DIVINE ORDER AND

HARMONY IN THE

WORLD

1957 Christmas Message of

Pope Pius XII

December 71, 1957

NATIONAL CATHOLIC WELFARE CONFERENCE

1312 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. • Washington 5, D.C



Digitized by the Internet Archive

in 2016

https://archive.org/details/divineorderharmopius



1 L
eva, Jei'n^alem, oculos tuos et vide potentiam regia: Ecce

Salvator venit solvere te a vinculo (“Lift up your eyes,

0 Jerusalem, and see the power of the King: Behold, the
Saviour cometh to free thee from thy chains").^

2

The invitation of Our Mother the Chui-ch to lift our gaze

toward heaven, to expect therefrom (lod oui* Saviour and

with Him the loosening of the bonds of discoi*d which are
holding souls captive. We desire to repeat to you, dear sons
and daughters of the Catholic woidd, as Our fatherly greet-

ing at this Christmas season which finds men with theii-

gaze indeed raised on high, but with hearts heavy with

anxious thought for the uncertain fate of the human family

and of the earth itself on which it dwells.

3

Not thus was the gaze of the shepherds of Bethlehem nor

of the wise men from the East when the news of the birth

of the Son of God on earth was given—to one group by the
angels’ appearance and to the other by the shining light of

the mysterious star. A deep feeling of wonder filled their
minds on learning, and playing a part in, the magnalia

dei,~ the great and wondrous works of God which reached

their climax in the synthesis of all possible grandeur in

that tender Babe, born in the City of David, wrapped in

swaddling clothes and laid in a lowly manger.^

4

Their feeling of wonder indeed bore no resemblance to the

consternation and troubled feeling which terrifying mag-

nificence usually arouses. Rather was it changed into a

wave of consolation with a breath of ineffable peace and

soothing harmony such as God alone knows how to infuse
into the souls of men who seek Him, welcome and adore
Him.

Greatness of Man and the Greatness of God

5

But when confronted by the inexpressible fact of the com-
ing into the world of the Divine Word, this happening

which surpasses all other events in the history of the human
race, worthy, therefore, of supreme admiration, not all men
bow in adoration, for they are, as it were, prisoners of
their own littleness, incapable of imagining the possibility
of infinite grandeur. Others again—with eyes on the tre-
mendous development of modern science, which the knowl-

edge and the power of man has extended even to the realms
of the stars—as if blinded and hypnotized by their own
achievements, know how to acknowledge only “the splen-

1



dors of man/’ willfully shutting their eyes to the '‘splendors

of God.”

Ignorant or forgetful that God is even higher than the

heavens themselves, and that His throne rests above the

height of the stars^ they no longer recognize the truth and

the meaning of the hymn sung by the angels above the cave
where the supreme magnificence of God revealed itself

:

'‘Gloria in Excelsis Deo” (“Glory to God in the Highest”).

But, on the contrary, they are tempted to put in its place an-

other: “Glory on Earth to Man,” to man who plans and
produces so much, to the homo faber (Man, the maker)

therefore, as he has been named by some philosophers, hav-

ing been revealed in this character in works which seem to

surpass all human limits.

This is the moment to lead back to a right sense of propor-
tion modern man’s admiration for himself. By tempering
with prudent moderation the almost rapturous feeling

which the modern victories in technology are arousing, the

admirers of the homo faber must be persuaded that the

pausing in wonder and the gesture of adoration before the

crib of the Divine Infant would not check their movement

along the path of progress, but would crown it with the

perfection of the homo sapiens (Man, the spiritual being).

Man’s Anxiety in the Face of New Triumphs of Science and Technology

Indeed this man, “maker” and “spiritual being” at one and

the same time, recognizes without difficulty that all that

God does and reveals in the mystery of Christmas immeas-

urably surpasses all the effort, energy or achievement of

man to the same extent that the infinite surpasses the finite.
With a sensibility more live and complete than that which

brings others to give unqualified admiration to some ma-

terial product, he feels the sweetness of ecstasy before the

Divine Babe who bears government upon his shoulders^

In Him he sees the marvellous works of the eternal God,
who is clothed in time, of God in His immensity and omni-
potence who girds Himself about with space and weakness,
of the God of majesty who has revealed “the kindness of
God our Saviour”^ full of infinite mercy and love.

Therefore the angel who announced to the shepherds the
wonders of Christmas roused them with the encouraging:

“Fear not, for I bring you tidings of great joy that shall be

2



to all people”. Quite difl'ereiit feelings ai-i.se, on the con-

trary, at the news of the new technical inarv(‘ls. Once the

first rush of exaltation is passed, wIumi confrontc'd by tin*

unlooked for mass of their incrc'ased knowl(‘dy:(* and tin*

effects which follow from it, by this unheard of invasion

into both the greatest and the tiniest elements of the uni-

verse, men are tortured by a real anxiety; they ai*e brought

to ask themselves if they will ])resei-ve their own control

over the world, or if they will not fall victims to their own

progress.

11 The unforeseeable changes which the new paths oiiened uj)

by science and modern technology bring to them, some

regard as examples of disharmony and consider them

destined to provoke unrest and confusion and the unity of

order and harmony which befit human reason
;
others again

treat the changes as motives for serious apprehension with

respect to the actual survival of those who brought them

about. Man is beginning to fear the world which hitherto
he thought to hold in his hands

;
he fears it more than ever,

and particularly when God does not live truly in his heart

and mind—God whose creation the world is, and all it
contains, and in which has been imprinted indelibly His

own mark as God Almighty, absolute spirit, essential wis-

dom, source of all order, harmony, goodness and beauty.

