Excerpt and Comment on INSCRUTABILI DEI CONSILIO ENCYCLICAL OF POPE LEO XIII ON THE EVILS OF SOCIETY

14. Now, the training of youth most conducive to the defense of true faith and religion and to the preservation of morality must find its beginning from an early stage within the circle of home life; and this family Christian training sadly undermined in these our times, cannot possibly be restored to its due dignity, save by those laws under which it was established in the Church by her Divine Founder Himself. Our Lord Jesus Christ, by raising to the dignity of a sacrament the contract of matrimony, in which He would have His own union with the Church typified, not only made the marriage tie more holy, but, in addition, provided efficacious sources of aid for parents and children alike, so that, by the discharge of their duties one to another, they might with greater ease attain to happiness both in time and in eternity. But when impious laws, setting at naught the sanctity of this great sacrament, put it on the same footing of mere civil contracts, the lamentable result followed, that, outraging the dignity of Christian matrimony, citizens made use of legalized concubinage in place of marriage; husband and wife neglected their bounden duty to each other; children refused obedience and reverence to their parents; the bonds of domestic love were loosened; and alas! the worst scandal and of all the most ruinous to public morality, very frequently an unholy passion opened the door to disastrous and fatal separations. These most unhappy and painful consequences, venerable brothers, cannot fail to arouse your zeal and move you constantly and earnestly to warn the faithful committed to your charge to listen with docility to your teaching regarding the holiness of Christian marriage, and to obey laws by which the Church controls the duties of married people and of their offspring.(10)

This encyclical, written in 1878, seems to hit the nail right on the head. Paragraph 14 truly states what is happening in present society and how we must fight to keep our Christian morals and values in our family and society. When God is removed from the equation, there is nothing to keep us from judging any matter but only own intellect and feeling. However, feeling is not a clear judge of any action nor is rationalization. There is a natural law that is written in every heart, which has been given to us by our Creator. This allows someone to judge the correctness of an action even if they are without the law. It is this which should guide us and allow us to proceed forward and when it is combined with the act of faith we are able transcend the darkness. It is even furthered and multiplied by God's many graces. Nevertheless, God in his infinite greatness allows us a choice and we may reject all that He gives us.




However, when we attempt to look at the world from a purely human perspective, we lose sight of the greater picture and are deluded by the non serviam of Satan. We mustn't forget that Jesus came to serve and not be served and we are to follow His blessed example. Hence, we must always strive to be in the world and not of it. When we relegate our beliefs and our Catholic philosophy for the gain of society, we essentially push God aside,but we must never forget that we belong to Him, that we were made for Him and we strive to be in His kingdom. These are the values that we must give to our family and attempt to spread to society, as we are called to spread his word throughout the earth. It must be remembered that when God is relegated to an afterthought, we essentially are violating the commandments. We are to love our God with whole heart and soul not when it is convenient. His sacraments and His law come first. Our life should revolve around him not the other way around.


The family is starting point of any ministry. How can we expect to help the world if our own house is not in order? Christian values must start at home. They must be demonstrated and exemplified. We mustn't let secular society infect our youth and our culture, or the plague of relativism and modernism will indeed overtake the world and we will be left with no judge greater than ourselves and a never ending pursuit of material wealth and societal gain accompanied by spiritual emptiness.

16 And behold one came and said to him: Good master, what good shall I do that I may have life everlasting? 17 Who said to him: Why askest thou me concerning good? One is good, God. But if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. 18 He said to him: Which? And Jesus said: Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness. 19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 20 The young man saith to him: All these have I kept from my youth, what is yet wanting to me? 21 Jesus saith to him: If thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. 22 And when the young man had heard this word, he went away sad: for he had great possessions. 23 Then Jesus said to his disciples: Amen, I say to you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say to you: It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. 25 And when they had heard this, the disciples wondered much, saying: Who then can be saved? 26 And Jesus beholding, said to them: With men this is impossible: but with God all things are possible. (Mt. 19:16-26)

Pax Tecum


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