By Nicholas Wansbutter, Esq.
In an effort to read more papal encyclicals, I had occasion some time ago to read MIRARI VOS, Pope Gregory XVI's encyclical on "Liberalism and Religious Indifferentism". Though published on 15 August, 1832, it remains as relevant as ever in the modern milieu. Indeed, one might think that little has changed since 1832 when we read Pope Gregory's description of the situation:
Depravity exults; science is impudent; liberty, dissolute. The holiness of the sacred is despised; the majesty of divine worship is not only disapproved by evil men, but defiled and held up to ridicule. Hence sound doctrine is perverted and errors of all kinds spread boldly. The laws of the sacred, the rights, institutions, and discipline -- none are safe from the audacity of those
speaking evil.
The full text of this article may now be found here: http://rencesvals.blogspot.com/2008/08/mirari-vos-first-explicit-condemnation.html
Posted on the Feast of St. John Bosco, Confessor, a.D. MMVIII
