Devotion to the Sacred Heart

The month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart; this year we celebrate its feast day on June 28. Evidence of devotion to the Sacred Heart began in medieval Europe, when Christ's wounded heart was seen as a sign of his divine love for humanity. After St. Margaret Mary Alacoque described apparitions of Jesus encouraging her to the devotion, its popularity began to spread and official approval increased. Bishop Power consecrated the Diocese of Toronto to the Sacred Heart in his first pastoral letter in 1842. In 1899, Pope Leo XIII consecrated the human race to the Sacred Heart in his encyclical Annum Sacrum, writing,

"And since there is in the Sacred Heart a symbol and a sensible image of the infinite love of Jesus Christ which moves us to love one another, therefore it is fit and proper that we should consecrate ourselves to His most Sacred Heart - an act which is nothing else than an offering and a binding of oneself to Jesus Christ, seeing that whatever honor, veneration and love is given to this divine Heart is really and truly given to Christ Himself." 

Today we are sharing a few items from the archives that instruct the faithful in their devotion to the Sacred Heart.

In his 1928 encyclical Miserentissimus Redemptor, Pope Pius XI discussed the concept of reparation. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for us, yet we often repay him with sin. Through devotion to the Sacred Heart, we can begin to make amends.

"There is surely no doubting, Venerable Brethren, that from this devotion piously established and commanded to the whole Church, many excellent benefits will flow forth not only to individual men but also to society, sacred, civil, and domestic, seeing that our Redeemer Himself promised to Margaret Mary that "all those who rendered honor to His Heart would be endowed with an abundance of heavenly graces."     

The Reparation Due to the Sacred Heart: Encyclical of His Holiness Pope Pius XI.

The cover of this encyclical features of typical depiction of the Sacred Heart, flaming and topped by a cross. Other depictions show it pierced by an arrow or with a crown of thorns.

May 8, 1928

MN PS 110.01
Archbishop McNeil Fonds 

Another concept associated with the Sacred Heart is consecration. In this leaflet, Cardinal McGuigan sanctioned instructions for consecrating families to the Sacred Heart with the following prayer:

"O Jesus, Who didst make known to Saint Margaret Mary the desire of Thy Sacred Heart to reign over Christian homes, we wish to proclaim today Thy absolute dominion over our hearts and home. We desire henceforth to make our lives one with Thine, to keep ourselves free from that spirit of worldliness which Thou hast condemned, to practice those virtues which bring peace and happiness to Catholic homes. Vouchsafe to establish Thy reign over our lives. Enlighten our minds with a spirit of faith and Christian simplicity, fill our hearts with an ardent love for Thee, and through the Sacrament of Thy Love bring us day by day into closer union with Thy Sacred Heart. Grant, in virtue of this consecration to Thy Sacred Heart, that faith, charity, zeal in prayer, temperance, and domestic tranquility, may flourish in our home, and that each of us may shun the allurements of vice and whatever is foul and unwholesome in human life. 

"Deign, O Divine Heart, to preside over our home, to bless our enterprises both spiritual and temporal, to dispel our cares, to sanctify our joys, to lighten our trials and sorrows. If ever one or other of us should have the misfortune to offend Thee, remind him, O Heart of Jesus, that Thou art good and merciful to the penitent sinner. And, when the hour of separation strikes, when death comes to cast his shadow over our home, help us all, both those who go and those who stay, to accept with resignation Thy eternal decrees. Strengthen us in that hour of sorrow with the firm hope that all the members of our family may be united again in heaven to share in Thy glory and to sing Thy praises forever. 

"May the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the glorious Patriarch Saint Joseph present this consecration to Thee. Through it may our thoughts, our words, our deeds, be directed to Thy greater honor and glory all the days of our lives. Amen. All praise to the Heart of Jesus, our King and our Father!"

The Consecration of Families to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
""I will bless every place where a picture of My Heart shall be set up and honored" is one of the promises which Our Lord made to us through Saint Margaret Mary."