Christ the Source of Harmony in the World

12 To this human race made up for the most part of men who
admire themselves alone, but who are beginning to fear
themselves and their world. We point out again the paths
to Bethlehem. There they will find Him whom they seek.
Him of whom the Apostle declared: “For all things have
been created through and unto Him, and He is before all
creatures, and in Him all things hold together”.®

13 This is the truth of salvation which gleams forth from the

lowly cave, and which We desire to burn brightly in your
minds. In particular the newborn Christ appears and offers

Himself to all today

:

14 One, as the comfort of those who bewail discords and
despair of peace and concord in the world.

15 Two, as the pledge of peace and concord in the world,

16 Three, as the light and the way for every attempt of the
human race to establish peace and concord in the world.

3



I. CHRIST AS COMFORTER AMIDST THE DISCORDS

OF THIS WORLD

17 Man from his first contact with the universe has been daz-
zled by its incomparable beauty and harmony. The heavens

sparkling with light or studded with stars, oceans with the

changing hues of their tremendous expanse, the unap-

proachable summits of the mountains crowned with snow,
’ the green forest throbbing with life, the ordered succession

of the seasons and the multiple variety of living things

drew from his heart a cry of admiration. Himself fashioned

in the same beauty, he caught glimpses of it even in uncon-

nected fragments, those expressions of the power of the

Creator: “More powerful than the breakers of the sea,

powerful on high is the Lord’'® and “God shall thunder

wonderfully with his voice”.^®

18 An ancient people of high civilization rightly found, to
indicate the universe, no more apt name than “cosmos” or
order, harmony and beauty. Again, each time that man
turns his gaze on himself, comparing his longings with his

achievements, he breaks into groans of discouragement on

account of the too numerous contrasts, the disharmonies

and disorders which tear his life asunder.

Discords in the Universe

19

Just as did the man of the past, so the man of the present
fluctuates between rapt admiration for the world of nature,

of which the most hidden secrets and the most distant limits

have been explored, and the bitterness of disappointment

which the disorder of his own existence, directed by him-
self, brings upon him. The contrast between the harmony

of nature and the disharmony of life, rather than being

weakened with the increased power of knowledge and

action, seems, on the contrary, to follow it like a heavy

shadow. In the isolation with which he is surrounded mod-

ern man knows only how to repeat the lament of Job:
“Behold, I shall cry suffering violence, and no one will hear

:

I shall cry aloud, and there is none to judge”. Well then,

let us permit ourselves to listen to his lamentation in order

to understand better his inner feelings and to point out to

him the One who in truth can dispel his darkness and

restore harmony to his existence in conflict with itself.

4



Total Pesnimiam Unjuatified

20 At present, in one part of the human i-ace, the siy:ht of dis-

cords in the world leads to a condemnation of tlu‘ entire

creation, as if discord must be its chai*acteidstic note, an

inevitable fate before which nothing i-emains for man but

to fold his arms and resij»:n himself, while at b(‘st s(‘(‘kiiiK

to refresh himself with transitory i)leasures which ai*(‘

snatched away by the same overriding disoi*der. This com-

plete pessimism, which is taking possession of the majority

of souls which are susceptible to the most exi)ansive and

even unreasonable optimism, derives from an extension to

the whole world and its fundamental laws of the undeni-

able lack of unity which the world presents, and in attrib-

uting the blame to the Creator Himself. Thus those who

cannot see anything else in the world save the sea of cruelty

and suffering, harassing individuals and nations, and

directly or indirectly accompanying the actual results of

external progress, give in to the attacks of total pessimism.

21 Others are induced to despair of the possibility of reestab-

lishing harmony by the admittedly serious fact that there

are men who permit themselves to be so firmly ensnared

by the attraction of novelty and by a contempt for other

real values, particularly those which uphold human society.
Many others finally surrender, so to speak, in the face of
complete pessimism, when they observe the lamentable fact

that men, superficially progressive, are becoming interiorly

uncivilized.

Its Causes

22 If, then, the inquiry is pushed to the roots of these and

similar facts, hope remains still more shaken, since their

causes admit still deeper disharmonies and foretell others

yet more serious. Why such indifference for another’s right
to life, such contempt for human values, such a lowering
in tone of true civilization, if not because preponderant

material progress has shattered the harmonious and happy

completeness of man, has somehow mutilated his apprecia-

tion of those ideas and values, giving him completeness only

in one particular direction? Indeed, to the man born and
educated in surroundings of strict technology, there will

necessarily be lacking a part, and not the least important,

of his complete being, as if it had been atrophied by con-

ditions opposed to his natural development.

5



23 Just as a plant cultivated in ground from which vital sub-

stances have been subtracted developed this or that quality

but does not reproduce the complete uniform type, so this

“progressive’’ civilization, that is, one exclusively material-

istic, by banishing some values and essential elements from

the life of families and nations, ends by depriving man of
his true form of thought, judgment and action. In reality,

in order to attain truth, justice and honor—in a word, to
be human—there is need for the widest scope and variety
in direction. Technical progress, on the other hand, when

it imprisons man within its own limitations by cutting him
off from the rest of the universe, particularly from interior

spiritual forces, fashions him to its own characteristics of
which the most notable are superficiality and instability.

