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The Church's Motherly Solicitude for Migrants

Holy Mother Church, impelled by her ardent love of souls has striven to fulfill the duties inherent in her mandate of salvation for all mankind, a mandate entrusted to her by Christ. She has been especially careful to provide all possible spiritual care for pilgrims, aliens, exiles and migrants of every kind. This work has been carried out chiefly by priests who, in administering the Sacraments and preaching the Word of God, have labored zealously to strengthen the Faith of the Christians in the bond of charity.

Let us briefly review what the Church has done in this matter in the distant past and then discuss more fully the implementation of this work in our own times.

First, let us recall what the great St. Ambrose did and said when that illustrious Bishop of Milan succeeded in ransoming the wretched captives who had been taken after the defeat of the Emperor Valentine near Adrianopolis. He sacrificed the sacred vessels in order to protect the destitute ones from physical suffering and to relieve them of their pressing spiritual dangers which were even a greater hazard. "For who," said Ambrose,

is so callous, unfeeling, herd-hearted and cruel that he does not want men saved from death and women from barbarous attacks worse than death? 

For who is not willing to rescue girls and boys or little children from the service of pagan idols, into which they have been forced under pain of death? We have not undertaken this work without reason; and we have done it openly to proclaim that it is far better to preserve souls for the Lord than to preserve gold. 

Equally noble were the vigorous ardent labors of bishops and priests who sought to bring to newcomers the blessings of the true Faith and to introduce them into the social customs of these new countries. They also facilitated the assimilation of the uncultured invaders whom they introduced both to the Christian religion and to a new culture. 

We indeed are happy to recall those religious orders founded specifically to ransom prisoners. Their members, burning with Christian love, endured great hardships on behalf of their enchained brothers for the purpose of liberating, or at least, of consoling many of them.

With the discovery of the New World, Christ's priests were the tireless companions of the men who founded colonies in those far distant lands. It was these priests who made sure that these colonists would not desert Christian ways nor become proud because of the riches acquired in the new lands. These priests also wished to move forward suitably and readily as missionaries to teach the Gospel to the natives, who previously were entirely ignorant of the Divine Light. And they zealously proclaimed that the natives were to be treated as brothers by the colonists.

We must also mention those apostles of the Church who labored for the relief and conversion of those Negroes who were barbarously deported from their own land and sold as slaves in American and European ports.

We wish also to say a few words concerning the unceasing care exercised in behalf of pilgrims by a number of devout associations. Providentially set up during the Middle Ages, these groups flourished throughout the Christian world, and especially here in Rome. Under their influence, innumerable hospices and hospitals for strangers, churches and national societies were established. Many traces of them are found even today.

Especially worthy of note were the Pilgrims' Halls: Saxon, Frankish, Frisian, which by the 8th century had been established around the Vatican beside the tomb of St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles. These Halls housed visitors from countries north of the Alps who had journeyed to Rome to venerate the memory of the Apostles.

These Halls were provided with their own churches and cemeteries, and staffed by priests and clerics of their respec­tive nationalities, who provided for the material and spiritual welfare of their people, especially the sick and the poor. In the following centuries other monasteries were built, with their associated hospices for pilgrims. Included among them were Ethiopian or Abyssinian, Hungarian and Armenian Halls. All this happily echoed words of the Apostle Paul: "... sharing the needs of the saints, practising hospitality."

This experience proves that the sacred ministry can be carried on more effectively among strangers and pilgrims if it is exercised by priests of their own nationality or at least who speak their language. This is especially true in the case of the uneducated or those who are poorly instructed in the Catechism. The Fourth Lateran Council solemnly affirmed that this rightly was so, declaring in 1215: "We find in most countries, cities and dioceses in which people of diverse languages who, though bound by one Faith, have varied rites and customs. Therefore we strictly enjoin that the Bishops of these cities or dioceses provide the proper men, who will celebrate the Liturgical Functions according to their rites and languages. They will administer the Sacraments of the Church and instruct their people both by word and by deed." The Church has followed this instruction scrupulously, even down to our own days.

Indeed, as we know, special parishes have been established for the various languages and nationality groups. At times, even dioceses have been established for the different rites. It is this aspect to which we now turn our attention.