[1961]

MG TA01.411
Cardinal McGuigan Fonds

In this 1873 letter which was read at all of the churches in the Archdiocese, Archbishop Lynch instructed the faithful in appropriate actions for devotion to the Sacred Heart such as the creation of confraternities, and pilgrimages. He wrote, 

"We call upon all true Christians, especially of our Diocese, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to heed the invitation, and conform themselves to the intentions of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1. To repent sincerely for all their past sins, and to confess them humbly, that they may receive pardon for them. 2. To make a return of love to this most Divine Heart by receiving Him in the most Blessed Eucharist, and to repair past ingratitude and coldness by frequently receiving our Divine Lord in this banquet of love. 3. To make amends by frequent adoration for the irreverence and contempt, with which He is treated in the Holy Sacrament, and that these acts may be permanent and continuous, we exhort them to join the Confraternity of the Sacred Heart for perpetual adoration."

Pastoral Letter of His Grace, the Archbishop of Toronto, on Devotion to the Sacred Heart

"The devotion to the most sacred Heart of Jesus is a devotion to our lord Jesus Christ Himself personally."

1873

L AA11.20
Archbishop Lynch Fonds

"All hail to the Heart of Jesus, our King and Father!"

Lights, Camera, Action!

Yesterday marked the 90th anniversary of the filing of the official Articles of Incorporation for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. It seems only appropriate, therefore, to feature records in our collection relating to motion pictures. So make some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the blog!

The general manager of The National Exploitation Co., W. J. Benedict, was excited to inform Archbishop McNeil about the showing of the film His Holiness: Pope Pius XI and scenes of the 26th International Eucharistic Congress in Rome at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in May 1923. He requested that the announcement be made at Sunday mass and at parochial schools to ensure that adults and children alike could enjoy the films. Note that the letterhead is specifically designed for the show.

Letter from W. J. Benedict to Abp. McNeil,
May 12, 1923

MN AH12.55
Archbishop McNeil fonds

In 1927, a film of the 28th International Eucharistic Congress in Chicago was shown at Massey Hall. Rev. T. J. Manley wrote to the Department of the Treasurer of Ontario asking for an exemption from the amusement tax, which was (and, in some provinces, it seems still is) a tax applied to motion pictures, theatre performances, etc., that was brought in as a war measure. Exemptions could be made for charitable, educational, or religious purposes, as long as receipts were provided. Provincial Treasurer J. D. Monteith informed Rev. Manley that his request had been granted. The proof was sent to the Amusement Tax Office after the showing.

Letter from J. D. Monteith to Abp. McNeil,
March 7, 1927

MN AH16.39A
Archbishop McNeil fonds

Letter from the Archbishop's Residence to Thomas Scott at the Amusement Tax Office,
April 23, 1927

MN AH16.176
Archbishop McNeil fonds

The effect of motion pictures on viewers has long been a topic of conversation, since the content of certain films is sometimes considered controversial. O. J. Silverthorne, chairman of the Motion Picture Censorship and Theatre Inspection Branch of the Treasury Department of Ontario, sent then-Archbishop McGuigan a copy of the annual report of the branch. In his letter, Silverthorne alluded to a particular discussion of interest.

Letter from O. J. Silverthorne to then-Abp. McGuigan,
June 2, 1945

MG SO06.247
Cardinal McGuigan fonds

M. E. Bruce, president of Picture Service Limited, wrote to Archbishop McNeil about the cost and distribution of his company's film, Sacrifice of the Mass. Approximately $3,000 was invested in the early 1920s, which is almost $42,360 today.

Letter from Muriel E. Bruce to Abp. McNeil,
October 4, 1922

MN AH11.30
Archbishop McNeil fonds

In 1936, Pope Pius XI wrote an encyclical, Vigilanti Cura, on motion pictures to the Archbishops and Bishops of the United States. It was sent to the archbishop with a cover letter.

