the apostolic letter of leo xiii on blessed anthony zaccaria

8/3/2019 The Apostolic Letter of Leo XIII on Blessed Anthony Zaccaria

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THE A?OSTOI.ICLETTER \TTH WHICHBI,ESSEP I \THOI\Y

MARY ZACCARIATHE FOUNDEROF THE CLERICSREGUI,AR

OF ST.PAUI-,BAR}.IABTTES)AI\DHEANGELIC SISTERS F ST.PAUL

ISACCORDED TFIEFTOi\OROF SAIT\THOOI)

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A EucharisticMiracle;Let's ThankTheLordAnd GioeHim Praise.

TheBull 'sirstEnglishranslationcomeson the occasion f

Fr. Augu.sto M. Pucci'sTOth earof dedicated nd aithfulservice

as a Barnabite riest o Cod and His people.RoME, TALY 939 8 lV - 2009- OAKVTLLE,ANADA

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IntroductionIn the Bull ofCanonization, that is, the appeal concerning the passage oftheBook of Revelation with reference to the "saints" to whom the Lamb willgive living water for drinking (Rev 21 :6-7), the text of His Holiness LeoXIII proceeds to narrate the life of Anthony Mary Zaccaria, the institutionof the Barnabites as well as the Angelic Sisters, and the miracles that wouldlead this son ofCremona to the glory of the altar.

The canonization of the Founder of the Barnabites occurredmany years following his death (1539). His canonization also followedexperiences of various vicissitudes related to the events of history thatpertained to the Congregation between the seventeenth and nineteenthcenturies . Furthermore, there had also been obstacles along the pathway tohis beatification and canonization attributed to the charismatic beginningsof the foundations of Zaccaria in the context of the Inquisition. Above all,obstacles were presented with regard to the repute of an Angelic Sister,Paola Antonia Negri.

The ordinary process began in 1802. However, the first stagehad already taken place in October 1800 during the provincial chapter ofLombardy. The Barnabite who must be acknowledged as the prime animatorbehind the future canonization of Anthony Mary Zaccaria was ReverendFather Francesco Fontana (1750- 1822). Reverend Father Fontana wascreated a Cardinal by His Holiness Pope Pius VII in 1816. Along withFontana, one must also list the then Reverend Father Giuseppe Granniello(1834-1896), who became a Cardinal in 1893 and actively participated inthe last procedural phase ofthe canonization ofAnthony Mary Zaccaria. Thecollection of documentary material on Zaccaria (who was then deceased formore than two hundred fifty years) was a lengthy, laborious , and burdensomeprocess in view of relocating all of the testimonies about his life. Intricate,historical research was required in order to lay the groundwork for hisbeatification and canonization. A greater part of the nineteenth century wasspent in the continual examination of data, the research and checking ofdocuments, the examination of the texts written by Anthony Zaccaria fromthe historiographical point of view, the recognition of his body, and theverification of all norms prescribed by Urban Vlll and the Congregationof Rites that was charged with the canonical processes of beatification.All of this had been reconstructed by me in The Processes ofBeatificationand Canonization of St. Anthony Maria Zaccaria (1802- 1897) - Notes inResearch, Barnabiti Studi, J4 (1997): 7- 148.


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Without going into all the merits of the long procedural process,we shall only say that the many efforts of the Barnabiles were in the endrewarded. The figure of their Founder was enriched both by the preciouscircles of contemporary and latter witnesses . This outcome led His HolinessLeo XIll to beatify Anthony Mary Zaccaria on January 3, 1890, given thatthe Congregation of Rites had already approved three miracles that wereattributed to this future saint. This opened the way to canonization asrequested by Father Granniello, who adduced an abundance of canonicalarguments.

During the Consistory of May 20, 1897, His Holiness Leo XIIIdecreed the canonization ofAnthony Mary Zaccaria. On May 27, 1897, thepope issued the Bull of Canonization Dilec/us Domini noslri. In truth, thisBu ll had been signed by the pontiff and twenty-three cardinals several daysprior to the actual issuance of the Bull.

This solemn document was prepared from the postulation of theBarnabiles, and, in broad outline, retraces the life of their Founder. In thetext, all of the phases of each process are listed in addition to a "Memoir"presented by Father Fontana.