Such parishes, most frequently requested by the emigrants themselves, were a source of great benefit both to dioceses and to souls. Everyone recognizes this and respects it with due esteem. Therefore, the Code of Canon Law duly provides for them (Can. 216, 4). And as the Holy See gradually gave its approval, numerous national parishes were established, especially in America. Very recently, to cite but one example, parishes were set up, by decree of the Consistorial Congregation, for the Chinese living in the Philippine Islands.

Indeed, there never has been a period during which the Church has not been active in behalf of migrants, exiles and refugees. But to be brief, we will recount only her work of recent years.

It is well to begin this survey by mentioning the fifty volumes preserved in the Vatican Archives: Holy See's Care in behalf of the French. Truly they constitute a magnificent proof of the never-ending devotion of the Roman Pontiffs to the hapless persons banished from their country by revolution or war.

These volumes reveal the fatherly care taken of the French by our predecessors Pius VI and Pius VII. Driven from their native land, many of these émigrés were received with open arms in the Papal State, and particularly in Rome, while others took refuge in other countries.

We are happy to mention Blessed Vincent Pallotti, the eminent founder of the Catholic Apostolic Society. We ourselves have called him the "pride and glory of the Roman Clergy" and at the beginning of the recent Jubilee year, we gladly announced that he was among the resplendent company of the Beatified. Urged on by love of souls and eager to strengthen the Catholic Faith of Italian immigrants in England, Blessed Vincent sent several of his Congregation to London to provide for the spiritual care of their people. Our predecessor Pius IX granted Blessed Vincent's request for permission to collect funds for the construction of a new church building in Landon which was to be dedicated to the glory of God in honor of St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles, and it was intended chiefly for Italian immigrants.

Toward the end of the 19th century, when the social means of prosperity became available to the poor in a man­ner previously unknown, great waves of people left Europe and moved especially from Italy to America. As usual the Catholic Church devoted special effort and care to the spiritual welfare of these emigrants. Inspired by devotion towards her exiled sons, she has through the centuries been ever quick not only to approve new methods of Apostolate, more suitable to the progress of peoples and the changed circumstances of the times, but she has also zealously integrated them into this new social system, for she is ever careful to warn of the dangers that threaten society, morality, and religion.

The record of our predecessor Leo XIII provides clear evidence of the Holy See's diligent solicitude, a solicitude which became more ardent as public officials and private institutions seemed the more dilatory in meeting the new needs. Leo XIII not only upheld vigorously the dignity and rights of the working man but also defended strenuously those emigrants who sought to earn their living abroad. On July 9, 1878, when he had been Pope for only a year, he graciously approved the Society of St. Raphael, established by the Bishops of Germany to aid emigrants from that nations Through the years, the Society worked advantageously in behalf of emigrants in the ports of departure and arrival, and aided other nationalities, such as Belgian, Austrian and Italian, as their own.

Later, in an Apostolic Letter of 1887, he approved as most beneficial and timely the project of the Servant of God, John Baptist Scalabrini, then Bishop of Piacenza. The plan was "to found an institute of priests ready and willing to leave their native land for remote places, particularly, for America, where they could carry on the priestly ministry among the numerous Italian Catholics, who were forced by economic distress to emigrate and to take up residence in foreign lands."

Then, aided by energetic priests and far-sighted prelates, this apostolic man, whom we ourselves in 1946 proclaimed most valuable to the Church and State, founded a Society of priests. In the apt words of Leo XIII, in the letter which we shall mention later, Leo said: "In that Society, priests burning with love of Christ gather together from all parts of Italy to devote themselves to studies and to practices of these duties and ways of life that would make them effective and successful ambassadors of Christ to the Italians scattered abroad."

Thus was founded a new religious community, the Missionaries of St. Charles for Italian Emigrants. The Servant of God John Baptist Scalabrini is honored as its Founder.

We are happy likewise to mention another letter that the same great Leo, our predecessor, sent the following year to the Archbishops and Bishops of America. Fortunately that letter inspired many new projects and developed an eager rivalry in giving aid to the emigrants. Numerous priests, as well as many members of religious communities journeyed to every part of America in order to help their scattered brethren. At that same time, societies and institu­tions were established to aid the masses of emigrants from Italy, Germany, Ireland, Austria, Hungary, France, Switzer-land, Belgium, Holland, Spain and Portugal, and very prominent national parishes were established.

In his wisdom and charity, Leo XIII did not neglect mere temporary migrations or those migrations within Europe. More than one letter from the Secretary of State to the Italian Bishops testifies clearly to this concern of the great Pontiff."