Copy of a cover letter from Abp. Pizzardo to then-Abp. McGuigan,
July 6, 1936

MG RC188.03
Cardinal McGuigan fonds

Encyclical letter on motion pictures of Pope Pius XI,
promulgated on June 29, 1936

MG PS118.01
Cardinal McGuigan fonds

From page 10:

"Everyone knows what damage is done to the soul by bad motion pictures. They are occasions of sin; they seduce young people along the ways of evil by glorifying the passions; they show life under a false light; they cloud ideals; they destroy pure love, respect for marriage, affection for the family. They are capable also of creating prejudices among individuals and misunderstandings among nations, among social classes, among entire races.

On the other hand, good motion pictures are capable of exercising a profoundly moral influence upon those who see them. In addition to affording recreation, they are able to arouse noble ideals of life, to communicate valuable conceptions, to impart a better knowledge of the history and the beauties of the Fatherland and of other countries, to present truth and virtue under attractive forms, to create, or at least to favor understanding among nations, social classes and races, to champion the cause of justice, to give new life to the claims of virtue, and to contribute positively to the genesis of a just social order in the world."

Papal Encyclicals of the Past

Last week, the world received a letter from Pope Francis entitled Laudato Si': On Care for Our Common Home. He wrote about our responsibility to care for the environment.

Encyclicals, which are circular letters written by the Pope, have been around in their modern form since Pope Benedict XIV began to write letters in the 1740s. The letters are written in a pastoral teaching style, and generally address the ways that the Catholic faith interacts with contemporary issues of the world at large. 

Below are a small selection of Papal Encyclicals from ARCAT's holdings:

1846 - Pope Pius IX - Qui Pluribus - On Faith and Religion
P PS28.01 

1847 - Pope Pius IX - Praedecessores Nostros - On Aid for Ireland
P PS29.01

1851 - Pope Pius IX - Exultavit Cor Nostrum - On the Effects of the Jubilee
C AK01.05

1864 - Pope Pius IX - Quanta Cura - Condemning Current Errors
L PS46.01

1894 - Pope Leo XIII - Iucunda Semper Expectatione - On the Rosary
W RC77.03  

1903 - Pope Pius X - E Supremi - On the Restoration of All Things in Christ
O RC86.04

1907 - Pope Pius X - Pascendi Dominici Gregis - On the Doctrines of the Modernists
O RC90.11 

1932 - Pope Pius XI - Caritate Christi Compulsi - On the Sacred Heart
MN PS114.01

1936 - Pope Pius XI - Vigilanti Cura - On Motion Pictures
MG PS118.01

1953 - Pope Pius XII - Fulgens Corona - On the Marian Year and the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception
MG PS135.02

1954 - Pope Pius XII - Sacra Virginitas - On Holy Virginity
MG PS136.04

1956 - Pope Pius XII - Haurietis Aquas - On Devotion to the Sacred Heart
MG PS138.01

1957 - Pope Pius XII - Miranda Prorsus - On Motion Pictures, Radio and Television
MG PS139.04

1962 -Pope Saint John XXIII - Paenitentiam Agere - On the Need for the Practice of Interior and Exterior Penance
MG PS144.02

1967 -Pope Paul VI - Populorum Progressio - This Is Progress
MG PS149.03

1968 - Pope Paul VI - Humanae Vitae - On Human Life
MG PS150.04

And just for fun, an encyclical from the office that was a precursor to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith condemning the use of magnetism in superstition, hypnotism and clairvoyance:

1856 - Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition - Adversus Magnetismi Abusus - Against the Abuse of Magnetism
C RC38.05

ARCAT holds many more Papal Encyclicals, including Pius IX's Nullis Certe, on Temporal Power and Napoleon III, Leo XIII's Quod Apostolici, which condemns socialism, and Pius XI's Mit Brennender Sorge on the state of the Church in Germany.