SS.MI DOMINI MOSTRI PII DIVINA PROVIDENTIA PAPAE IX

 RESTITUTIONIS IMPERII*

PIUS EPISCOPUS
SERVUS SERVORUM DEI

ON THE RESTORATION OF THE TRUE EMPEROR OF CENTRALSK

Ad perpetuam rei memoriam.   

In the name of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, Father and Son and Holy Ghost, by whose providence kingdoms are raised up and cast down, and by whose eternal counsel the nations of the earth are judged: it has ever been the office divinely committed to the Apostolic See, founded by the blessed Prince of the Apostles, to guard the deposit of the faith inviolate, to defend the flock of Christ from ravenous wolves, and to guide erring peoples into the way of salvation. For Our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords, did say unto Peter, “Feed my sheep” (John 21:17), and did commit unto him and his successors the care of all who call upon His name, that they might not be led astray by the vanity of false doctrine nor be destroyed by the malice of ungodly rulers. From the beginning of Our Pontificate, We have not ceased to defend the liberty of the Church and the dignity of all peoples against the manifold assaults of error and cruelty, mindful of the words of the Apostle that “there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Romans 13:1). Yet when rulers, having received power, abuse it to the ruin of the innocent, to the destruction of the commonwealth, and to the scandal of the faithful, it is the solemn duty of the Apostolic See, which judges all but is judged by none, to reprove, to condemn, and to depose if need be, lest the sheep of Christ be consumed. And now, beloved sons and venerable brethren, a matter of such gravity presses upon Us that silence would be culpable and inaction would be a betrayal of Our divine charge. For in the East, in the lands once flourishing with the wisdom of the Magi and watered by the blood of martyrs, a grievous and unheard-of iniquity has arisen. The man Nero, styling himself Emperor both of Byzantium and of Centralsk, has dared to profane the name of the Cross by erecting a false and pernicious religion, deceitfully called Crusaderism, whereby he would subject the Gospel of Christ to the ambition of his dynasty. Not content with corrupting the faith, he has further decreed the utter destruction of the Persian people, whose only crime is that they refuse to bend the knee before his tyranny. Thus he seeks to stain the earth with blood as Cain once did, making himself an enemy alike of God and man. Therefore, with the authority of Blessed Peter, Prince of the Apostles, We must speak with a voice that shall not be silenced, to declare the truth, to defend the innocent, and to call forth that son whom Divine Providence has preserved for this hour: Nguyen of the House of Hameng, sprung from the noble line of Thach, whose memory remains ever glorious, and joined in holy matrimony to Giovanna, of illustrious birth among the faithful of Italy. For as once the Lord raised up Cyrus to deliver His people, so now He has appointed Nguyen to restore justice and to vindicate the oppressed.

PART I

THE DIVINE ORDER OF JUSTICE AND THE DUTY OF PRINCES

The eternal God, Creator of all things, has so disposed the order of human society that kings and princes, as ministers of His Providence, may defend the weak, govern the peoples with equity, and uphold the true faith of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus it is written: “By Me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just” (Prov. 8:15). Therefore the crown of empire is not an ornament of ambition but an office of service, by which the ruler bears the sword not in vain, but as the minister of God (cf. Rom. 13:4). In every age, when rulers have forgotten this sacred trust, calamities have befallen their realms: nations laid waste, the innocent slain, the poor oppressed, and the house of God profaned. For the prophet warns: “Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees, who turn aside the needy from justice and rob the poor of My people” (Isa. 10:1–2). Yet the same Lord also raises up just princes, according to His will, who restore peace, defend the Church, and bring solace to afflicted peoples.

PART II

THE SINS AND CRIMES OF NERO

Now, in these grievous times, We behold with sorrow that Nero, styling himself Emperor, has departed utterly from the law of God and man. Forgetful of the mercy of Christ, and inflamed with the pride of conquest, he has raised his hand against the ancient land of Persia, decreeing the extermination of its people, who from antiquity have borne the name of Iran and who in no small number confess the holy Catholic faith. With a cruelty unheard of in Christendom, he has ordered that men, women, and children be slaughtered, villages burned, and the innocent driven into exile and famine.