Again inspired by the earnest call of Leo XIII and impelled by the love of souls, Jeremias Bonomelli, Bishop of of Cremona, founded an Agency for the Assistance of Italians who had migrated to other parts of Europe. From this Agency arose many institutions and flourishing centers of civic education and welfare. In 1900, devout priests and eminent laymen attracted to the work founded successful "missions" in Switzerland, Austria, Germany and France. So that such a beneficial work might not cease, with the death of Bonomelli our predecessor Benedict XV entrusted Ferdinand Rodolfi, Bishop of Vicenza, with the care of Italians who had emigrated to various countries of Europe."

It is well also mention here, those numerous institutions for the education of boys and girls, the hospitals and other welfare agencies most beneficially established for the faith­ful of various language groups and national origins. These institutions daily became more and more prosperous. It is in this type of work that St Frances Xavier Cabrini stands out most brilliantly. Advised and encouraged by that Servant of God, John Baptist Scalabrini, this saintly woman was also supported by the authority of Leo XIII of happy memory. The Holy Father persuaded her to look westward rather than towards the East. Having decided to go to North America, she persevered in her missionary under-takings with such love that she herself reaped the richest harvests. Moreover, because of her extraordinary devotion and outstanding work for Italian emigrants, she was rightly called the "Mother of Italian Emigrants."

It is to our predecessor St. Pius X that we must attribute the systematic organization of Catholic labors in behalf of emigrants in Europe, in the East and in America. While he was still a pastor in Salzano, he went to the assistance of those of his beloved people who were emigrating, seeking to assure them a safe voyage and a secure living in the new country. Later, as Pope he looked with a special care after the uprooted and dispersed sheep of his universal flock and made special provision in their behalf.

St. Pius X was aflame with love for the faithful who had emigrated to distant lands, such as North and South America. The zeal of the Bishops and priests in welcoming them was a great joy to him, as is clearly evident from a letter he sent the Archbishop of New York, on February 26, 1904. In this letter he praised and approved the concern the Archbishop had shown for Italian immigrants to guard them from many dangers and help them to persevere in the practice of the Faith of their Fathers. He also praised the Archbishop's efforts in founding a seminary for the proper training of priests from the Italian community.

St. Pius' interest is also attested by remarks he made in an address to pilgrims from the Argentine Republic18 and in a letter to the Bishops of Brazil.19 And similarly in letters to the Superior General of the Missionaries of St. Charles 20 and to the Director of the Antonian Society. Likewise to the President of the Catholic Society for Immigrants, which had been recently founded in Canada.

As a matter of fact the Missionary Society of St. Anthony of Padua was established in 1905 with the approval of St. Pius X specifically to provide proper spiritual care for the emigrants both during the voyage and in the ports of disembarkation and after their settlement in their adopted countries.

As to Italy itself, most important were the regulations issued by the Secretary of State of the Bishops of that land.

Both the Bishops of the emigrants and those of the émigrés constantly kept the Consistorial Congregation informed of their conditions. The same Consistorial Congregation carried out promptly the Pontiff's order by properly reorganizing existing agencies for migrants and by setting up new agencies where necessary, as well as recommending to Bishops the establishment of committees and sponsorships on behalf of emigrants.

In his great solicitude, St. Pius X did not confine himself to one method of spiritual aid. Because of the hardships and the circumstances of the places in which they found them-selves, some people, after emigrating from Europe to distant lands, were contracting marriage without the canonical formalities and even resorted to attempted marriage. Since such formalities were designed to prevent certain highly undesirable evils, the Pontiff was anxious that they be fully observed. When he learned of their neglect, he directed the Congregation of Sacraments to issue instructions concerning proof of freedom to marry and, likewise, the notification of the contracted marriage. These instructions were issued again," by the same Congregation a few years later and afterwards even these were supplemented by prudent rules for the benefit of migrants contracting marriage by proxy.

While the great St. Pius X was governing the Universal Church, special rules were promulgated for the priests and laypeople of the Ruthenian Rite living in the United States, even a Ruthenian Bishop was assigned to them and still another Ruthenian Bishop was entrusted with the spiritual care of Catholics of the Rite who were resident in Canada.

Under the same pontificate, a society for the extension of the Catholic Church was founded in Toronto, Canada. This worthy society was abundantly successful, for it protected from the inroads of heretics the Ruthenian Catholics living in Northwest Canada. The rules governing the relations between the Canadian Hierarchy and the Ruthenian Bishop, and between the priests and laity of both rites, were clearly established.

