italy, he might have established his authority, but he was recalled to Germany, and in his absence Ardois regained his influence on Lombardy, and John Crescentius, the destroyer of the Apostolic See, ruled as patrician in Rome, where three popes in succession bowed before his power.

When Crescentius died in 1012, Benedict VIII, a member of the rival house of Tusculum, became pope.

The Crescentian party appointed an antipope, and both appealed to Henry II.

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For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. To our venerable brethren, the patriarchs, primates, archbishops, bishops, and other local ordinaries having peace and communion with the apostolic see.

Pope Benedict XV.

venerable brethren health and the apostolic blessing when by the unsearchable counsel of god's providence and without any merit of our own we were called to the chair of the most blessed prince of the apostles for the same voice of christ our lord which came to peter came also to us feed my lambs feed my sheep immediately we began to regard with unspeakable affection the flock committed to our care a flock truly immense, for in one way or another it embraces all mankind.

The more this faith grows amongst men, the more will the feverish pursuit of earthly vanity cease, and as charity grows strong, social conflicts and tumults will gradually die away.

And now leaving this subject and turning to what more immediately concerns the state of the Church, our spirit, saddened by the present calamities of the world, finds some relief.

for in addition to the manifest proofs of the divine power and stability of the church we find no little consolation in the admirable fruits of the laborious pontificate of our predecessor pious x who during that pontificate adorned the apostolic see with the example of a life in every way saintly It is owing to him that we see the religious spirit of the clergy everywhere intensified, the piety of the faithful aroused, a disciplined activity promoted in Catholic associations, the sacred hierarchy consolidated or extended, the education of aspirants to the priesthood promoted according to the strict demands of ecclesiastical legislation and the needs of our own times, the danger of rash innovations removed from the teaching of the sacred sciences and music made to bear a worthy part in the solemn service of god and the dignity of the liturgy increased the knowledge of christianity more widely spread by fresh contingents of ministers of the gospel such are the services rendered to the church by our predecessor and those who come after us will gratefully remember them but since god permitting the field spoken of in the parable is always exposed to the evil working of the enemy there will never come a time when we shall not have to be on our guard lest the cockle do harm to the good wheat for this reason applying to ourselves what god spoke to the prophet lo i have set thee this day over the nations and over kingdoms to root up and to destroy and to build and to plant we shall labor incessantly to the best of our power in opposing what is evil in promoting what is good until it shall please the prince of pastors to demand an account of our stewardship in this our first encyclical we find opportunity to set before you venerable brethren some of the chief matters calling for our solicitude so that by your now getting ready to help we may the sooner obtain the good we desire the first element on which the success of any society of men depends is the concord of its members we shall therefore make it one of our chief cares to do away with and to prevent dissension and discord amongst catholics and thus to secure unity of plan and of action the enemies of god and the church clearly see that a way to victory over us is opened whenever our defence is weakened by divided counsels hence they are ever on the alert when they find us united to divide us by craftily sowing in our midst the seed of discord would that their scheme had not been so often successful to the great detriment of religion for this reason it is wrong that anyone should set aside the commands of lawful authority on the pretense that he does not approve of them let each submit his opinion to the judgment of authority and then obey as a duty of conscience no private person is allowed by the medium of books or of newspapers or of public speeches to put himself forward as a teacher in the church all know to whom god has given the teaching authority of the church to him it belongs to decide when and how he shall speak the duty of others is to receive his words with reverence and obedience in matters about which the holy see has not given a decision and in which without injury to faith and ecclesiastical discipline there may be differences of opinion each may lawfully defend his own but in such disputes there must be no offensive language, for this may lead to grave breaches of charity.

Each is free to maintain his own opinion, but with propriety, and if others do not accept his view, he must not cast suspicion on their faith or spirit of discipline.

There are, besides, other exercises of piety which, although not strictly belonging to the sacred liturgy, are nevertheless of special import and dignity, and may be considered, in a certain way, to be in addition to the liturgical following.

They have been approved and praised over and over again by the Apostolic See and by the bishops.

Among these are the prayers usually said during the month of May in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mother of God, or during the month of June to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Also, novenas and tridums, stations of the cross, and other special practices.

The Conference of Bishops is free to establish norms which require an older age for the Presbyterate and the Permanent Diaconate.

A dispensation of more than a year from the age required according to the previous norms is reserved to the Apostolic See.

So the minimum age for ordination may be lowered for up to one year by a diocesan bishop in individual cases.

Beyond that, a dispensation from the Holy See is required.

So this gives us a bit of insight.

I really doubt that the Presbyterians asked the Apostolic See for a mitigation in the age of ordination.

However, it's just a good chance to think about the age limits which are in canon law.

It's something which has been thought about deeply and profoundly by the church because all of these steps which we make and which we cannot make until we've reached a certain age, they are serious, grave and binding steps.

From the Vatican's own workplaces to parish communities in Africa, from religious ministries in the United States to the rapidly evolving digital world, each raises important questions about how institutions recognise vulnerability in order to prevent abuse.

We begin here in Rome with a significant initiative involving the employees of the Holy See, On the 9th of October, more than 90 Vatican employees gathered for the first safeguarding seminar organized by the Labor Office of the Apostolic See in collaboration with the Vatican Governorate's Directorate of Health and Hygiene and with the expert contribution of the Commission.

The seminar, entitled Revalasti ea parvulis, or You Have Revealed These Things to Little Ones, examined the protection of minors and vulnerable adults within professional and institutional environments.

In a message addressed to participants, Pope Leo XIV encouraged the development of a culture of protection extending into everyday working relationships and digital spaces.

After Boniface, by a long and secret ways, had visited the territories of great peoples, he came to the aforesaid prince of the Franks, and was received by him with veneration.

He delivered to Duke Charles the letters of the above-mentioned Roman bishop in the Apostolic See, this is what I told you, he went to Charles, he's got commissions from the Pope, and he returned with the consent of Charles to the land of the Hessians, where before he had tarried.

So I gave you this history before, Charles says, go ahead, you have my permission, my protection, go.

Now at that time, many of the Hessians brought under the Catholic faith.

September 12, 1897.

To our venerable brethren, the patriarchs, primates, archbishops, bishops, and other local ordinaries, having peace and communion with the Apostolic See.

Venerable brethren, health and the apostolic blessing.

Whoever considers the height of dignity and glory to which God has raised the most august Virgin Mary will easily perceive how important it is, both for public and for private benefit, that devotion to her be assiduously practiced and daily promoted more and more.

1896.

To our venerable brethren, the patriarchs, primates, bishops, and other local ordinaries enjoying peace and communion with the Apostolic See.

Venerable brethren, health and the apostolic blessing.

One.