ENCYCLICAL LETTER OF POPE LEO XIH. 151
let this be carefully noted by those whose office it is to provide for the public welfare. Every minister of holy Religion must throw into the conflict all the energy of his mind and all the strength of his endurance; with your authority, Venerable Brethren, and by your example, they must never cease to urge upon all men of every class, upon the high as well as the lowly, the Gospel doctrines of Christian life; by every means in their power they must strive for the good of the people ; and above all they must earnestly cherish in themselves, and try to arouse in others, Charity, the mistress and queen of virtues. For the happy results we all long for must be chiefly brought about by the plenteous outpour- ing of Charity; of that true Christian Charity which is the fulfilling of the whole Gospel law, which is always ready to sacrifice itself for others' sake, and which is man's surest antidote against worldly pride and immoder- ate love of self; that Charity whose office is described and whose Godlike features are drawn by the Apostle St. Paul in these words: Charity is patient, is kind . . . seeJceth not her own . . . suffereth aU things . . . endureth all things.*
68. On each one of you, Venerable Brethren, and on your Clergy and people, as an earnest of God's mercy and a mark of Our affection, We lovingly in the Lord bestow the Apostolic Benediction.
Given at St. Peter's, in Rome, the fifteenth day of May, 1891, the fourteenth year of Our Pontificate.
LEO xm., POPE.
- 1 Corinthians *iii- 4-7.
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