24 The development of such a deformation is no secret, if one

considers the tendency of man to accept the questionable
and the erroneous so long as these bring within his grasp

the promise of an easier life. Consider, for example, the

doubtful substitution of values produced by the wonderful

advance in the speed of machines. Lured on by its fascina-

tion, by transferring the value of speed of movement to

things which one cannot expect to be perfected by quick

changes, things which, on the contrary, become fruitful by

stability and faithfulness to tradition, the “speed crazy”

man tends to become in his life like a reed shaken by the
wind, unproductive of lasting achievement and incapable

of supporting himself and others.

25 A similar ambiguity results from the increase, admirable
in itself, of the efficiency of the senses, to which remarkable

modern instruments of investigation give powers. And
almost completely absorbed in the exercise of his senses,

the “all-seeing” man, without being aware of it himself, is

led on to reduce the application of his intellect, that is, of

the complete spiritual faculty for searching into the internal

structure of things, and to become ever less capable of

arriving at true notions of that in which life consists. Simi-

larly, the manifold applications of marvelously increased

external energy tend more each day to enclose human life
within a mechanical system which does everything auto-

matically and at its own expense, thereby reducing the
incentives which previously forced man to develop his own
personal energy.

6



Worlih by Hvinainiiif: Ihtitvtl wilh Chrint, HvHtttrvd Ttt hn Orifiinal

Harmony

26 There exist, then, deep discords in the new man who has

been created by i)rogi*ess. But altliouy:h these ai*(‘ full of

danger, they are not such as to justify the excessive d(‘S|)ai)*

of the pessimists nor the resignation of tlie indoh'nl. Tin*

world can and must be brouglit back to its initial state of

harmony which was the plan of the Creatoi* from the begin-

ning when He gave his works a share in His own ixu*-
fectionsd-

27 The ultimate foundation of this hope lies in the mystery of

Christmas: Christ, God-man, source of all harmony, visits

His own creation. How can a creature despair of the world
if God Himself does not despair and if the Divine Word,

by whom all things were made, became flesh and dwelt
amongst us so that His glory as the only Begotten of the

Father might in the end shine forth And how could the
glory of the Creator and Restorer of all things shine forth

in a world necessarily based on contradictions and discords?

28 The pessimism of those men and their resignation will
never be accepted by Christianity because they are opposed

to the Christian idea of man. From the very beginning
Saint Paul stood up against the prejudice of the forces and

movements of nature. So he gave the warning: We are
not in bondage to the power of nature, but to Christ who

has made us free and the heirs of God.^^ All redemption

and freedom comes to us, therefore, from Christ, not from

nature, which always and perhaps even more so today,

under the power of technology, is ready to fasten on its

chains.

29 Modern man for his part is more liable to become again a
slave of nature since, contrary to other ages when he was
in bondage to it out of ignorance and weakness, man is
subjected to its very strong pressure because of his exten-

sive knowledge and application of its forces, and conse-

quently is likely to bestow on it the worship of adoration

and gratitude for the wonders which he perceives there and

for the immediate benefits he derives from it.

30 The exhortations of the Apostle to break the bonds of

slavery imposed by nature by choosing Christ and keeping

close by Him have, therefore, greater reality than ever. He
and no other is your God, the Source and Lord of Nature.

Through Him you are destined “to becomes sons of God”,^^

7



not slaves of the elements of this world, not destined to a

partial perfecting of this or that faculty, but called to renew

in the whole man the perfect image of God, who is harmony
itself, the source of all order in the universe.

These resplendent truths are indeed the appropriate meas-

ures for restoring the dignity of man and for raising his
hopes once more. On the other hand, they are rejected by
those who fail to establish the essential connection between
the eternal and the temporal, between the Creator and the

creature. By a contrary way of thinking they separate God
from the world as being too different and remote from each

other and consequently without any connection with each

other. But the coming of the Son of God on earth clearly

shows the close links which bind the transient to the eternal.

The world and man would have no explanation and possi-
bility of continued existence were they not given a share

in the eternal being of God, their Creator. The created and

finite world, travelling of necessity on the ocean of the

divine eternity, follows, so to speak, its course and laws.

Saint Augustine, with many other wise men of ancient and
modern times, rightly declares that in the world, because it

is created and contingent, there exists a supreme and eter-

nal law from which it derives its continuing existence and

dignity. Truly it is that eternal law which raises creation,

by nature finite, to a dignity reflecting the infinite and

eternal. It does so by means both of the essential orderly

arrangement established in all things and of the interior

consistency and harmony which are echoed throughout the

world. But if one rejects the very idea of God’s eternity

and the possibility that God shares with His creatures

something of Himself, it is useless to speak of order and

harmony in the world.

Such a denial, of course, does not quench in man the thirst
for harmony, order and happiness. Man is then forced to
promote to a supreme value that which remains, namely

his own solidly finite being. Removed from external order
and all harmony in the world, he has to choose life, which

is nothing more than a continual preoccupation with his

own existence and is like a road toward death, though it is
decked out with a certain vain pride in his own finite
nature. Modern man, who feels no essential link with the
eternal, lapses into worship of the finite, in the midst of

which he continues to act and work as if aware of himself

and of all being.

