DIUTURNUM ILLUD. - Encyclical of Leo XIII, of 29 June 1881 (Acta Leonis XIII, 2 [1882], pp. 269-87), on the correct concept of political power and civil authority, falsified or demolished by the erroneous doctrines spread by the Reformation and degenerated into theories and systems that are the death of civil society.

According to the doctrine of the Church, authority comes from God, whatever the form of government, even if its holder is designated by the people. Hence for authority a higher dignity and the duty to govern according to justice; and for subjects the obligation of respect and obedience. For this, fear and punishment are not a sufficient incentive, but a more intimate and clear conscience of duty is needed, along with the salutary impulse of the fear of God. All this can best be obtained from religion; whence the necessity of leaving to the Church full freedom to instruct and to act upon civil society; all the more so since she, by word and example, has always shown herself a friend of honest freedom and an enemy of every tyranny.

Bibliography

BIBL.: v. the bibl. at the entry AUTORITÀ.

Celestino Testore

@incollection{ec4_diuturnum_illud, author = {Testore, Celestino}, title = {Diuturnum Illud}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {IV}, pages = {1763--1764}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1950}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/diuturnum-illud} }

One of some 20,000 entries brought back from the twelve printed volumes (1948–54). Spotted something? Help us improve it.

About this entry