Invicti athletae
Invicti athletae Latin for 'Of the unconquered athlete'Fidei donum → |
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Invicti athletae (May 16, 1957) is an encyclical of Pope Pius XII to the bishops of the world on the 300th anniversary of the martyrdom of Saint Andrew Bobola.
Some parts of the encyclical are addressed particularly to the Catholics of Poland.
Background
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The encyclical
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Over half of the encyclical is taken up with an account of the life and death of Andrew Bobola.[4]
The encyclical then points to the saint as a model to follow in the circumstances then prevailing in certain places, where the Christian religion was under heavy strain or was being almost annihilated. The places are not specified, but the mentions here and there in the letter suggest that the reference was to countries that had come under Communist rule at the end of
Those circumstances require on the part of bishops, priests, and laity, a strong effort to defend, explain, and propagate the Catholic religion. The stronger the attacks on
Striving for Christian perfection always involves an element of martyrdom, giving witness, if not by shedding one's blood, at least by tenaciously resisting sin and devoting oneself unselfishly to the service of God. Inspiration can be drawn from Andrew Bobola's constancy in faith, and his zeal in defending and spreading it.[7]
Pope Pius XII concluded the encyclical by directing some words in particular to the Polish people, especially to their bishops who had undergone suffering for the sake of Christ. He asked them to hold fast to the faith received from their ancestors, imitating their constancy, and striving to live up to the Christian moral code. He also urged them to act boldly but prudently, knowingly and wisely, and to maintain Catholic faith and unity.[8]
See also
- Anti-religious campaign of Communist Romania
- Polish anti-religious campaign
- Religion in Poland
- Persecution of Christians in Warsaw Pact countries
- League of Militant Atheists
References
- ISBN 978-1-57607355-1), pp. 130–131
- ISBN 978-0-19959660-7), p. 54
- ISBN 978-0-86516245-7), p. 345
- ^ Invicti athletae, 1–20
- ^ Invicti athletae, 21–24
- ^ Invicti athletae, 29
- ^ Invicti athletae, 30–31
- ^ Invicti athletae, 32–37
External links
- Invicti athletae as published in Acta Apostolicae Sedis 49 (1957), pp. 321–331
- English translation of Invicti athletae
- "The Pope to Poland" Archived 2016-03-06 at the Wayback Machine in The Tablet, 25 May 1957