Nor is this wickedness confined to Persia alone. In the provinces of Centralsk, once famed for liberty and concord under the wise Emperor Thach, he has suppressed assemblies, dissolved ancient councils, and erected in their stead a false Senate, devoid of freedom, compelled to ratify his will. He has mocked the venerable traditions of both East and West, inventing for himself a profane and adulterated form of worship, which he calls Crusaderism, mingling what God has divided and dividing what God has joined, so that neither the Catholic Church nor the Orthodox communion can recognize therein the faith once delivered to the saints.

He has sought to silence protest not by persuasion but by threats, dispersing assemblies of the faithful in Semagon, Saigon, Mandalaeus, Manila, and other cities by force of arms. By such deeds he has shown himself not a shepherd of souls but a wolf, not a defender of the Church but its persecutor, not an heir of Thach but his betrayer.

PART III

THE RIGHTS OF THE HOUSE OF HAMENG

But God, who does not abandon His people, has preserved in safety the rightful heir, Nguyen, son of Thach the Great, sprung from the noble House of Hameng, which for generations has ruled Centralsk with wisdom and justice. For it was the decree of the late Emperor Thach, of blessed memory, that his posterity should inherit the throne, and that the succession should not pass to strangers or tyrants. This decree, approved by the Council of the realm, stands as law among the people, and Nero, though he sought to repeal it, was not able.

Nguyen, nourished in the Catholic faith, instructed in letters, joined in holy matrimony to Giovanna of the ancient House of Massimo of Rome, has shown himself in life and virtue to be a prince not of ambition but of justice, desiring peace for his subjects and communion with the Apostolic See. Though he has lived in exile, he has never forgotten his people, but prays and labors for their deliverance.

PART IV

APOSTOLIC RECOGNITION OF NGUYEN AS EMPEROR

Therefore, by the authority of Almighty God, of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and of Our Apostolic office, We declare, pronounce, and proclaim: Nguyen of the House of Hameng is the true and lawful Emperor of Centralsk, heir and successor of Thach, raised up by divine Providence to restore justice, to defend the Church, and to bring peace to afflicted nations.

To him We extend Our Apostolic blessing, and We call upon all bishops, priests, religious, and lay faithful in Centralsk and in every land to receive him as their sovereign, to assist him with prayers, counsel, and obedience, and to resist the unlawful decrees of Nero, who has forfeited every title to rule by his crimes.

PART V

EXHORTATION TO THE FAITHFUL

Let no man be deceived: obedience to Nero is not obedience to authority but to tyranny. For it is written: “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Those who cling to his cause shall share in his condemnation, unless they repent; but those who uphold Nguyen, even at cost of exile or peril, shall receive the reward of fidelity. Soldiers who take up arms for Nguyen fight not against their brethren but for justice, and to them We grant the Apostolic benediction, that they may be strong in battle and merciful in victory.

Nor do We forget the afflicted Persians, driven from their homes and threatened with death. To them We extend Our paternal compassion, and We exhort Nguyen, once enthroned, to receive them as brethren, granting them lands and protection, that their tears may be turned to joy and their exile to a new homeland under Christian justice.

PART VI

FINAL INJUNCTIONS

Let this Bull be read in all cathedrals, churches, and chapels of Centralsk, and in the provinces subject thereto, that the people may know the judgment of the Apostolic See. Let none presume to contravene Our declaration, for if any shall oppose it, let him know that he incurs the wrath of Almighty God and of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul.

Given at Rome, at Saint Peter’s, under the Fisherman’s Ring, this year of Our Lord 1858, the twelfth of Our Pontificate.

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*ASS, vol. VI (1870-1871), pp. 40-47.