In Rome, the Church of Our Savior and its adjoining rectory on the Via delle Copppelle were given to the Rumanian Bishop from the ecclesiastical province of Fagaras and Alba Julia.

The most important, however, of all the measures in behalf of the emigrants was the establishment, in the Consistorial Congregation, of the Special Office for the Spiritual Care of Migrants. "Its purpose," in the words of St. Pius X, was:

To seek out and provide everything to improve the condi­tion of the migrants of the Roman Rite in all that pertains to the welfare of souls. With regard to migrants of Raster, Rites, however, the rights of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith are to be preserved. This Congregation may, within its competence, make appropriate provision for them. The Special Office, however, has exclusive charge of migrants who are priests.

Neither could provision and guidance for migrant priests be neglected. Indeed the Holy See had long before cared for them through the Congregation of the Council" and through the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith for clerics of Oriental Rites, as well as through the Consistorial Congregation. Since, in fact, some of the priests who emigrated overseas were victimized by material comforts and overlooked the welfare of souls, timely rules were published by the same Consistorial Congregation. The rules applied also to priests "discharging their mission among farmers and other workers: " By these rules potential abuses would be rooted out and penalties fixed for violations.

In another decision of the Consistorial Congregation, those rules were made to conform with the Code of Canon Law, published a short time before, and they are still beneficially in force. As time passed, other regulations were added by the Congregation for the Oriental Church and by the. Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, each for priests under its own jurisdiction.

The same Pontiff must also be credited with the beginning of the Roman College established for the benefit of Italians who had emigrated to other lands. Young priests from the secular clergy were to be given a special course of studies and be trained for the sacred ministry among emigrants. In order that the number of students might correspond to the need, he urged the Italian Bishops, and particularly those who had an ample supply of priests, "to send to the college any of their priests who seemed qualified."

Finally in the last days of his pontificate, when this saintly Pontiff was heartbroken at the prospect of a catastrophic war and was about to receive his eternal reward, it was he who personally, as a most loving father, drew up the by-laws of the College subsequently turning them over to the Consistorial Congregation for publication.

Earnestly following the distinguished path of his predecessor, and accepting the care of migrants as an inherit­ance bequeathed to him, the Pontiff Benedict XV had scarcely ascended the Chair of St. Peter when he secured the residence for the above mentioned College at St. Apollinaris. The Holy See, at this time, was providing a great deal of financial war relief for the areas ravaged by war easing inflicted un the victims. Hence the Vatican could no longer support the College single-handedly. It was then that the Consistorial Congregation did not hesitate to ask the Bishops of Italy and America for funds to maintain it.

In order to assist Catholic endeavors in behalf of the spiritual care of Italian migrants, this same Congregation requested the Bishops of Italy to establish an annual day for taking up a collection for this work. Later, it directed that every pastor should each year offer one Mass for the intention of the Holy Father, instead of pro populo, and should contribute the offering from such Mass to the apostolate in behalf of emigrants.

Full well do all know, especially migrants and missionaries, that this money was exclusively spent to support relief agencies which were established in foreign lands to provide timely and secure aid to migrants, "whose Catholic Faith and Catholic practices were often threatened with almost incredible dangers." In fact, these agencies are either under the direction of the Consistorial Congregation or of missionaries of religious communities of men or women.

The same Pontiff proposed to the Bishops of Calabria that ecclesiastical sponsorships be established for the benefit of Italian migrants.

Foreign workers were then pouring into Brazil from Europe; some in the hope of becoming prosperous, others driven by want. Benedict XV, therefore, earnestly requested the Archbishop of Sao Paulo and the other Bishops of Brazil to undertake their care, with the cooperation of their good Brazilian priests," so that the new workers would not, once they had left their native countries, give up the Christian customs of their ancestors.

Benedict XV also recommended the same practices to the Bishop of Trenton, while praising his great diligence in this work. For, when an Italian community developed in that diocese, a church and an adjacent building were immediately erected for them. In fact, the Pontiff expressed his ardent wish that Italian immigrants would be the object of the same solicitude and assistance everywhere in the United States.

At this same time, Benedict XV also interested himself in those Italians who were leaving their homes and migrating temporarily into other parts of Italy, as the women who work iii the rice fields do even today."