On May 27,1897, St. Peter's Ba silica housed this great ceremony:under the rays ,of Bernini were the portraits of two future sa ints, AnthonyMary Zaccaria and Peter Fourier. The basilica was illuminated by 950chandeliers, and was filled with faithful. In solemnity, His Holiness LeoXIII pronounced the formal act of canonization and, indeed, the Bull bearsth e very date of the ceremony. The Barnabites in Italy, particularly thosein Cremona where Zaccaria was born, and the entire Church could nowbegin to venerate our Founder as a saint - we could even say, a great sa int who, on the example of th e Apostle Paul, dedicated himself tirelessly to theChurch until his death at a young age, leaving a fertil e legacy.

tSergio Pagano, B.Titular Bishop ofCelene

Prefect of the Vatican Secret ArchivesVatican City

September 5, 2008


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'" ..I ; ~ - ,. . .:,~ f . f/c*t:TLeo XIII, BishopServant of the Servants of God

In Perpetual MemoryDilectlls Domilli lIostr;

Bull of Canonization of Sf. Anthony Mary ZaccariaMay 27, 1897

IntroductionThe beloved disciple of Our Lord Jesus Christ, when in a moment ofdivine ecstasy saw "a lIew Jerusalem, the holy city, coming downFomout oJheaven as a bride prepared to meet her husband," heard "a loud voiceFom the throne cry out: '/ am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginningand the End. To anyone who thirsts J will give to drink without costFomthe spring oj I i J e - g i ~ i n g water. He who wins the victOlY shall inherit thesegifts: J will be his God and he shall be my son" (Rev 21 :2, 3, 6-7). Thosewho came freely drinking from the fount of living water are saints, having"gleamed with the splendor oj God' and having seen the city with "theradiance oj a precious jewel that sparkled like a diamond' (Rev 21: II).The fount of living water is Christ who gratuitously saves those who shouldbe saved and is accustomed to us ing the ministry of his sa ints to lead thepredestined, whoever they may be, to the New Jerusalem, naturally to theTabernacle of God among men where all tears will be wiped away Fomtheir eyes, and all things will be made new.

Rejoice, then, dearest children and follow the example of the newsaints, whom the Church places before you and in whose patronage youhave been entrusted, and willingly try to imitate them . In particular, youItalians rejoice and admire your co-national Anthony Mary Zaccaria, whowith great love looks down from heaven upon you, your families, and all ofItaly that YO li all may be comforted in spirit on a great and high mountain.The life of Anthony Mary and His Works

Anthony Mary was born in Cremona, Italy, of a noble family,toward the end of the yea r 1502. His father was Lazzaro, and his mother

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was Antonia Pescaroli, a lady of exceptional integrity. His mother becamea widow shortly after he was born and dedicated herself to his education sothat he might succeed in doing the w ill ofGod for him. Not surprising to hismother or to himse lf, Anthony immediately manifested the traits that weretypically indicative of future sanct ity, including scorn for earthl y goods,reverence for Christian piety, and extraordinary charity for his neighbor. Inline with this, it has been said that it was not a rare occasion that, alreadyas a youth, in order to bring comfort to the poor, he gave away his ownclothing, and even refused food that was prepared for him. He was thus soinflamed with a love for Christian poverty that he never wore clothing ofsilk that was typica lly flaunted by the noble youths of his age. The goodsthat he inherited from his father, he wil lingly gave to hi s mother so that shecould be more generous to the poor. As for him, almost as if he were thelast of the poor, with humility, he would ask his mother only for those thingsthat were strictly necessary. Furthermore, he was careful not to ask foranything that might even appear to the most austere persons as superfluousor not entirely indispensab le.

Educated at home in literary studies, he was first sent to Paviaand then to Padua to study philosophy and medicine. After completinghis course with distinction and great profit, he returned to Cremona topractice his profession. His work as a doctor was indeed enough for manyin Cremona to observe that he was destined to a higher ca lling, he whoby then, be it in Cremona or in Padua, earned the name "saint" . Withoutdoubt, Anthony desired nothing more of the ecclesiastical service; beingrather humble, he was frightened by the seriousness and grandeur of theministry. A Dominican friar by the name Marcello, who was noted both forhis wisdom and piety, broke Anthony's lingering and promised him that hehimse lf will act as his teacher on theological matters. Anthony dedicatedhimself with passion to his studies that he won the admiration of this sameteacher. Anthony developed a particular interest to the Sacred Scripture,and was at such time so enthu sed by the Letters of St. Paul that he took theApostle as his model both in doctrin e and in exemplary living, and called onhim to be his intercessor before our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Ne ither Paul fai led in his protection. Before Anthony ever gave uphis secular life, the people ofCremona already saw hi s sincere commitment(0 the aposto late. Many desired that he be ordained to the priesthood, sothat his good deeds might be more widely propagated and that people couldonce again look on with admiration the dign ity of the priesthood - almostrejected at that time on account of rampant vice - and thus enjoy the respectit merited. Neither the expectation of the people was disappointed; on the

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contrary, it seemed God Himselfwished to confirm it with a miracle. In fact,during the first Mass ofAnthony, something extraordinary happened. Duringthe consecration, the host irrad iated with great splendor to what assumed assacred, and a multitude of angels appeared, surrounding the Eucharist withreverence. With this miracle, Anthony 's reputation was confirmed beforeman, and even more hi s humility and hi s consuming desire to devote himselfto Christ the Redeemer for the salvation of al l.