8



But that is a false rei)res('ntaliou of rc'ality which can

deceive, but cannot satisfy, the lhii*st for truth and (man’s)

innermost yearning’s. If men wish tlu‘se to 1 h‘ satisl’u'd, h‘t
them g’o to Bethlehem wdiei-e tlu* Bternal Word mad(‘ flesh
dwelt amongst us in ordei* to teach us that ('ach singh*

human activity must evei* draw from the eb'rnal its aim,
fruitfulness and certainty. If man’s vei\v nature is in tin*

image of God, his activity also ought to be confonnable,

as philosophy teaches when it says “opei’ari sequitur esse”

(the work takes its nature from woi’ker)

.

It follows that man’s work on earth is not doomed to dis-

cord, but is intended to show forth the etenial harmony of

God. In this way the Eternal Word fi*ees man fi-om slavery,
gives him back hope in the paths of progress.

II. CHRIST AS PLED(;E OF THE HARMONY
OF THE WORLD

The Orderly Design of Creation

Before the Christian concept of a cosmos designed by the

creative wisdom of God, and therefore having unity, order

and harmony, there stands the vision, perhaps yet cen-

turies distant, of a solemn fulfillment where there is “in

the new heavens and the new earth . a tabernacle of

God with men for Him to dwell with them . . . and He shall
wipe away all tears from their eyes; and death shall be no

more, nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow shall be any

more, for the former things are passed away”.^" In other

words, present discords have been vanquished.

But with this passage, has the fulfillment of the harmonious

design of the creation been perhaps entirely postponed? Is

it possible that God, who in the very act of creating him,

“gave man power over all things that are upon earth”,^® has
gone back on his word? Certainly not. Far from with-

drawing from him the power to rule the earth, God con-

firmed him in it on the day on which He clothed in human
nature His only begotten Son, having “proposed, in the

dispensation of the fullness of time, to reestablish all

things in Christ, that are in heaven and on earth”,^^ so that

Christ, the Incarnate Word, God-man, coming into the

world, from the first moment of His visible existence, bears
witness that the lordship over the world belongs, in differ-

ent degrees to both God and man, and that consequently it

will not be won save in the spirit of God.

9



38 In Christ has truly dwelt substantially the same Divine

Spirit [See Colossians, 2, 9] who at the beginning of time
said: “Be light^made, and light was made,” In Christ was

the same Divine Spirit who, stamped like an indelible seal

on all things, is the bond of unity, source of order and basis

of harmony in them all, animate and inanimate.

The Perfect Harmony which the Presence of Christ in the World
Produces

39 But even before man could become explicitly aware of the
perfect harmony which the presence of Christ in the world

and His union in nature with man produces, he was able to
discover in his own spirit an image of the spirit of God, bond

of unity which fused things intrinsically with one another.

The ancient philosophers of Athens and Rome had in fact
already established this excellent synthesis as, though with

greater clarity, did the leading thinkers in Christian philos-

ophy such as Augustine and Aquinas.

40 In every respect, technology by itself is incapable of recog-

nizing and developing the divine seed of unity and harmony

implanted in creatures. Today there are scientists who be-
lieve that they can—at least in their method of working

—

leave this truth out of account. That is, they do their work

as if the spirit were nonexistent and deny its presence in

their researches. Imbued with materialism and the philoso-

phy of the senses, they look for answers to their questions

only from their instruments and calculations, from the accu-

rate observation of facts and from the checking and co-

ordination of external phenomena. Others readily admit

some kind of connection, but, as they say, it is in the rela-

tions of mathematical logic. The presumption is that

—

leaving aside entirely the influence of spirit—order in the
world can equally well come about by virtue of the physical

arrangement of the individual parts after the manner of a

gigantic calculating machine.

41 Even if philosophy were incapable of proving the inconsist-

ency of such an opinion, science itself would provide its

denial. Real observation of how the best investigators have
proceeded and how inventions and discoveries of the high-

est importance come to birth forces one to admit the active

presence of spirit. From the spirit comes the direct percep-
tion of the essential connection between facts which are

often diverse in character. From the spirit comes the pene-
trating sharpness of observation and analysis. From the

10



spirit comes the streno-th of tlie synthesis which has set

true reality before the mind and led it to form linal JikIk-

ment.

42 It is obvious, then, that the i)resence of spirit in human
activity is undeniable. Clear evidence of it in the world

cannot be passed over in silence save by i)i*ejudice and supcu’-

stition. The evidence is of unity, ordei* and hai*mony which

have their orio'in in God and without which even the applica-

tion of mathematical formulae and the sciences would not

truly portray reality.

43 Spirit and harmony, therefore, bear witness to one another.

As the richness of the harmony will always coi*resi)ond to

the richness of the spirit, so all lack of harmony, whei*ever

found in the sciences, arts and life itself, is an indication

that tlrere exists some kind of impediment to the full out-

pouring of spirit.

44 Such an interrelationship points the finger of rebuke at

those who in the fields of literature and art foster the cult
of disharmony or, as they themselves express it, of absurd-

ity. What would the world and man be if feeling and esteem
for harmony were lost? Nevertheless this is the precise aim

of those who try to clothe with the adornments of beauty
and attractiveness all that is base, sinful and evil. Nay, their

offense goes beyond the limits of aesthetics and order to

inflict wounds on the very dignity of man who, being an
image of the Divine Spirit, is essentially of like nature with

harmony and order.

45 One is not, of course, denying that evil also can be depicted

in the light of true art, provided, however, that the repre-

sentation appears to the mind and senses as something di-

rectly opposed to spirit, as a sign of its absence. Art ac-

quires great renown and dignity the more it does honor to

the spirit of man, the image of God, and consequently the

more it reveals his creative productivity, his full maturity

in development, together with his achievements and differ-

ent attitudes of life, as the subject of divine unity and har-

mony.