Later, he very wisely decided to appoint a prelate, who, empowered with the necessary faculties and free from diocesan duties, could devote himself entirely to the spiritual welfare of Italian migrants. It was, therefore, in 1920 that Benedict XV established the office of prelate for the Italian migrants with the exclusive duty of choosing missionaries destined for such work. The function of the office was also to assist and supervise them and to direct the College for priests who were to be assigned to provide religious and moral guidance to Italian emigrants abroad. So as to speed the development of this College, he set up the following year new by-laws to govern it in a manner more adapted to the needs of the times and circumstances.

Deeply moved by the tragic distress of numberless men taken prisoners in the prolonged disastrous war, Benedict XV directed that the bishop of the dioceses in which prisoners were held should without delay appoint one or, if necessary, several priests, sufficiently familiar with the language of the prisoners, to provide for their care. "The priests chosen for this work should do everything possible for the welfare of the prisoners, whether it be for their souls, or for their physical health. They should console them, help and assist them in their manifold needs, which at times prove so pressing."

As the war continued, he appointed a special Ordinary to care for the spiritual needs of refugees who had entered Italy,'" And he did not ignore the very grave dangers of corruption to which German citizens, including many Catholics, were then exposed, compelled as they were in the misfortunes of war, to seek other lands to obtain the essentials of life. The Consistorial Congregation therefore urged the Bishops, not only of Germany but also Central Europe, to consider the problem of migrants carefully; to discuss it in their meetings and episcopal conferences and then to provide necessary means for the immediate and proper alleviation of such great need.

At the same time, he pointed out the advantage of expanding the activities of the Society of St. Raphael. It had, before the war, offered innumerable benefits to all travelers providing every kind of aid suggested by prudence and charity.

Later in 1921, the Archbishop of Cologne was appointed patron of the St. Raphael Society, founded in 1904, so that this Society might provide for the religious care of German -speaking Catholics then living in Italy. And this same Society in the following years also undertook the spiritual care of Germans throughout Western Europe. With the appointment of the Bishop of Osnabruck as its second patron, it cared for Germans in Eastern Europe and even outside Europe.

When civil war flared up in Mexico, a number of Mexican Bishops, priests, religious and many laymen were unjustly expelled from their native country and sought refuge in the United States. Benedict XV warmly commended them to the charity of American Catholics, writing first to the Bishop of San Antonio and then to the Archbishop of Baltimore, through whose generosity poor boys destined for the priesthood were received into the seminary. Such interest was, as the Pontiff said, "a great satisfaction to us."

We recall also what the same Pontiff very wisely did in behalf of the faithful of the Oriental Rites. The spiritual assistance provided to the Catholics of the Greek-Ruthenian Rite, who had emigrated to South America, was widely extended. A Seminary for the Italo-Greek boys was founded at the Monastery of Grottaferrata near Rome." The diocese of Lungro in Italy was established for Catholics of the Greek Rite who had once lived in Epirus and Albania, but had fled the Turkish Rule and reached Italy, settling in Calabria and Sicily.

Nor do we consider it out of place to mention the decree of the Congregation of Rites, designating Our Lady of Loreto the heavenly patroness of those who travel by air. May they who confide in her protection arrive safely at their destination."

We ourselves desired that the faithful should have an opportunity of going to Confession while travelling by air. We, therefore, later decreed that the permission granted to priests by Canon 883 of the Code of Canon Law, giving faculties for hearing confessions while travelling by sea, should apply also and be extended to priests travelling by air.

Our beloved predecessor, Pius XI, allowed no obstacle to hinder this very important and successful development in behalf of migrants. Innumerable migrants and refugees in America and Europe experienced abundant proof of the universal fatherhood of Pius XI. Of the many provisions which he made, we wish merely to recall some of the more important ones beginning with those on behalf of Oriental peoples.

In the first year of his pontificate, Armenia was devastated and many loyal faithful were either slain or otherwise sent wandering far from their native country. He generously supported his unfortunate sons thus deprived of all their possessions. In particular he welcomed with fatherly hospitality sick and orphaned children into a section of his palace of Castel Gandolfo and carefully maintained them at his own expense.

In 1925, matters pertaining to Russians exiled from their country were entrusted to the Russian Commission," and then, a special office was set up in the Congregation for the Oriential Church to care for the Catholics of the Slavic Rite" all over the world.