There is no need at all to review in detail with what ardor AnthonyZaccaria worked both for the spiritual and temporal needs of the people ofCremona. Indeed, the most renowned historians of Cremona un animouslyaffirm that the house of Blessed Anthony became a refilge of he poor, andhis bosom, a haven ofcompassion. From thi s the people of Cremona beganto call him their "angel" and did so every time they came to him to hear hi stalks, or to ease their consciences, or to ask for some advice or help. It thuscame about that he was also ca lled the "fath er of the homeland" insofar ashe was considered by popular opinion, and a resolute promoter of religion,of holy customs, and of personal and social harmony.

It occurred to Anthony the desire to spread throughout italy, indeed,the whole world, the great favor bestowed upon hi s c ity. Not being able torealize hi s plan without the help of others, he began to envision a religiousorder that, under the patronage of the Church, would dedicate itself to thereform of the clergy and of the people. To bring about such undertaking,more so in that adverse time, was cha llenging. However, before th e eyesof Anthony was Saint Paul , his patron, whom he carried in his heart. Inhis name, between tears and prayers, he implored Christ Cruc ified that hemay show favor on his aspirations. Neither the Redeemer, the great lover ofhumankind, delayed for a long time. While in Milan, Anthony encounteredthe famous group of men who were notable for their knowledge and piety.This group was called the Oratory ofEternal Wisdom. Anthony was thenwelcomed to thi s group as if he were the one who could fina lly establ ishsometh ing that might be necessary to face the gravest ev ils that oppressedthe Church and the Christian society on many fronts. He mentioned hisintention to found a congregation. This gained great acceptance, andimmediately with great impetus, two noblemen of Milan, BartolomeoFerrari, a priest, and Giacomo Morigia, one worthy and desirous to becomea priest, offered themselves to be his first companions.

Along with these companions, Anthony requested with the s incerest suppli cat ion from Pope Clement VII of happy memory the permission tobegin a new religious order that upholds his purpose, under the protectionof Saint Paul, and in assiduous imitation of the Apostle. Clement willingly

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accepted and granted the request with a papal decree on February 18, 1533.Later in 1535, his successor, Pope Pa ul Ill , through an aposto lic letter,confi rmed, praised, and bestowed numerous privileges upon the rel igiousorder which had already grown in number and had diffused throughoutLo mbardy and Southe rn France and, th en, in the rest of Ita ly and othernations. These were thus the glorious beginnings of the Order, which St.Charles Borromeo and St. Francis de Sales adm ired and rejoiced in. Thesebeg innings gained, and still gain, me ri ts to the Church as wel l as benefitsto the society through their service in the cultural and Christ ian educat ionof the youth . In part , the emergent fr ui t from thi s re ligious order consistedin the format ion and development of many individuals, who were educatedin the sciences, particularly in th e natura l sci ences . No one in our timecan di spute the importance of such education, at the level of necessityor utili ty.

Not long after, with hi s des ire to provide Christian education tothe youth, Anthony set himself to work, to convert a hospice, which themost devout Countess of Guasta lla, Ludovica Tore lli , fou nded in Milan,in to a monastery. Being so convinced ofAnthony's in tention, the Countessat once acted to obtain the permission from th e Apostolic See for suchpurpose. The Supreme Pontiff Paul Ill , w ith a papal brief of 1535, grantedher req ues t. Thu s th e fa mous monasteries of the holy virgins were born .These holy virg in s were given the name, Angelics. Anthony in fact allowedthe sisters to choose the name by whi ch they were to be ca lled. One of theyoun gest among them, by di vine in spiration, suggested the name Angeliche(Angelics). The choice was approved wi th enthusiasm, and with the promi seto con duct a li fe worthy of the name.

In a short time, the monasteri es of the Angelic Sisters, providedwith the wisest regul ation by Anthony, earned such esteem that made theman example for the reform of other monaste ries of holy virgins. St. CharlesBorromeo had such hi gh regard toward the Angelic Sisters that he used toca ll th em " th e most prec ious jewe l in my mite r. " The ru les that govern edthe Angelic Sisters and thei r whole mann er of institution were of greatuse to St. Francis de Sales in his admirable fou ndation of the Sisters ofthe Vis itation. Thus, it see ms opportune to Our office to recommend as ofva lue the monasteries of the Angelic Sisters then, and righ t up until our owntime. We then strongly exhort the Bishop of Lodi to re introduce them intohi s d iocese.

