Distracted with so many occupations, it is
easy to forget the things that lead to perfection in priestly life; it
is easy [for the priest] to delude himself and to believe that, by
busying himself with the salvation of the souls of others, he
consequently works for his own sanctification. Alas, let not this
delusion lead you to error, because nemo dat quod nemo habet [no
one gives what he does not have]; and, in order to sanctify others, it
is necessary not to neglect any of the ways proposed for the
sanctification of our own selves.
...
The Pope is the guardian of dogma and of
morals; he is the custodian of the principles that make families sound,
nations great, souls holy; he is the counsellor of princes and of
peoples; he is the head under whom no one feels tyrannized because he
represents God Himself; he is the supreme father who unites in himself
all that may exist that is loving, tender, divine.
It seems incredible, and is even painful,
that there be priests to whom this recommendation must be made, but we
are regrettably in our age in this hard, unhappy, situation of having to
tell priests: love the Pope!
And how must the Pope be loved? Non verbo neque lingua, sed opere et veritate. [Not
in word, nor in tongue, but in deed, and in truth - 1 Jn iii, 18] When
one loves a person, one tries to adhere in everything to his thoughts,
to fulfill his will, to perform his wishes. And if Our Lord Jesus Christ
said of Himself, "si quis diligit me, sermonem meum servabit,"
[if any one love me, he will keep my word - Jn xiv, 23] therefore, in
order to demonstrate our love for the Pope, it is necessary to obey him.
Therefore, when we love the Pope, there
are no discussions regarding what he orders or demands, or up to what
point obedience must go, and in what things he is to be obeyed; when we
love the Pope, we do not say that he has not spoken clearly enough,
almost as if he were forced to repeat to the ear of each one the will
clearly expressed so many times not only in person, but with letters and
other public documents; we do not place his orders in doubt, adding the
facile pretext of those unwilling to obey - that it is not the Pope who
commands, but those who surround him; we do not limit the field in
which he might and must exercise his authority; we do not set above the
authority of the Pope that of other persons, however learned, who
dissent from the Pope, who, even though learned, are not holy, because
whoever is holy cannot dissent from the Pope.
This is the cry of a heart filled with
pain, that with deep sadness I express, not for your sake, dear
brothers, but to deplore, with you, the conduct of so many priests, who
not only allow themselves to debate and criticize the wishes of the
Pope, but are not embarrassed to reach shameless and blatant
disobedience, with so much scandal for the good and with so great damage
to souls.
Saint Pius X
Allocution Vi ringrazio to priests on the 50th anniversary of the Apostolic Union
November 18, 1912
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