46 But, on other hand, no matter how clear may be the evi-
dence of the spirit of man in favor of harmony in the
world, no matter how productive his activity in the develop-
ment of the seeds of order, history and life show his in-

trinsic insufficiency and weakness. To heal this weakness

11



it was necessary in the designs of the infinite love of the

Creator for His works, for the spirit of God Himself to

become visible and reveal Himself in Time. Hence Christ,

the Divine Word made flesh, came into the world as into
His own dwelling place, His own possession: In propria

venit.^^

His right to this dominion is that supreme right: creation.

The world, then, by its extent and universality—Extensive
et diffusive as Saint Thomas expresses it —reflects the
eternal truth and goodness of the Creator and under this

aspect the relationship of Christ with the world appears

suffused with dazzling light.

Man, Image of the Divine Spirit, Lord of the World, with Knowledge,

Will, Activity

Likewise the Creator places man, the image of His spirit,

in the world so that with his knowledge, will and activity

he may be its lord, making himself in intensity and pro-
fundity—intensive et collective —a reflection of the eter-
nal truth and goodness extensively diffused throughout the

world. Even here, then, the relationship of man with the
world enjoys the clear light of the eternal spirit communi-

cated by the Creator to creation. In this manner incarna-

tion preserves and adds to the dignity of man and to the
nobility of the world, because they are derived from the

same source, the Divine Spirit, origin of unity, order and

harmony.

If, however, this foundation of spirit and consequently the

image (in man) or the stamp (in creatures without rea-

son) of the eternal divine essence in created things is re-

moved, harmony also in man’s relationship with the world

is at end. Man would be reduced to a mere fixed point of
an anonymous life devoid of reason. He would no longer
be in the world as in his own home. The world would be-
come for him something alien, dark and dangerous, ever

inclined to lay aside the character of an instrument and

make itself his enemy.

And what would be the normal relationships of social life
without the light of the Divine Spirit and without account

being taken of the relationship of Christ with the world?

The answer to this question, alas, is the bitter reality of

those who, preferring darkness in the world, proclaim them-

selves worshippers of the external works of man. Their

12



society is successful only uikUm* llu' iron discipliiu' ol’ col-

lectives in sustainiuj*' the anonymous ('xistimct' of one Kroiij)

alongside that of the other. Altogc'tlu'r dilleiHMit is the social

life based on the i)attern of the redationships of riirist with

the world and with man. It is a lib' of bi-otiu'rly coopi'i-a-

tion, of mutual respect for othei’s’ rights, a lib' woilhy of the

first beginning and last end of every human cri'atuiH'.

Christy Pledge of Rodent piiou And of Restoration

51

But the depths of darkness and disharmony, i-oots of all

the other disorders which the Word Incarnate has come to

enlighten and set aright, lay in the damage caused by orig-

inal sin, which has involved in its dire conscMiuences the

entire human race and the world wherein it dwells. Fallen
man, with his spirit darkened, no longer sees ai*ound him

a world subdued, a docile instrument of his destiny, but a

kind of conspiracy of nature in revolt, the unconscious

executor of the decree which disinherited its original

master. However, both in man and in the world, there was
never extinguished the expectation of a return to the pri-

mordial condition, to the divine order made manifest, as the

apostle says, with the groans of every creature -k For, in

spite of the slavery of sin, man remained always the image
of the Divine Spirit, and the world the possession of the

Word.

52

Christ came to restore to life what sin had put to death,

to heal what had been wounded and to enlighten what had

been darkened whether in man or in the world, by restoring
to the former his lordship over nature in accordance with

the spirit of God, and by withdrawing the latter from man's

sinful misuse. But though the wound was radically healed,

there yet remain as the legacy of the human race certain
consequences : doubts, difficulties and sufferings. But from

these fruits of sin also, Christ is the pledge of redemption

and new life.

53

The supernatural light which shone forth on the night of

Christmas at Bethlehem is cast like a new rainbow pro-
claiming peace over the entire future of the world, “made

subject to vanity, not by its own will, but by reason of Him
who made it subject, in hope” The hope is still Christ
who, as He freed the world from the slavery of sin, will
likewise free it from the slavery of corruption by restoring

to it the freedom of the sons of God.

13



54 The life of man and the history of the world are deeply
influenced by this expectation. If men will not see harmony
entirely restored until the dawn of the last day, if their

bread will remain watered with sweat and tears, if the

groans of creatures on earth will continue to be heard,

theirs will not be the sadness of death, but the travail of a

mother who, according to the vivid words of our Divine

Master, when her hour is come, willingly forgets all pain,

for a man has been born into world.^® The birth, painful
and slow though it may be, of a new life, of a humanity in
continual development of order and harmony, is the func-

tion assigned by God to history post Christum natum (after

Christ’s birth), to which sons of God, restored to liberty,

have as individuals to make their individual contribution.

55 It is useless, then, to look for perfection in the order of the

world from any inherent process of which man remains an
external spectator—as some declare him to be. Such ob-
scure immanentism is a return to ancient superstition,

which defled nature. It can find no support, as is claimed,

from history, except by false manipulation of the explana-

tion of the facts.