With these fou ndat ions, Anthony ga ined great reputat ion in theChurch, but still had to govern and defend them from detractors (who weremany and were powerful) and had to continually and ass iduously look

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~ = = ~ ~ ~ = = = = = = ~ = = = = = = = = = = ~after them. A ll th is not withstanding, as if he had tim e at his disposal, hededicated himself to the reform of the cl ergy and of the people of Mi lan insuch a manner that he has full right to be ca lled a precursor of SI. Charl esBorromeo in this matte r. As he di d in Cremona, so also in M ilan, he providednot only for th e spiri tual needs of the people, but also for their bod ily needs;there was not any kind of tribulation or misery that he did not think aboutto eliminate or, at least, to a lleviate . Not only Cremona and Milan realizedthe great deeds of Anthony, but also the whole diocese of Vicenza, fo rwhose reform and reconstitution he was called upon by Cardin al Ridolfito undelt ake.

Such great praises o f undertakings onl y bring us back to the hero icvirtues of thi s illustrious man, who atta ined and nurtured these virtues in hisass iduous contempl ation of Jesus Christ. As indeed we read in one of hi smost serious biographies: "Continua lly bea ring the memories of the pass ionof our Lord in the most in timate part of his soul , like a bundle of myrrh,he practiced the most perfect heavenly virtue, so determined at facing andenduring difficul t tri als in confo rmity to Christ."

Hence, the constant meditation of Blessed Anthony upon heavenlyrea li ties; hi s immense des ire to expand the reign of Chri st; hi s extraord inaryfervor with whi ch he ce lebrated the sacred rite, for whi ch, as they say, basedon attested documents, he wou ld be the first to promote the adoration ofthe Blessed Sacrament unt il the duration of the Solemn Triduum, as it issti ll done today; his most tender devotion towards the Vi rgin Mary throughwhom Christ Crucified wished to be loved; hi s penance almost incredi blyfused with such inn ocence of an angel; his great humili ty through whi chhe threw himself among the most p itiable of sinners. Christ de igned toadorn and elevate such a virtue so great, even on earth, with marvelous giftsand charisms.By now, however, an immortal reward awai ted Anthony, who wasstill in his pr ime. Whil e trying to insti ll peace in Guasta lla, which wastroubled by a serious dissension, Anthony was struck wi th a grave ill ness.He thought ofgoing back to Milan, but already in such a worse cond it ion, hepreferred to be brought to Cremona, which was nearby. There in th e embraceof hi s most pious mo ther, he predicted that he wo uld soon be carri ed backto heaven, and revealed between the tears of hi s confreres the future eventsof his congregation. Anthony, uplifted by the vision and reassurance of SI.Paul (this being affi rmed by many reliable authors), received the sacramentsof the Church with great fe rvor and humil ity, and, in the greatest serenity ofone savoring the joys of heaven, died on July 5, L539, at the age of 37.

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The Process ofBeatificationThe ent ire populace, with the consent of the clergy, immed iately

venerated Anthony among the Bl essed in heaven. Henceforth, hi s relicswere venerated; hi s images, radiant with rays and hal oes, were displayedon altars; and the constant title, "Blessed", was attributed to him, not onlyin Lombardy and in Italy, but also in the most emin ent reg ions of Europe.However, ninety-fi ve years after his death , as decreed by Urban VI II , theCongrega tion of the Clerics Regular ofSt. Paul (BG/-nabiles) was obl igatedto abstain from such cult, even though it could be interpreted that the saiddecree did not in fac t refer to it. Nonetheless, supreme obedience to theHoly See prevai led. Thi s matter shou ld even more be ascribed to the praiseof the Barnabiles, for the very fact that the most noble cause would becarried out, certainly with difficulty, per viam 110n cullus. However, in sofar as Our predecessor Benedict XIV of illustrious memory had sui tab lyestab lished that in ancient causes subs idi ary proofs could also be accepted,the Barnabiles produced a ll necessary stud ies to provide abundant proofsof this fact, the principal reason of their Order. On account of the difficulttimes, the ordinary Inquisition could not be executed until 1808 . Thefollowing year, after the Inquisition was finally completed, Pope Pius VII ofvenerated memory form ed a commi ss ion for the cause. Having successfu llyaccomp lished all formalities established by law, the inquiry on Anthony'svirtue was undertaken. On February 2, 1849, Our predecessor of belovedmemory Pope Pius IX, while in exi le in Gaeta on account ofa revo lutionaryuprising, declared Anthony's virtue heroic.

