The Morning Star And Catholic Messenger

The Holy Father on Journalism.—The Echo de Rome of the 20th ult. remarks that the Holy Father has often testified his appreciation of the services which Catholic journals may render to the Church and to society at the present crisis. A recent Brief, addressed to the editor of a Brazilian journal, confirms once more the many tokens of approval by which Pius IX. has already encouraged both lay and clerical writers. The following is a translation of the Apostolic Brief referred to, which is addressed to the Canon Gonzalvo Ferreira, director of the Brazilian journal, O Apostolo, of Rio de Janeiro:

"Dear son, health and Apostolic benediction.

The assurances of love and respect which you address to us, and which are enhanced and confirmed by your zeal in defence of the faith and in combating for truth before the public, we have received and accepted, as was fitting, with great joy. For while silence is everywhere imposed on the ministers of the Church, and on the contrary free course is given to the impiety which strives to undermine all authority, human and divine, to corrupt morals, to confuse and vitiate every notion of justice and virtue, it is impossible that we should not rejoice to see a remedy derived from the very liberty of the press against so serious a calamity. At the present day, indeed, in order to neutralize effectually the poison everywhere offered to the people in immoral pamphlets, journals and pictures, there is hardly any other means but those Catholic journals and reviews which, being easily brought to the notice of all, unmask the snares, refute the errors, and implant in the heart the pure doctrine upon which alone any hope can be founded of restoring order and arresting the dissolution of society.

For this reason, as you have already been engaged for some years in this work, we congratulate both yourself and those who have co-operated with you in this salutary undertaking, and we rejoice that that faith, as you have wisely comprehended and proved by experience, which seemed to be dead, is not extinguished. Cry aloud, then, cry aloud, and faint not. Lift up your voice like a trumpet. Denounce the guilt of impiety; manifest to every eye the ravages of which it is the cause, that men may know how bitter a thing it is to have forsaken the Lord and cast away His fear; how senseless it is to persecute or despise that religion which, after having raised up the human race from the pit of abjection into which it had fallen, has continually encouraged and directed towards heaven the progress of that humanity which at this day so arrogantly boasts of it as its own work.

This is the abundant fruit which we expect from your labors and those of your associates, and to obtain which we will give to you all, from the bottom of our heart, our Apostolic Benediction, as a pledge of our paternal good will.

Given at Rome, at St. Peter's, the 15th of January, 1870, in the 24th year of our Pontificate.

PIUS IX., POPE."