Now We have earnestly striven, by the help of His grace, to follow
the example of Christ, Our Saviour, the Prince of Pastors, and the
Bishop of our Souls, by diligently carrying on His office,
entrusted by Him to the Apostles and chiefly to Peter, "whose
dignity faileth not, even in his unworthy successor" (St. Leo the
Great, Sermon 2, On the Anniversary of his Election). In pursuance
of this object We have endeavored to direct all that We have
attempted and persistently carried out during a long pontificate
towards two chief ends: in the first place, towards the
restoration, both in rulers and peoples, of the principles of the
Christian life in civil and domestic society, since there is no
true life for men except from Christ; and, secondly, to promote
the reunion of those who have fallen away from the Catholic Church
either by heresy or by schism, since it is most undoubtedly the
will of Christ that all should be united in one flock under one
Shepherd. But now that We are looking forward to the approach of
the closing days of Our life, Our soul is deeply moved to dedicate
to the Holy Ghost, who is the life-giving Love, all the work We
have done during Our pontificate, that He may bring it to maturity
and fruitfulness. In order the better and more fully to carry out
this Our intention, We have resolved to address you at the
approaching sacred season of Pentecost concerning the indwelling
and miraculous power of the Holy Ghost; and the extent and
efficiency of His action, both in the whole body of the Church and
in the individual souls of its members, through the glorious
abundance of His divine graces. We earnestly desire that, as a
result, faith may be aroused in your minds concerning the mystery
of the adorable Trinity, and especially that piety may increase
and be inflamed towards the Holy Ghost, to whom especially all of
us owe the grace of following the paths of truth and virtue; for,
as St. Basil said, "Who denieth that the dispensations concerning
man, which have been made by the great God and our Saviour, Jesus
Christ, according to the goodness of God, have been fulfilled
through the grace of the Spirit?" (Of the Holy Ghost, c. 16, v.
39.)