In the meantime, while the devoted children of Blessed Anthonywere preparing for the debate concerning hi s miracles, severa l decrees of theSacred Congregation were issued, based on wh ich the public venerat ion toBlessed Marinoni of the Theatines, to the Jesuit martyrs, Blessed Azevedoand his companions, and lastly, to those famous heroes in England, whoshed their blood, making the Church of Chri st resplendent, was restored_At this point, it was opportune for the Clerics Regular ofSt. Paul to engagethemselves in taking steps for the very same reason to the glory of theirfounder. Therefore, they then obtained such great hope that before the SacredCongregation of Rites the reinstatement of the devotion to their founderwould be dealt with. The Sacred Congregation agreed, and We approvedvery willingly its decision wi th a decree of January 3, 1890, and establ ishedthat Anthony Mary be listed among the Blessed. In the fo llow ing year,the Clerics Regular of St. Paul set out to renew the cause of canoniza tionof their holy founder, requesting further that the miracles proposed fo r

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hi s beatification may also be considered valid for hi s canonization. Bothrequests being approved by the Sacred Congregation, We, on May 13, 1891,by our own hand, signed the decree forming a commission to resume thecause of Blessed Anthony Mary Zaccaria and , at the same time, approvedthat the miracles obtained from God through his intercession after 1849may be proposed for the canonization.The Process of Canonization: The Three Miracles

Three mirac les were thus proposed in this regard. The first happenedin the Archdiocese of Bologna in 1876 to a certain farmer, Vincenzo Zanotti.At the age of 20 he began to suffer from varicose veins in his left leg.Ulceration of the varicose veins followed. The condition was particularlysharp and painful during the summer, such that Vincenzo was not able toundertake any work. After several months, he went to see the doctor andshowed hi s leg. The doctor, however, told him that there was no medicinethat could cure such disease, since it was a condition derived from a badhereditary predisposition. Therefore he only prescribed several palliativemedicines to a lleviate it. Nevertheless, on account of other developments,the disease became more serious such that Vincenzo, who was already in hi sold age, became grave ly ill ; gangre ne seemed imminent. At this moment,Vincenzo put himself in the hands of Blessed Anthony, and in order to meritthis, he began a novena. At the end of novena, he fe lt better and noted thatthe ulcer was hea ling. He added three more days of prayer, after whichhe rega ined his strength- to the delight of hi s family and friends- andwith enthusiasm went back to carry out the heavy work in the fields . So lidheal ing testified that the di sease was cured.

Another miracle occurred in Cremona, in 1873. Paola Aloni nevercomplained about her health unt il she reached 15 years o ld. Then shebegan to suffer from a rather grave disease, which was identified by herdoctor as nervous rheumatism. The symptoms inc luded a contraction ofth e nerves, terrible pain throughout th e body, and occasional fever. Then,Pao la developed a swelling of the throat, followed by a swe lling under thearmpits. She went through surgery; however, the disease got even worse.Paola was then confined to bed, un ab le to walk. She suffered from a veryhigh fever, pa in a ll over her body, whi ch was particularly intolerable in thehead, neck, and sides, and accompanied by vomiting, dizziness, del irium,and choking. The doctors diagnosed it to be an organic spinal illness,which was not only incurable but also could not be relieved. This mostunfortunate lady spent seven entire years in this state, emac ia ted, renderingher a ll skin and bones. When her confessor, the Rev. Car lo Crotti, heard

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of the miracles of the Venerable Anthony Zaccaria , he gave her an im ageand some relics. This brought her some hope, such that the lady, full oftrust, began a novena. Not having her prayers heard at the beginning, shedid not lose hope; she continued to pray, confident that in the end Anthonywould answer her prayers. She was given the Extreme Unction and theblessings of the Church, since she seemed to be dying, when, for no apparentreason, she attempted to get out of bed. A happy attempt! She regained herstrength. She not on ly could stroll about, she could also take in some foodand nutrients. Never before did she enjoy such good health, wh ich lastedfor several more years .

