Introduction

To all Our venerable brother Patriarchs, Primates, Archbishops, Bishops and beloved sons, and those constituted Prelates of the other churches throughout the entire globe, greetings and Apostolic benediction.

Triumphant Jerusalem's sempiternal glory and the never withering crowns of the Saints, most happily reigning with Christ—Holy Mother Church admiring these with joy, militant upon this earth, truly hastening to the same crown of justice, does not cease to preach that God is wonderful in His Saints. Nor truly do they alone celebrate with exceptional praises the distinguished victories and the very bright merits of the Saints, but the same Saints, whom God wonderfully honors, She Herself also piously venerates and cares for, established (as She is) upon their preaching and salutary docrine, founded upon their blood, instructed by their illustrious works of charity and their example, She is helped each day by their fervent prayers before God. Wherefore She greatly studies those things due to that celestial Hierarchy, where all are ordered in perfect charity, to conform Herself to that norm and image, indeed in as much as She is allowed in the exile of this passing world. For just as there are many mansions in that great house of the greatest Head of a household, heaping with all good things, and just as those blessed souls enjoy a certain wonderful variegated beatitude of one glory, so the Catholic Church, which is the effigy of that one celestial, arranged (as She is) as a battleline in a military camp, (and) having been illumined by a divine light, acknowleges and distinguishes those sacred orders in the veneration that must be exhibited to the Saints of God. And so while She praises the glorious chorus of Apostles, the laudible number of Prophets, the army of strongest Martyrs and offers honors to the other Saints in their place and order with due ceremony, in one spirit of charity and in a similar pious affection of devotion does She exult manifoldly. Truly among those most blessed choirs of Saints, whose memory is celebrated by all the faithful with a merited religious cult, there shines forth in distinguished splendor the order of holy Doctors eloquently ennumerated by Paul the Apostle, when he said, "And He gave some indeed as Apostles, others however as Prophets, others truly as Evangelists, others however as Pastors and Doctors," whom He constituted vigorous and faithful cultivators and workers in His vinyeard, "for the work of ministry, for the edification of the Body of Christ." (1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:12) These are those, concerning whom divine Wisdom shouts: "They who make Me shine forth will have eternal life." (Eccli. 24:31). Concerning these the Angel spoke in the presence of Daniel: "Moreover they who are learned, will shine like the splendor of the firmament, and they who train many unto justice, will be as stars for perpetual eternities" (Dan. 12:13) Finally these the Savior Himself, Christ the Lord, decorates with that distinguishing eulogy: "He who does these things and teaches them, will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven." (Mt. 5:19) Since however at all times the study and doctrine of the sacred Doctors has been useful and salutary in the Church of God, this fact itself demonstrates that it is greatly fruitful and planely necessary, when, with the furor of the horibile name of christian persecutors repressed, in the very peace of the Church there were roused up more vehemently the wars of heresy. For then the traps and fallacies of the heretics, who, with the devil instigating, did not discontinue to overseed tares in the field of the Lord, by the care and diligence of the Doctors in detecting, both the pestiferous and detestible errores were cut off by the sword of the spirit, and with the holy Doctors as attendants, the falsehood was layed low by the strength of catholic truth. Wherefore by every right are the holy Doctors designated in the Church with the name of the stars Hyades, who, in the very frigid winter and with the long nights of infidelity completed and the storm of persecution calmed, they then shone more brightly upon holy Church, after the sun of truth grew warm among the hearts of the faithful, and as the year opened truly more lucidly with new faith.