MAXIMUM ILLUD. - These are the first words of the apostolic letter of Benedict XV dated 30 Nov. 1918, on the propagation of the faith in the mission territories. It consists of a general introduction, which presents a historical synthesis of Catholic apostolate, and of three parts with a final conclusion.

The first part is addressed to the heads of missions and sets out their personal qualities and duties for the development of the missions and the formation of the native clergy. The second part is addressed to missionaries to remind them of the duty to propagate only the Kingdom of Christ. For this purpose they must acquire a profound learning and learn well the language of the peoples and above all have a holy and heroic life. In the third part, addressed to all Christians, it speaks of the duty to help the missions with prayer, by promoting vocations to the apostolate and with offerings, and moreover it recommends the Missionary Union of the Clergy. The prosperity of the missions, it concludes, depends on the fulfillment of duties on the part of the faithful and of the missionaries. The apostolic letter, published just as the First World War ended, revived throughout Christendom the zeal for the missions and also spurred missiological studies.

Bibliography2 works

BIBL.: AAS, 11 (1919), pp. 440-55; Sylloge praecipuorum documentorum recentium Summorum Pontificum et S. C. de Propaganda Fide, Rome 1939, n. 74, pp. 113-28.

Saverio Paventi

@incollection{ec8_maximum_illud, author = {Paventi, Saverio}, title = {Maximum Illud}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {VIII}, pages = {515--516}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1952}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/maximum-illud} }

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