APOSTOLIC
644
APOSTOLICiE
It, even after liis elevation to the episcopate. The
brief goes on to summarize its organization. Pro-
posing as it does to all its associates a uniform rule
of life, raontlily reunions and spiritual conferences,
and the submission of a bulletin regularly to the
superior, it strengthens union among the clergy
and unites by a bond of spiritual fraternity priests
who are scattered far apart. The dangers of soli-
tude are removed, and there is a concentrated
effort on the part of all to attain the common end.
Each priest under these conditions devotes himself
to the well-being and perfection of all, and, though
prevented by the cares of his ministry from enjoying
the advantages of living in community, he does not
feel that he is deprived of the benefits of the rehgious
family; nor are the counsels and assistance of liis
brothers wanting. The brief then recites the ap-
proval of the institute by Leo XIII in Apostolic
fetters of .31 May, 1880, and again in 1887, when
he gave it as a cardinal-protector the Cardinal Vicar
of Rome, Monsignor Lucido Parrocchi. Then fol-
lows a recital of the indulgences and special privileges
granted to the priests who are members. These
may be found in B^ringer, ed. 1905, II, 450.
The means by which the ends proposed are attained are as follows: (1) The rule is the bond of this society, and its vital principle; insisting on the fact that the priest ought to study, love, and imitate Jesus Christ, it maps out the Hfe of the priests of the Apostolic Union, indicating to tliem the spiritual exercises and the ecclesiastical study for each day, each week, each month, each year, and counsels with regard to the holy ministry. (2) The monthly bulletin, which is a kind of examination on the principal exer- ci.ses in the rule of life. It is so arranged that the member can indicate every day his performance of the duty imposed. There is a code of signs em- ployed for this purpose. The bulletin is sent monthly to the diocesan superior, w'ho returns it with his comments. This monthly bulletin, marked carefully each day and examined by the superior, assures regularity, maintains fervour, guards against failures and diminishes faults; it establishes the spirit of order, self-denial, obedience and humility, and secures the benefits of spiritual direction. (3) Reunions are more or less frequent according to circumstances. Where the associates are numerous, they are divided into groups, each of which has its reunion at a central point. It is quite a common practice for the members to make a monthly retreat in common. They also assemble, wherever cir- cumstances permit, once a year to make a retreat of at least five days. (4) The works of zeal supported by the associates are the recruiting of the clergy and the nurture of ecclesiastical vocations. (5) The common life. The Apostolic Union favours the practice of the clergy of the same parish living in common wherever this can be advantageously ilone. The associates recite daily a prayer to which is attached a special indulgence. (6) Organization. The different diocesan organizations canonically erected are united under a president-general, who has over him a cardinal-protector. The common bond is simply the adoption of the general rule of the Union. Each diocesan association chooses its superior, and the associates are bound to the supe- rior by the practice of the monthly bulletin. There is an organ, "Etudes Eccl6siastiques", which is a monthly review dedicated to the interests of paro- chial clergy.
BfelilNGER. Restr. aulhent. ». Congren. indulg.. etc. (19051; Etudet eccUtituliquet; The Apottolic Union of Secular Priests adapted to the United States (New York).
Joseph H. McMahon. Apostolic Visitors. See Visitors Apostolic;
VlSnATIO.N. CANOSMfAL.
ApoBtoUcae Curse, u Hull of Leo XIII issued
15 September, 1S96, and containing the latest papal
decision with regard to the validity of Anglican
orders. Decisions had already been given that such
orders are invalid. The invariable practice also of
the Catholic Church supposed their invalidity, since,
whenever clergymen who had received orders in the
Anglican Church became converts, and desired to
become priests in the Catholic Church, they have
been unconditionally ordained. In recent years,
however, several members of the clergy and laity of
the Anglican Church set forth the plea that the prac-
tice of the Catholic Church in insisting on uncon-
ditionally ordaining clerical converts from Anglican-
ism arose from want of due inquiry into the validity
of Anglican orders, and from mistaken assumptions
which, in the light of certain historical investigations,
could not justly be maintained. Those, especially,
who were interested in the movement that looked
towards Corporate Reunion thought that, as a condi-
tion to such reunion, Anglican orders should be ac-
cepted as valid by the Catholic Church. A few Catho-
lic writers, also, thinking that there was at least room
for doubt, joined with them in seeking a fresh in-
quiry into the question and an authoritative judg-
ment from the Pope. The Pope therefore permitted
the question to be re-examined. He commissioned
a number of men, whose opinions on the matter were
known to be divergent, to state, each, the ground of
his judgment, in writing. He then summoned them
to Rome, directed them to interchange writings, and,
placing at their disposal all the documents available,
directed them to further investigate and discuss it.
Thus prepared, he ordered them to meet in special
sessions under the presidency of a cardinal ap-
pointed by him. Twelve such sessions were held,
in which "all were invited to free discussion". He
then directed that the acts of those sessions, together
with all the documents, should be submitted to a
council of cardinals, "so that when all had studied
the whole subject and discussed it in Our presence
each might give his opinion". The final result was
the Bull "Apostolicse Curse", in which Anglicari
orders were declared to be invalid. As the Bull
itself explains at length, its decision rests on e.x-
trinsic and on intrinsic grounds.
(1) The extrinsic grounds are to be found in the fact of the implicit approval of the Holy See gi\en to the constant practice of unconditionally ordain- ing convert clergymen from the Anglican Church who desired to become priests, and in the explicit declarations of the Holy See as to the invalidity of Anglican orders on every occasion when its decision was evoked. According to the teaching of the Catholic Church, to attempt to confer orders a second time on the same person would be a sacrilege; hence, the Church, by knowingly allowing the prac- tice of ordaining convert clergymen, supposed that their orders were invalid. The Bull points out that orders received in the Church of England, according to the change introduced into the Ritual under Edward VI, were disowned as invalid by the Catho- lic Churcli, not through a custom grown up gradu- ally, but from the date of that change in the Ritual. Thus, when a movement was made towards a recon- ciliation of the Anglican Cliurch to the Holy See in the reign of Queen Mary (1553-58), Pope Julius III sent Cardinal Pole as Legate to England, with faculties to meet the case. Those faculties were "certainly not intended to deal with an abstract state of things, but with a specific and concrete issue." They were directed towards providing for holy orders in England "as the recognized condi- tion of the circumstances and the times demanded." The faculties given to Cardinal Pole (8 March, 1554) distinguished two cla-ssesof men: "the first, those who had really received sacreil orders, either before the secession of Henry VIII, or, if after it and by minis-