56 The history of the human race in the world is a very dif-
ferent thing from a procession of blind forces. It is a mar-

velous and vital working out of the actual history of the

Divine Word. From Him [came] its first movements and
through Him it will reach fulfillment on the day when all
things will return to their first beginning, when the Word
Incarnate offers to the Father, as evidence of His glory.

His own possessions ransomed and given their full meaning
by the Spirit of God.

57 Many facts, then, particularly of history, which at present
appear to be in discord, will be revealed as elements of a true

harmony, for example, the unending coming of new things
and the disappearance of the old, for both one and the other

had or do now have a share, in some manner, in the truth
and goodness of God. The transient nature of a thing or an

event does not affect them, since they have this character,

the dignity of expressing the Divine Spirit. The whole world,

for that matter, as the Apostle notes, is of this nature: “The

fashion of this world passes away.” But it is the final

destiny for the glory of the Father and the triumph of the

Word which lies at root of all its development, confers on
and preserves in the world the dignity of a witness and in-

strument of eternal truth, goodness and harmony.

14



III. aiKIST AS IJ<;HT AND I.IKK I'OK MKN IN OKDKK

TO ESTAIU.ISII DEACE AND EONCOHD IN I'llE W IIKI.D

The Great Iaiw of llarmouy tvhich Terratles the Wtfrhl

58 The omnipotence of Him who “does all things whalsoevcM*

he will” united with His infinite wisdom, which “reaches

from end to end mightily and ordereth all things sc'emly,”

has established the great laws of the harmony which p(*r-

vades the world and explains events therein. The s))irit of

God, which in the beginning from on high presided ovcm*

creation, has, as it were, penetrated it until, in the ful-

ness of time, as a work of love and mercy, the VVoi-d In-

carnate Himself, by taking flesh, has entered within it in

person and has taken visible and decisive possession of it.

“Jesus Christ, yesterday, today and the same forever.”

59 In this fashion the universe appears as a wonderful sym-

phony, composed by the spirit of God, whose basic melody

welled up from a fusion of the divine perfections: wisdom,

love and omnipotence. “Domine, dominus noster, quam ad-

mirabile est nomen tuum in universa terra” (“0 Lord, Our

Lord, how admirable is thy name in the whole earth)

60 And yet, for those who with the Psalmist have ears to hear
in gladness the divine symphony which reechoes through the

universe, and before all others for Christians, creation is

not merely an aesthetic fact offered to man to arouse his
satisfaction and to evoke in a unique way praise for its
Supreme Maker. From the beginning God, by placing man
on a rank of higher dignity than all the other works of His

hands, had already subjected to him all the creatures, even

the heavens, moon and stars fashioned by His fingers, in

a word, the whole world, in order that he might work in it

and preserve its harmony.^^ But Christ Himself, who is the
witness and pledge of the world’s harmony, has shown by

the example of His life and death what an active, laborious

and painful contribution man must furnish towards its
preservation, towards its development and, wherever har-

mony might be lacking, towards its restoration. The work
of restoration achieved by Christ was defined by Himself

as a struggle against the “prince of this world,” and its con-

clusion as a victory—ego vici mundum (I have overcome the
world)

61 The divine symphony of the universe, particularly on earth

among men, is entrusted by its Supreme Author to mankind

15



itself, so that, like a tremendous orchestra spread over time

and diversified in its means, the human race may ever unite
under the direction of Christ, follow it faithfully, rendering

the single and characteristic theme with all possible per-

fection. In other words, God has handed over to men His
own designs so that they may put them into operation in
their own person and with complete freedom, assuming full

moral responsibility for them and demanding of themselves,

where necessary, toil and sacrifice after the example of

Christ.

62 In this respect the Christian is primarily an admirer of the

divine order of the world, one who loves its presence and
does his utmost to see it recognized and proclaimed. Con-

sequently, he will be its vigorous defender against the forces

and tendencies which oppose its realization, whether these

are concealed within himself—his evil inclinations—or come
from without—Satan and his deceits and snares.

63 It is thus that Saint Paul saw the Christian in the world

when he pointed out the adversaries opposed to God and

urged Christians to put on His armor so as to resist the

snares of the evil one, girding their loins with truth and

wearing the breastplate of justice.^^ The call to Christianity

is not, then, an invitation from God simply to aesthetic

pleasure and the contemplation of His marvellous order, but

the call to unceasing action under obligation and strict dis-

cipline, with respect to all the paths and conditions of life.

Its activity is manifested before all else in a complete ob-

servance of the moral laws, whatever may be their object,
whether great or small, private or public, whether a ques-

tion of restraint or of positive action. Moral life is not con-

fined only to the interior man, so much so that it does not
also effectively influence the harmony of the world.

64 Man is never so completely alone, so individual and set apart
by himself, even in the most extraordinary circumstances,

that his decisions and deeds cause no reaction in the world

around him. As a performer of the divine symphony, no

man can regard his particular task as exclusively his own,
concerning no one but himself. Certainly moral life is, in the

first place, something individual and interior, but not in the

sense of what is called “interiorism” or “historicism,” ac-

cording to which some do their utmost to weaken and set

aside the universal force of the moral law.

