The apostolic office of feeding the Lord's flock, conferred by the Lord Christ on the most blessed apostle Peter and his successor the Roman pontiff, no state of time or place, no regard of human affairs, in short, no consideration whatever, can so circumscribe or suspend as that the same Roman pontiff may not direct his care to all the duties of the said office, without exception or omission, and provide for all the wants which may occur in the church. Among those duties it is not the least to
give protection to the regular orders approved by the apostolic see, and to those worthy and pious men, who have, by a solemn vow, devoted themselves to the regular orders, strenuously labouring for the defence and increase of the catholic religion, and in cultivating the Lord's vineyard, to invigorate and encourage, to animate and confirm the languid and weak, to console the downcast and afflicted, but chiefly to remove from the church, entrusted to his faith and custody, all scandals, which from time to time spring up to the destruction of souls.
The institute of the society of Jesus, composed by a man held in honour by the universal church, which sanctifies holy men, has, by our predecessors of happy memory Paul III and Julius III, Paul IV, Gregory XIII and Gregory XIV, and Paul V, been diligently examined, approved, and often confirmed, and by them and nineteen others of our predecessors honoured with peculiar favours; has been publicly extolled by bishops, not only of this age but former ones, as extremely efficient in promoting the worship, honour, and glory of God, and eminently adapted to the salvation of souls; and has been patronised by the most powerful and pious kings, and most celebrated princes in the Christian republic: from its discipline nine persons have been numbered among the saints, three of whom obtained the glory of martyrdom; it has received the united praises of many men renowned for sanctity, now enjoying eternal glory in heaven; the church has cherished it in her bosom for the long space of two centuries, and has ever committed the chief part of the sacred ministry to its professors, with great gain of souls; finally, it was pronounced pious by the catholic church herself in the council of Trent: yet there have lately
appeared some, who, by wicked interpretations, have dared, not only in conversation but in writings and publications, to call this very institute irreligious and impious, to revile it, and represent it as wicked and shameful; and have gone such lengths, that, not content with their own private thoughts, they have endeavoured, using every art, to convey the like poison from country to country, and to pour it out everywhere; nor have they yet ceased, where-ever they can find any of the faithful off their guard, to instil craftily their own notions into their minds; than which there can be nothing more injurious, nothing more offensive to the church of God, as if she had so shamefully erred, as solemnly to deem what is impious and irreligious devout and acceptable to God, and had been the more scandalously imposed upon for having so long, namely, for more than two hundred years, with the greatest loss of souls, suffered such a stain to remain in her bosom. Neither justice, which commands that all should receive what belongs to them and be protected in their rights, nor my pastoral solicitude for the church, can suffer any farther delay in putting a stop to this so great evil, which shoots its roots the deeper the longer it remains unnoticed.
In order, therefore, that we may remove so serious an injury from the espoused church divinely committed to our charge, and also from this apostolic see; and that, by our apostolic authority, we may check such unjust and impious assertions, spread far and wide to the seduction and ruin of souls, and entirely regardless of equity and reason; that the constitution of the regular clerks of the society of Jesus may remain undisturbed, according to their appeal to us for justice, and be more firmly established by the same our authority, and that we may afford
them consolation in the present grievous state of their affairs; and, lastly, that we may comply with the just desires of our venerable brothers the bishops, who, from every part of the catholic world, have written to us letters greatly extolling the said society, all declaring that they were of the greatest use to them in their respective dioceses; of our own accord and certain knowledge, and by the plenitude of the apostolic power, following the footsteps of all our predecessors, in this our constitution to be in perpetual force, in the same mode and form in which they have proclaimed and declared we also proclaim and declare, that the institute of the society of Jesus is replete with piety and holiness, as well on account of the chief end it has in view, namely, the defence and propagation of the catholic religion, as on account of the means which it directs to be used for that end, hitherto confirmed to us by experience itself; for we know that, even down to these times, its discipline has produced many defenders of the orthodox faith, and pious preachers, who, with unshaken constancy of mind, have encountered dangers by sea and by land to bear the light of the gospel to barbarous nations; and, indeed, those who profess the said laudable institute are always earnestly employed, some in educating youth in the practice of religion and the learned sciences, others in the direction of spiritual exercises, others again in the assiduous administration of the sacraments, especially those of penance and the eucharist, in exciting the faithful to a frequent use of them; likewise in refreshing the inhabitants of country places with the divine food of the word of God: and as it evidently appears, that the said institute of the society of Jesus has been established by the Divine Providence
for these great ends, we also approve it, and, in virtue of our apostolical authority, we confirm the approbation of our predecessors bestowed on the said institute: we declare, that the vows by which the said regular clerks of the society of Jesus devote themselves, according to the said institute, to God, are acceptable and pleasing to him: we approve in the highest degree of the spiritual exercises, which the regulars of this society recommend to the use of the faithful, who occasionally retire from the noise of the world to meditate in serious solitude on the means of obtaining eternal salvation, as being highly conducive to the reformation of manners, and to the establishing and nourishing of Christian piety: we likewise approve of their congregations or associations; and not only of those for the use of youth, who attend the schools of the society of Jesus, but also of all other congregations, whether established for scholars only, or for others of the faithful in Christ, of either or both at once, dedicated to the blessed Mary, under whatever title they are formed, in which pious works are fervently practised, especially that particular devotion towards the blessed Virgin, which these institutions nourish and promote; and we, in virtue of our apostolical authority, confirm the constitutions of our predecessors of happy memory, Gregory XIII, Sextus V, Gregory XV, and Benedict XIV, by which they approved of these associations, together with all other constitutions enacted by our predecessors the Roman pontiffs, in approbation of the offices of the said institute, each one of which we wish to be considered as here inserted and confirmed by the strength of our apostolic authority transmitted to us by God, as well as effectually protected by this our constitution; and, if it be necessary,
we desire and order, that they may be considered as fresh constitutions, enacted and promulged by us in due form.
It is not, therefore, allowable for any person to infringe, upon any account, this decree of our approbation and confirmation, or rashly to attempt to oppose its authority: and, if any one should be so presumptuous as to attempt it, be it known to him, that he will incur the indignation of Almighty God, and of the blessed apostles Peter and Paul.
Given at Rome, at St. Mary the Greater, &c. &c.