Consequently, an episcopal See was established in Har­bin, China, and a priest of the Byzantine-Slavic Rite was placed in charge of it, and as the Russian Bishop of Harbin, he was spiritual ruler of all the clergy and lay people living in China.

Preceding Pontiffs had provided special churches in Rome for Armenians, Syrians, Maronites, Greeks, Ruthenians and Rumanians. Following their example, Pius XI assigned the Church of St. Anthony, the Hermit, on the Esquilme to Catholics of the Slavic Rite who were resident in or passing through Rome, so that they might worship according to the customs of their fathers.

A Russian Seminary, erected by his command, was there-fore set up in a brand new building within the premises." Refugees from Eastern Europe of any religion or nationality were aided more than once by Pius XI by his encouragement, example and spontaneous offers of financial aid as well as by arousing in their behalf the generosity of the Bishops and peoples of Poland.

He sought to promote the spiritual welfare of the Byzantine Rite community which persecutions had earlier driven to Italy, where subsequently he separated the Byzantine parishes from the dioceses of Palermo and Monreale, forming the new Greek diocese or Eparchy of Piana. Likewise, he set up timely rules for the spiritual administration of the Greek-Ruthenian dioceses in the United States and Canada.

As a token of his special good-will toward the Poles, he raised to the rank and dignity of Minor Basilica the Church of St. Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr, in Milwaukee, a Church which cares for Polish-speaking Catholics. Then, in 1931, he appointed the Archbishop of Gniezno to be protector of all Polish emigrants.

Following the example of the Pious Society of the Missionaries of St. Charles for Italian migriants, a new religious institute was founded in the city of Godesberg in 1924 for the assistance of German Catholics emigrating to foreign lands. Pius XI rightly praised this worthy and promising undertaking and when the institute attained its desired development, he gave it the noble name: Society of the Holy Angels.

When bishops, priests, members of religious communities and lay people had to flee Spain because of the most detestable antireligious persecution raging there, he received them humanely and consoled them most affectionately.

In order that Mexicans who emigrated to foreign countries might not become the prey of the enemies of Christ nor lose the Christian ways of their fathers, he urged the Mexican Bishops to confer with their brother bishops in the United States, and he appealed for the cooperation of Catholic Action groups.

This is the place to duly note the love that this same Pontiff demonstrated for Negroes scattered throughout the world. It is clearly evident from a letter to the Superior General of the Society of the Divine Word, April 5, 1923, in which he sent his best wishes for the seminary shortly to be augurated for Nego students. He described as most beneficial their plan to receive into the Society of the Divine Word those Negroes who seemed called to the religious life.

Then, when these students had attained the priesthood, they might exercise the sacred ministry more effectively among their own peoples.

With regard to the Italians, the chaplains aboard ships, who until then belonged to the Missionary Society of St. Anthony of Padua, were in January 26, 1923 placed by Pius XI under the direct guidance of the head of the College of priests which had been established for Italian people migrating abroad and, subsequenly, he had the Consistorial Congregation provide practical rules for the training of these priests.

Similarly, all priests already engaged in the work of assisting Italian migrants were placed under a single director, chosen and appointed by the Consistorial Congregation. He commanded that the Italian immigrants should be provided with proper identification cards from the ecclesiastical authority before departure so that they could be more readily recognized in their new home lands.

He gave the direction of the Pious Society of the Missionaries of St. Charles to the Consistorial Congregation, a provision which brought many advantages to the Society. For through the efforts of our most beloved Raphael Cardinal Rossi, who was Secretary of the Consistorial Congregation and quite properly considered to be the second founder by the Missionaries of St. Charles, the Constitutions of the Society were brought into harmony with the Code of Canon Law and then approved. This society was restored to its original religious vows. Many new houses were established especially for training priests; likewise, several autonomous religious provinces and missions were erected. Consequently, the membership grew and its field of activity developed so rapidly in America, in Europe and more recently in Australia, that there appeared well founded hope for a more certain and permanent assistance to Italian migrants.

Finally, on April 17, 1922, that noble Pontiff bestowed his own benevolence on and enhanced the work of the Apostleship of the Sea with official Papal approval. Such work was first established in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1920 for the spiritual welfare of sailors. After numerous congresses and through the approval of Bishops, the Apostolate had so developed and so widely spread that we ourselves were happy, on May 30,1942, to place it under the beneficial direction of the Consistorial Congregation.