16



Cooperation in the Order of the W'orld Demanded by Cod of the

Christian

65 In general, the cooperation in the oi*(ler of the woi-ld d(*-

manded by God of tlie Cliristian sliould eciually keei) clear of

a spiritualism whicli desires lo hinder him from all acc(‘ss

to, or taking part in, external things and which, vvdien ad-

mitted at one time within tlie Catholic fold, caused serious

damage to the cause of Christ and of the Divine (h*eatoi’ of

the universe. But how would the maintenance and develop-

ment of order in the universe be possible if full libeily of

action were left to those who do not recognize it or do not

wish to see it become organized? Intervention in the world

to maintain divine order is a I’ight and a duty which belongs

essentially to a Christian’s responsibility and pei’mits him

lawfully' to undertake all those actions private or public or

organized, which aim at and are suited to that end.

66 Subtle pretexts, made up to excuse the laziness of some
Christians, or suggested by an unfounded jealousy on the

part of adversaries, cannot permit the evasion of such a

responsibility, especially if it is asserted that Christian

action in the world is a mask for seeking a power which is
contrary to the spirit of Christ, that it arouses opposition

to the Christian faith among those already ill disposed that
it is the result of a lack of confidence in God and His Omni-

potent providence and that it has the flavor of arrogance on

the part of the creature. There are some even who hint that
it is Christian prudence to return to the so-called modest

ambitions of the period of the catacombs.

67 On the contrary, it would be wiser to return to the inspired
wisdom of Saint Paul who, writing to the community at

Corinth with a zeal worthy of his great soul and founded on

the complete sovereignty of God, opened all paths of action

to Christians: “For all things are yours ... or the world,

or life, or death, or things to come
;
for all are yours. And

you are Christ’s
;
and Christ is God’s.” The Christian

who would not dare to make his own this fulness of liberty
would implicitly be denying to Christ Himself the preroga-

tive of that “power whereby He is able to subject all things
to Himself.” He ought, on the contrary, to reckon it a
disgrace to allow himself to be surpassed by the enemies of

God in energy of spirit, of work and initiative, joined to a

spirit of sacrifice. It is no secluded territory nor restricted

administration which is being entrusted to the activity of

17



the Christian. No field of life, no institution and no exercise
of power can be forbidden to those who cooperate with God
to maintain divme order and harmony in the world.

Christian Intervention to Maintain Divine Order and Harmony in the

World

Such intervention in no way suggests any kind of action
done in secret and as if jealous of other men’s contributions.

We have already stated on many occasions that Catholics
can and ought to admit collaboration with others if the

action of these and the joint enterprise are such as to be

of true assistance to harmony and order in the world. How-

ever, it is necessary for Catholics first to take account of

the extent of their ability and of their aims; that is, let

them be spiritually and technically trained for what they

are proposing to do. Otherwise they will bring no positive

assistance, still less the precious gift of eternal truth, to the

common cause, with undeniable hurt to Christ’s honor and

to their own souls.

Once that is granted, it is unfair to attribute a spirit of

“intolerance” and of segregation—often called a “ghetto”

—

if Catholics aim at having schools, education and the train-

ing of youth on a Christian basis and to set up Catholic

organizations in the professions and to support the organ-

ized influence of Christian principles even in the political

and trade union field where tradition and circumstances ad-

vise it. The creation in the past of the high civilization of

which Christian nations have rightly been proud was not

exclusively a Christian “idea” existing merely as an abstrac-

tion; there were practical applications of that idea, that is

to say, of the laws, regulations and institutions founded and

promoted by men devoted to the Church and working under
its guidance, or at least under its inspiration. The Catholic

hierarchy was not only careful that the light of the faith

should not be extinguished, but by solid work in govern-

ment, by plans and by the choice and appointment of men,

it has built up that varied group of living organizations

which, alongside others not under the hierarchy’s immedi-

ate direction, are at the foundation of the civil community.

Christian action cannot, least of all today, surrender its

unique claim and character merely because someone sees

in the human association of the present time a so-called
pluralistic society which is cut off from the attitudes of

18



mind whicli oppose it, set ]K'rman(‘ntly in its r(\s])(*ctive

positions and impatient of ev('ry collaboration that do('s not

develop on an exclusively “human” plaiu'. If this t(*rin

“human” means, as it seems to, ajifiiosticism with r('y:ai-d to

religion and the true values of life, every invitation to col-

laboration would be e(iuivalent to a I’ecjuest to sui*r(‘ud(‘r,

to which the Christian cannot consent. Mesidi's, wlu‘nc(‘

would this “human” criterion obtain the force of obliga-

tion, the power to establish freedom of conscience for all,

except on the strength of order and divine harmony? That

“human” concept would end by creating a new kind of

“ghetto”, but one lacking a universal point of view.

Order atid Divine Harmony in the W orld the liasis of Action of All

Men of Good Will

71 For the sake of the common good, the chief basis of action,

not only of Christians but of all men of good will, should be
order and divine harmony in the world. Their preservation

and development should be the supreme law which ought

to govern the important meetings among men. If human-

ity today should fail to agree on the supremacy of this law,

that is on absolute respect for universal order and harmony

in the world, it would be difficult to foresee what would be

the proximate destiny of nations. The need for this agree-

ment has been felt in practice when, lately, some special-

ists in the modern sciences have expressed doubts and

internal disquiet at the development of atomic energy.

Whatever, may be, at present, the result of their deductions
and resolutions, it is certain that the doubts of these men
of the highest standing were directed at the problem of

existence, the very foundations of order and harmony in

the world.