The third miracle happened to Francesco Aloni , the brother of Paola.Since he was a baby, he had already been suffering from herpes, from acerebral inflammation, which clouded his mental capacities, andfTom otherdiseases that caused a complete deformity of hi s body. At 45 years old,Francesco fractured hi s right leg. Thanks to the continual care given to him,he recovered. However, in the same leg a swell ing formed. This becamea sore, which turned into a terrible ulceration. Having been confined in ahospital in Cremona, he was discharged twice insofar as his disease waschronic and incurable. Added to his woes was the onset of osteoporosis.Then, abandoned by everyone, he asked for help from his sister Paola.Remembering we ll the Venerable Anthony whom she had recourse whenshe was near death , she exhorted her brother to take courage and to prayconfidently to Venerable Anthony for nine days. Francesco, on whose legPaola had a lready placed the re lics of the Venerable, obeyed. At th e end ofthe novena, Francesco was completely cured.

These miracles, that is, the immediate andpel/ect cure of VincenzoZanoffiji-om an incurable ulcer of he leftfoot, ofPaola Alonijimn a chronicand incurable disease of the dorsal spine, and, ftnally, of the CremoneseFrancesco Aloni ji-om an incurable ulcer of the right leg, having beenexamined three times accord ing to tradition , first during the pre-preparatoryassembly which met on December 17, 1895; then during the preparatoryassembly on September I, 1896; finally, during the general assemb ly thatmet in our presence on January 14 of thi s year, We, having also heard thejudgment of Our Venerable Brothers, the Cardinals of the Holy RomanChurch as we ll as their consultants, and after having invoked the Divine lightin a spirit of humi lity, on February 14, (Septuagesima Sunday), solemnlyproclaimed the Verification concerning these three miracles.

All that remained was for the general assemblies of the SacredCongregation of Rites to place under scrutiny whether one should proceedwith certainty to the solemn canonization ofBlessedAnthony Mary Zaccaria.

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One counters, nevertheless, the decree of April 23,1741, based on whichit was drawn up that in causes in which the virtues were not supported bydirect proofs, it was necessary to discuss four miracles. However, havingconsidered the nobility ofthe cause and the dignity with which the Blessedenjoys, in sofar as he is the founder of an illustrious and estimable Order inthe Church, We exempted the Postulators from the requirement of a fourthmirac le. Consequently, on February 23 of the current year, after havingapproved the judgments both of Our Venerable Brother, the Cardinals ofthe Holy Roman Church and of the consultants, and having invoked oncemore the Divine help on the First Sunday of Lent, We so lemnly decreedthat one could proceed in full confidence to the canonization of BlessedA nthony Mary.

Follow ing the tradition according to ancient customs or to theexamp les ofOu r predecessors, and in order to increase the so lemnity of thisgreat event, We convoked all the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church in asecret consistory assembly on April 19 of he current year, and requested theirop inion. They, after having listened to the briefbut accurate discourse ofOurBeloved Son Card in al Gaetano Aloisi -Masel la, Prefect of the Congregationof Rites, on the works, virtues, and miracles of Blessed Anthony, and on theseries of events, have agreed to approve, in an extraordinary way, that uponthis important man be accorded the honors of the saints. On the same day, OurBeloved Son Baldassarre Capogrossi-Guarna, advocate ofOur consistorialchamber, convoked a public consistory, and with elegance argued in favorof the canonization of Blessed Anthony, and pleaded humbly that We agreeto it. Having before our eyes the seriousness and grandeur of this matter,We then retained that it was once more necessary to in sist with prayer andfasting, so that God's benevolence would deign to enlighten our minds withthe ligh t of his splendor, and guide it in His will. Therefore, with a lettersent by the Sacred Congregation of the Council, we ensured that not onlythe Venerable Brother Bishops who are near, but also those who are far, indue respect of the situation, be informed of this matter and come to Rome toexpress their opinion, with the invocation of the Divine Spirit, regarding thecanonization of Blessed Anthony Mary and Blessed Peter Fourier, whomWe associate with him. As many of these bishops who come from aroundthe world were fully aware of the cause, both on the basis of the measuresthat had been taken in Our presence, and on the basis of the documents ofthe Sacred Congregation of Rites, which We wished to consign to each of fthem, they met in a semi-pub lic consistory in our presence on May 20'hNot only Our Venerable Brothers, the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church,but also the Patriarchs, the Primates, the Archbishops, and the Bishops,

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with unanimous opin ion, requested Us to approve the canoni zation. Theproceedings of this matter have been redacted in a public format by Ourbeloved sons, the notaries of the Apostol ic See, and have been depositedwithin the archives of the Sacred Congregation of Rites.

For the solemn celebration of the canonization, we have establishedMay 27' '', the day on which we commemorate Jesus, the author 0/humansalvation, thejoy o/hearts, the/oundero/the redeemed world, the conquerorin noble triumph, who sits at the right hand o/the Father. In the meantime,having establ ished the fasts and indicated the churches where to obtain thesacred indulgences, We invited all Christians to come together to a solemnityso great, with souls adequatel y prepared to receive the generous abundanceof heaven ly benefits .

