''Saeculo exeunte'' is an
encyclical of
Pope Pius XII in which he honors
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, In recognized minority languages of Portugal:
:* mwl, República Pertuesa is a country located on the Iberian Peninsula, in Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Macaronesian ...
at the celebration of its 800th anniversary. A large part of the encyclical deals with the missionary activities of Portugal and the need to modernize missionary work. It was given at Rome, June 13, 1940, in the second year of his pontificate.
Summary
The Pontiff reviews Portuguese history, mentioning among others explorers like
Henry the Navigator
''Dom'' Henrique of Portugal, Duke of Viseu (4 March 1394 – 13 November 1460), better known as Prince Henry the Navigator ( pt, Infante Dom Henrique, o Navegador), was a central figure in the early days of the Portuguese Empire and in the 15t ...
and
Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira (; ; c. 1460s – 24 December 1524), was a Portuguese explorer and the first European to reach India by sea.
His initial voyage to India by way of Cape of Good Hope (1497–1499) was the first to link ...
, who took missionaries along while making discoveries: Their illustrious example greatly inspired the Catholic world, including the spirited citizens of your fatherland, to promote more widely the works of the apostolate.
Afonso de Albuquerque
Afonso de Albuquerque, 1st Duke of Goa (; – 16 December 1515) was a Portuguese general, admiral, and statesman. He served as viceroy of Portuguese India from 1509 to 1515, during which he expanded Portuguese influence across the Indian Ocean ...
and
João de Castro
Dom João de Castro (27 February 1500 – 6 June 1548) was a Portuguese nobleman, scientist, writer, and the fourth viceroy of Portuguese India. He was called ''Castro Forte'' ("Stronghold" or "Strong Castle") by the poet Luís de Camões. De Ca ...
governed the Portuguese colonies, giving protection and assistance to the Catholic missionaries.
But now there is a shortage of missionary priests especially in Africa. The pope recommends missionary societies such as ''Portuguese Society for the Promotion of the Catholic Foreign Missions,'' in order to improve the quality of preparation and training and interaction among clergy in missions. The selection of decent candidates is of special concern to Pius XII, who suggests that only persons with perfect character aptitudes should be sent. He appeals to the people of Portugal, to support their missionaries generously. He entrusts them and all of Portugal to the protection of
Our Lady of Fátima
Our Lady of Fátima ( pt, Nossa Senhora de Fátima, ); formally known as Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of Fátima) is a Catholic title of Mary, mother of Jesus, based on the Marian apparitions reported in 1917 by three shepherd children at the C ...
,
[''Saeculo exeunte'', 52] who, as Pius XII said in a radio address, may have aided in keeping Portugal out of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
.
Significance
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
meant drastic reductions in Catholic missionary activities, as nationals from belligerent nations were either interned or expelled in Africa and Asia. Portugal was a
neutral country
A neutral country is a state that is neutral towards belligerents in a specific war or holds itself as permanently neutral in all future conflicts (including avoiding entering into military alliances such as NATO, CSTO or the SCO). As a type ...
and its missionaries could work relatively free from political reprisals. Therefore, Pius XII turned to Portugal in 1940, as one of the few Catholic countries which could help to limit the consequences of the war in the missions.
See also
*
List of encyclicals of Pope Pius XII
This is a list of encyclicals of Pope Pius XII. Pope Pius XII, Pius XII promulgated 41 papal encyclicals, during his reign as pope for over 19 years, from his election of March 2, 1939, until his death on October 9, 1958. The 41 encyclicals of P ...
References
External links
''Saeculo exeunte'' on the Vatican Website
{{Pope Pius XII, state=collapsed
Encyclicals of Pope Pius XII
Catholic theology and doctrine
June 1940 events
1940 documents
1940 in Christianity