72 At the present time, one must be convinced that, on the

preservation of these benefits, order and harmony, every

resolution ought to depend when there is discussion of

either developing or abandoning completely the achieve-

ments that are within the scope of man’s ability. Nowadays

an apparently blind fascination for progress leads nations

to overlook evident dangers and not to take quite consider-

able losses into account. Everyone is aware of how the de-
velopment and application of any invention to a military

purpose almost everywhere brings harm out of proportion,
even in the political sphere, to the advantages which are

19



derived from them and which could be secured by other

paths at less cost and danger, or be quite simply postponed

to a more convenient time.

73 Who can give an accurate calculation of the economic dam-
age from a progress which is not inspired by wisdom? Such

quantities of material, such sums of money derived from

saving and the result of restrictions and toil and such ex-

penditure of human labor taken away from urgent needs
are consumed to prepare these new arms that even the

wealthiest nations must foresee the times in which they

will regret the dangerously weakened harmony of the na-

tional economy, or are in fact already regretting it, though

they endeavour to conceal the fact.

International Competition in the Development of Armaments

74 To a person pondering and forming a judgment on the

actual state of affairs—and always allowing for the right
of selfdefense—the present-day competition between na-
tions in demonstrating their individual progress in war

equipment assuredly offers new “signs in the skies.” But

even more it offers signs of pride, of that pride which pro-

duces on earth wide differences between souls, nourishes

hatreds and prepares the way for conflict. Let those who
observe today’s competition, therefore, know how to reduce

the facts to their true proportions and, while not rejecting

approaches aiming at peace agreements which are always

desirable, let them not permit themselves to be misled by

records, often of very short duration, nor be too much in-
fluenced by fears skillfully evoked to win the interest and

support of others who may be glad to be connected with a
class of men among whom the homo faber takes preced-
ence over the homo sapiens. May the advantage then go
to the Christian man who, making use of the liberty of
spirit which is derived from a truly broad understanding of

things, recovers in the objective consideration of events

that peace and stability of soul which has its source in the

Divine Spirit Who, by His constant presence, holds the

world in His care.

The Problem of Peace

75 But finally, that to which the supporters of divine har-

mony in the world have been invited to direct their best
efforts, is the problem of peace. To all of you who know

Our thoughts, it will be enough for Us on this occasion

—

20



and rather to satisfy Our own mind, wliich is untiringly

devoted to the cause of peace—to i-ecall the immediate (Uids
which the nations oujjfht to aim at and briny: to r(‘alization.

We do this with a father’s heail and as interi)retiny: tin*
tender cries of the Divine Infant of Bethlehem, sourc(‘ and

pledge of all peace on earth and in the heavens.

76 The divine law of harmony in the world strictly imi)oses

on all rulers of nations the obligation to prevent war by

means of suitable international organizations, to reduce

armaments under a system of effective insi)ection and to

deter whoever should aim at disturbing the nations which

sincerely desire it. We are sure that, at the first sign of
danger, the tightening of that bond to a greater degi*ee

would not be wanting, as has been clearly attested and i*e-

vealed on several occasions, even recently.

77 But at the moment, it is a question not so much of hasten-
ing to the defense as of preventing the overthrow of order

and of giving a deserved breathing space to the world,

which has already experienced too much suffering. We have
endeavored more than once in times of crisis, with warn-

ings and counsel, to strengthen that mutual dependence,

and We regard it as a special task imposed by God on Our
Pontificate to forge between nations the bonds of true

brotherhood. We renew Our appeal so that among the true
friends of peace all possible rivalry may come to an end
and so that every reason for lack of trust may be removed.
Peace is a good so precious, so productive, so desirable and

so desired that every effort in its defense, even with re-

ciprocal sacrifices of legitimate individual ambitions, is well

spent. We are sure that the peoples of the world are whole-
heartedly in agreement with Us, and that they expect a like

sentiment from their rulers.

78 May “the Prince of Peace” from the Crib of Bethlehem
arouse, preserve and strengthen these aims; and in the

common unity of all men of good will, may He be pleased
to fill up what is particularly wanting today in the realiza-

tion of the order and harmony desired in the world by its
Creator.

21



y

1
*11



FOOTNOTES

1. Roman Breviary, Monday
of the first week of Ad-

vent, antiphon for Majr-

nificat.

2. Acts 2, 11 ; I Peter 2, 9.

3. Luke 2, 12.

4. See Job 22, 12.

5. See Isaias 9, 6.

6. See Titus 3, 4.

7. L 2ike 2, 12.

8. Collossians 1, 16-17.

9. Psalms 92, 4.

10. Job, 37, 5.

11. Job, 19, 7.

12. See Ecclesiasticus 16, 25-
26.

13. See / John, 3 ff.

14. See IV Galatians 3, 5.

15. John 1, 12.

16. See II Peter 3, 13.

17. Apocalypse 21, 1-4.

18. Ecclesiasticus 17, 3.

19. Epliesiaus 1, 10.

20. Genesis 1, 3.

21. John 1, 11.

22. Samt Thomas, I’art One
Question 93, Articles 2-3

23. Saint Thomas, Loc. cit.

24. See Romans 8, 22.

25. Ibid, verse 20.

26. See John 16, 21.

27. 7 Corinthians 7, 31.

28. Psalms 115, 3.

29. Wisdom 8, 1.

30. Hebrews, 13.

31. Psalms 8, 2.

32. Psalms 8, 4.

33. See Genesis 2, 13.

34. John 12, 31
; 16, 33.

35. Ephesians 6, 11-14.

36. 7 Corinthians 3, 22-23.

37. Philippians 3, 21.

23







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