Moreover, to satisfy the desires of numerous faithful, and alsoto increase the d ignity of the rite, it seemed appropriate that the rite becelebrated in the largest temple in the whole world, according to an ancienttradition that the wickedness of our t im e and the most painful imprisonmentof the Vicar ofChrist tried to break. Indeed, enduring this imprisonment forthe inscrutable judgment of God, We have deemed it not inopportune thatthe faithful in front of the sepulcher of the holy Apostles itself redoubl e theirmost fervent prayers that God may fi nally humble or convert the enem ies ofthe Holy Church.

When the joyful day arrived, all the clergy of the different Orders,secular and regular, the Prelates and Officia ls of the Roman Curia, a ll ofOur Venerable Brothers, the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, thePatriarchs, the Primates, the Archbishops, and the Bishops of about 300,and We, entered in the Vatican Bas ili ca decorated most magnificently forthe so lemn occasion. While our Beloved Son Bladassarre Capogross i-Guarna, the advocate of the Our consistorial chamber, was speaking,Our Beloved Brother Card in al Gaetano Aloisi-Mase lla, the Prefect of theSacred Congregation of Rites, and who was charged with overseeing theorganization of the canonization, brought the votive offerings and prayers ofthe holy Prelates and of the Orders of the Barnabites and the Angelic Sisters,in order that We may endow Blessed Anthony Mary the honor of the saints;after having repeated hearti ly two or three times the same vot ive offeringsand prayers, and after having invoked humbly the light of the Div in e Spiritfor the honor of the Holy and Individual Trinity, for the increase and dignityof the Catholic faith, with the authority of Our Lord Jesus Christ, of theholy Apostles, Peter and Paul , and ofOur authority, following an opportunedeliberation and vote of Our Venerable Brothers, the Card in als of theHoly Roman Church, through the decision of the Patriarchs, the Primates,

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the Archbishops, and the Bishops, We declared that th e aforesa id priest,Anthony Mary Zaccaria, fo under of the Cleri cs Regul ar of St. Paul and theAngelic Sisters of Sa in t Paul , be a Saint-Confessor.

In this same decree we have associated Peter Fouri erofMatta in court,a priest ofLorraine, the Fath er General and refo rm er of th e Congregation ofOur Savior, in the O rd er of Canons Regul ar ofSt. Augustine, and founder ofthe Daughters of Our Lady, in the same rule of St. Augustin e; also him wasnotable for the glory of virtue and miracles.

We th en established that the memory of St. Anthony Mary Zaccariabe cel ebrated every year in the martyrology on July 5. Furthermore, Weconceded in perpetuity to a ll the fa ithfu l that on th is date th ey may veneratehi s remains fo r an indulgence of seven years and another forty days. Havingthen humbly given thanks to God, Our Greatest Good, in Our presence, OurVe nera bl e Broth er Lui gi Oreg li a, Bi shop of Ostia and Vel letri , and Deanof th e Sacred Co llege of Cardi nals, celebrated thi s rite. After the Gospelreading, We turned to the cl ergy and all the people, and exhorted themwith great vigor to im plore with ful l confidence the intercession of th e holyApostles Peter and Paul and of th e new saints, especially for the needs ofth e Church. Then after havin g im parted with great affection the plenaryindulgence to a ll present, we ordered that th is Aposto lic Letter, with Oursignatures and of the Cardinals of the Hol y Roman Church be sent withlead seal.Final Exhortation

Dearest Children, you have heard from th e beloved Apostle howgreat and how many are the joys of the New Jeru salem prepared by Christfor conquerors; certainl y for th ose who, hav in g clothed th emselves inChrist, have brought aga in the triumph over th e wo rld, th e fl esh, th e forcesofdarkness , offering th eir own bodies as a living sacrifice, holyandpleasingto God, and those who have not desired to conform to the mentaliry of hisage and have recognized what is the will of God, what is good, pleasing,and perfect (Rom 12: I, 2) . But for the unfaithfi,f, the depraved, murderers,the unchaste, sorcerers, idol-worshipers, and deceivers ofeve,y sort, theirlo t is in the burning pool offire and sulfilr (Rev. 2 1 8).

Understand, then, dearest chi ldren, th at th e burning pool of fireand sulfur represent not onl y a part of th e un fa ithfu l, th e depra\'ed. themurderers, the unchaste, the sorcerers, and decei vers of every sort. but alsoth e idolworshipers. Therefore, in order that th e victory would guide us tothe conquest of the great and high mountain, we need to fight against this}ge not with vain reflections and fruitless desires, but with all our mi nd ,

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heart, and strength, hiding nothing and not being afraid of anything, anddesiring one's death as a great and delicate prize when one happens to faceit, for the true liberty and dignity of our sou l, for Chri st, and for the rightsand laws of the Church .