To usher this subject into our own pontificate, we need only, describe what the Church has accomplished during these last few years. As it is well known, soon after we were raised to the See of Rome there daily appeared more bold and violent symptoms of unrestrained desire for extending national boundaries, for an idolized supremacy of rage and the unbridled tendency to occupy foreign lands, and for reliance on might rather than on right with the consequent cruel and shameless deportation of entire nations and the forced migration of peoples. These new crimes were, indeed, far worse than the ancient ones.

Soon there developed a whirlwind of most sorrowful events leading to barbarous war. Our own efforts on behalf of charity and peace began immediately.

We tried everything possible, striving, urging, entreating, pleading, and appealing directly to the heads of governments to prevent the disastrous war. Even when this tragic war broke out and spread honor throughout the world, we still sought by word and deed to mitigate and restrain it; as much as we could. In these sorrowful circumstances, the Church, as a universal mother, failed neither in her duty nor in what was expected of her. She, the "Head of the universal society of love," became, as was her custom, a comfort for the afflicted, a refuge for the persecuted, a homeland for the exiled.

No matter how enormous the difficulties that faced us and how impossible the times, we left nothing untried to bring some aid to our suffering sons, without discrimination as to their status or nationality. We also exerted great efforts for the displaced Jews who were victims of the cruelest persecutions.

We approved, initiated, and furthered many works of charity for the relief of countless untold wartime disasters and hardships from which practically no one escaped. But in all these works of charity, we were especially solicitous for prisoners of war, refugees, exiles and our other sons who, for whatever reason, had to wander far from their homelands. And along with these, our chief concerns were children and orphans. Yet this being well known to all, since the record is amply documented, there is no need to recount it further. We can however touch on a few specific items.

During the First World War, we assisted our predecessor, Benedict XV, in his extensive charity. Again the Second World War had scarcely broken out when, following his example, we established a special office under our Secretary of State to bring assistance to the poor and needy everywhere. Still another office, for inquiring about and exchanging information on prisoners was maintained through the war.

We also appointed a number of other commissions, among them the commission for the victims of war, for civilian refugees and for those detained in custody. This one was later replaced by the Pontifical Commission for Relief for all those who were in need. Equally worthy of mention are the missions arranged by our Secretariate of State and sent more than once into Germany and Austria, chiefly to provide for the welfare of refugees and displaced persons.

Then when peace was finally restored, at least in part, the necessity of providing for millions of refugees became daily more urgent. Many of them were prevented from returning to their homes; while at the same time, a large number of other people in many over-populated countries were oppressed by want and had to seek refuge in other lands. Hence, we decided to establish an Office of Migration in the very Secretariae of State itself. It was comprised of two sections: one for voluntary migration, the other for enforced deportation. We also delegated an ecclesiastic to the Migration Office established in Geneva so that he might attend international meetings and congresses held in that city.

Very recently, we approved the International Catholic Migration Commission, whose function is to unite and organize existing Catholic associations and committees, and to promote, reinforce and coordinate their projects and activities in behalf of migrants and refugees.

Nor should we forget to mention how our nuncios and delegates and other ecclesiastics specifically sent to organize committees or commissions for needy refugees and for migrants, successfully founded them in every country, indeed in almost every diocese. This of course, was brought about with the aid of the local bishop and of priests, and of the members of Catholic Action and other apostolic associations as well as other worthy laymen.

The diligence and skill of these committees and commissions worthy of our praise achieved many benefits which we ourselves witnessed and which we hope will safeguard migrants and refugees.

The war that broke out in Palestine in 1948 brought new reasons for sadness and mourning. Innumerable refugees underwent horrible suffering, being forced to abandon their possessions and to wander throughout Libya, Syria, Jordan, Egypt and the district of Gaza. United in a common disaster, both the rich and the poor, the Christians and the non-Christians, offered a sad and morurnful spectacle.

Immediately, following the custom of the Catholic Church to provide assistance for the wretched and the abandoned, we sent as much aid as possible. As was customary in Apostolic times, we specifically established the Pontifical Mission for Palestine, which still relieves the want of Arab refugees through money collected from Catholics everywhere, but particularly through the aid of the special agency established by American bishops, called the Catholic Near East Welfare Association.

We have tried earnestly to produce in the minds of all people a sympathetic approach towards exiles and refugees who are our needier brothers. In fact, we have often spoken of their wretched lives, upheld their rights, and more than once appealed in their behalf to the generosity of all men and especially of Catholics. This we have done in radio