Pope Clement XI's Papal Encyclical "Unigenitus", 1713

[SebastianClinciuJJ]

This Papal Encyclical, written in the midst of the Jansenism controversy, contains 101 propositions of Pasquier Quesnel (a Jansenist theologian) condemned by the Roman Catholic Church. Along those propositions are found the next:

"3. In vain, O Lord, do You command, if You do not give what you command."
"4. When God does not soften a heart by the interior unction of His grace, exterior exhortations and graces are of no service except to harden it the more."
"12. When God wishes to save a soul, at whatever time and at what ever place, the undoubted effect follows the Will of God."
"38. Without the grace of the Liberator, the sinner is not free except to do evil."
"80. The reading of Sacred Scripture is for all."
"82. The Lord’s Day ought to be sanctified by Christians with readings of pious works and above all of the Holy Scriptures. It is harmful for a Christian to wish to withdraw from this reading."

Is this really the official position of the Roman Catholic Church?
I think a better learned brother in the writings of St. Augustine can draw from them some of the propositions found in Unigentius.

 

[DTK]

This papal encyclical has never been revoked, but I'm confident that if mentioned and/or referenced it would be subjected to the death of a thousand qualifications. The condemnations of the Council of Florence have never been officially revoked, but I suspect the same.

The utility and necessity of universal Bible-reading was also advocated at the end of the 17th cent. by the Jansenist Paschase Quesnel, but his extreme views, in the sense in which he proposed them, were rejected in the condemnation of 101 of his propositions by the dogmatic constitution Unigenitus of Clement XI (8 Sept. 1713). Seven of these propositions (79-85); Denzinger 1429-35) refer to Bible reading. The views of Quesnel survived in Jansenistic circles and were again condemned, after they had been formulated by the Synod of Pistoia, in the Bull Auctorem fidei of Pius VI (28 Aug. 1794; Prop. 67, Denzinger 1567).

Vatican II did encourage Bible reading on the part of members, but I've never met a member of the Roman communion who expressed any genuine interest in it. Perhaps others have had a different experience.