NON ABBIAMO BISOGNO On Catholic Action in Italy

by Pope Pius XI

We do not need to acquaint you, Venerable Brethren, with the events which have recently occurred in this Our Episcopal city of Rome, and throughout Italy, that is to say, in the very territory of which We are Primate - events which have had such a wide and deep repercussion especially in all the dioceses of Italy and throughout the Catholic world. These occurrences can be summarized in very few and very sad words. An attempt has been made to strike a mortal blow at that which was and always will be dearest to Our heart as Father and as Shepherd of Souls; and We can - indeed We must - add that “the way in which it has been done offends Us still more.” (E al modo ancor m’offende.) 2. In the presence and under the pressure of these events; We feel the need and the duty of turning to you, Venerable Brethren, and of, so to speak, visiting each one of you in spirit; first, to discharge Our urgent duty of fraternal gratitude, and, second, to satisfy another duty equally grave and urgent. We mean the duty of defending truth and justice in a matter which, inasmuch as it affects vital interests and rights of Holy Mother Church, concerns all and every one of you, Venerable Brethren, whom the Holy Ghost has called to govern the Church in union with Ourselves. In the third place We wish to tell you of Our anxieties for the future. Fourth, We would lay before you the conclusions and reflections forced upon Us by these events; and, finally, We invite you to share Our hopes and to pray with Us and with the Catholic world that they may be fulfilled. 3. Interior peace, that peace which comes from the full and clear consciousness that one is arrayed on the side of truth and justice and is striving and suffering for that peace, which only God can give and which the world can neither give nor take that blessed and beneficent peace, thanks to the divine goodness and mercy, has never left Us; and we have full trust that it never will leave Us, come what may. Yet this peace leaves the way open to the most bitter trials. During the Passion, it was so with the Heart of Jesus, and it is so in the hearts of His faithful servants, as well you know, Venerable Brethren; and We also have experienced the truth of those mysterious “Behold in peace is my bitterness most bitter” (Isaias xxxviii, 17). 4. Your prompt, generous and affectionate intervention which does not cease, Venerable Brethren, the fraternal and filial devotion which you have expressed and, above all else, that sentiment of high supernatural solidarity, that intimate union of thoughts and of feelings, of intellects and wills, which your loving messages breathe forth, have filled Our soul with inexpressible consolations and have called forth from Our hearts to Our lips the words of the psalm (xciii, 19): “According to the multitude of sorrows in my heart, thy comforts have given joy to my soul.”

76 pages, Paperback

First published June 29, 1931

About the author

Pope Pius XI,born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, reigned as Pope from 6 February 1922 to his death in 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929. He took as his papal motto, "Pax Christi in Regno Christi," translated "The Peace of Christ in the Kingdom of Christ."

Pius XI issued numerous encyclicals, including Quadragesimo Anno , in the 40th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII's groundbreaking social encyclical Rerum Novarum, highlighting the capitalistic greed of international finance, and social justice issues, and Quas primas, establishing the feast of Christ the King. The encyclical Studiorum Ducem, promulgated 29 June 1923, was written on the occasion of the 6th centenary of the canonization of Thomas Aquinas, whose thought is acclaimed as central to Catholic philosophy and theology. The encyclical also singles out the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Angelicum as the preeminent institution for the teaching of Aquinas: "ante omnia Pontificium Collegium Angelicum, ubi Thomam tamquam domi suae habitare dixeris" (before all others the Pontifical Angelicum College, where Thomas can be said to dwell).

To establish or maintain the position of the Catholic Church, he concluded a record number of concordats, including the Reichskonkordat with Germany (Germany's betrayals of which he condemned four years later in the encyclical Mit brennender Sorge ("With Burning Anxiety")). During his pontificate, the longstanding hostility with the Italian government over the status of the papacy and the Church in Italy was successfully resolved in the Lateran Treaty of 1929. He was unable to stop the persecution of the Church and the killing of clergy in Mexico, Spain and the Soviet Union. He canonized important saints, including Thomas More, Petrus Canisius, Konrad von Parzham, Andrew Bobola and Don Bosco. He beatified and canonized Thérèse de Lisieux, for whom he held special reverence, and gave equivalent canonization to Albertus Magnus, naming him a Doctor of the Church due to the spiritual power of his writings. Pius XI created the feast of Christ the King in response to anti-clericalism. He took a strong interest in fostering the participation of lay people throughout the Catholic Church, especially in the Catholic Action movement. The end of his pontificate was dominated by speaking out against Hitler and Mussolini and defending the Catholic Church from intrusions into Catholic life and education.

He died on 10 February 1939 in the Apostolic Palace and is buried in the Papal Grotto of Saint Peter's Basilica. In the course of excavating space for his tomb, two levels of burial grounds were uncovered which revealed bones now venerated as the bones of St. Peter.

Reviews

[Albert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This encyclical condemns the totalitarian ideologies as fascism and communism, ie. idolatry of race and state.

[Alan A · Rating 5 out of 5]

In relation to another review made on the same day on another encyclical, Non Abbiamo Bisogno tackles the struggles against the Italian fascist regime and the influences of cultural pseudo-catholic identity being adopted by members of the fascist state. In my opinion, a sort of 'standard' on "what does the Church say about fascism?" Well, most of it is in here.

The Pontiff talks passionately and eloquently, even exhorting and giving a competent account of the history of Catholic Action, a practically somewhat partisan association of Catholics within Italy dedicated to charity, education, and catechesis- and how the influences of his time were threatening the bulwark of active Catholic within Italy.

He condemns some of the illicit practices of the state in this writing in which he describes as being incompatible with the faith, but he's also hopeful for charitable cooperation with Mussolinis government, recognizing independence of the Vatican State being granted because of him. In his time, he doesn't see the actions done by the fascist regime to be an immediate end to all relationships but that the further developing and radicalizing of the faithful to believe in unjust morals that have been propagated were something that had to be urgently spoke against.

[OSCAR · Rating 2 out of 5]

Encíclica escurridiza, que me costó trabajo leer. Considero que más que un documento magisterial, es el quejido del Papa al ver que el fascismo no se le sometía y que en cambio, se imponían a sus intentos por hacer triunfar la Acción Católica. Por eso, la idea de que aquí condenó el Papa el fascismo me parece una lectura errada. Fue una llamada al régimen de Mussolini para enderezar el camino, después de la firma de los acuerdos de Letrán. Incluso el Papa dijo que no condenaba al régimen. Fue un choque atemperado de la sempiterna lucha entre el poder temporal y el poder espiritual.

De las tres encíclicas que condenaron a los regímenes totalitarios, ésta es la encíclica menos condenatoria, incluso a ratos, es contemporizadora.