A ruthless war is being waged everywhere against these mostsa intly and august names and things: in Italy, yes, even more horri ble andunworthy; in Italy, I say, where Christ placed the princ ipal seat of hi s reign,that sacrilegious men boast of to such degree, without being ashamed tocelebrate a nefarious action wi th a solemn civil rite, like th e greatest prideof th e nation , rather, of th e human race, and making it lasting with a hugemonument raised next to a defeated cross' May God our Great Good come,and with the intercession of St. Anthony Mary, sustain our cause: sustainyour undertakings, 0 you, who are among the most noble of the Italians,that you may fight with great courage for Christ and hi s Church, and maynot be swept away by the error of the wicked and lose nothing of yoursteadfastness (2 Pt 3: 17).

Therefore, hav ing examined carefull y everything that needs to bevalued on the basis of a clear conscience, and in Our fu ll authority, Weconfirm all and every provis ion afo resaid. Furthermore, We strengthenthem and establish them anew, and ann oun ce th em to the entire Catho licChurch, prescribing that th e transcriptions of the present letter or the printedcopies signed by hand of a notary and fortified with the sea l of one whohas eccles iastical duty, may have completely th e same authority of Ourpresent letter, in case it may be exhibited or di splayed. If anyone then hasthe courage to tear or the audacity to oppose or corrupt th is page of ourdefinition, decree, command, concession, and will , may he know th at hewill face the in dignation of the All-Powerful God and of Hi s holy ApostlesPeter and Paul.Given in Rome, at St. Peter's Ba s il ica, in the year of the Incarnationof the Lord 1897, May 27th, th e twentieth year of Our Pontificate .

t LEO, Bishop of the Catholic Church

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(Rota)i'Lui gi Cardinal Oreg lia di S. Stefano, Bishop of Ostia and Ve lletri ,

Chamberlain of the Ho ly Roman Church and Dean ofthe Sacred Co llege of Cardinals

"i Lucido Mari a Cardinal Parocchi , Bishop of Po rto and S. Ru fina-rSe rafin o Cardinal Vannutelli , Bishop of FrascatitMario Cardinal Mocenni , Bi shop of Sabinat lsidoro Cardinal Verga, Bishop ofA lbano, Aposto lic Penitentiaryt Cam ilio Card inal Mazze lla, ST, Bishop of PalestrinatM ieczyslaw Cardin al Led6chowski , Protopresbyter of

S. Lorenzo in Lu cinatGaetano Cardinal Aloisi Mase lla, Presbyter of S. Prassedet Mariano Card inal Rampolla del Tindaro, Presbyter of S. CeciliatV incenzo Cardinal Vannutelli , Presbyte r ofS . Silvestro in Capitet Angelo Ca rdinal Di Pi etro, Presbyter of SS. Bonifacio ed AlessiotF rancesco Cardinal Sato ll i, Presbyter ofS . Maria in Aracelit Girolamo Maria Cardinal Gotti, O.C.D. , Presbyter of S. Maria della Scalat Domenico Maria Cardinal lacobini, Presbyter of SS. Marce ll ino e Pietrot Antoni o Cardinal Ag liardi , Presbyter ofSS. Nereo edAch il leot Domenico Cardinal Fe rrata, Presbyter of S. Priscat Serafi no Card in al Cretoni , Presbyter ofS . Mari a sopra Mivervat Teodolfo Card in al Mertel, Vice Chance llor of the Holy Roman Church,

First Deacon of S. Lo renzo in Damasot Lu igi Cardinal Macchi , Cardinal-Deacon of S. Maria in Via Latat Andreas Cardinal Steinhuber, S .J ., Cardina l-Deacon ofS. Agata a lia Suburra

t Francesco Cardinal Segna, Card inal-Deacon of S. Maria in Porticot Raffaele Card inal Pierotti , O.P. , Cardinal- Deacon ofSS. Cosmo e Damianot Gi useppe Cardinal Prisco, Card in al-Deacon ofS. Cesareo in Palatio

* Pope Leo XIII here is referring to the construction of the Monument toVi ctor Emmanuel ll , th e first King of ita ly, otherwise known as the "Altarof the Fath erl and." Built in 1885- 1911 , it virtua lly presents itself as anexpression of "civic" worshi p of Italy.

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the apostolic letter of leo xiii on blessed anthony zaccaria

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