686 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1804. 



whose counsels and support have 

 never failed mc in the most difficult 

 circumstanc/es; your spirit will be 

 handed down to your successors. 

 Be ever the props and first counsel- 

 lors of that throne so necessary to 

 thcMcIfare of this vast empire. 



AUobution deliverad by his Holiness 

 the Pope, to a Secret Consistori/ 

 addressed on the 19th of OStober 

 1804, ineviously to his Depar- 

 ture from Rome on his Journey to 

 France, in Order to assist in the 

 Coronation of the Emperor Na- 

 poleon. 



Venerable Brethren; 

 It was from this place that the 

 concordat was begun by us, his 

 majesty the emperor of the French 

 then first consul ; and it is from this 

 place that we have communicated to 

 you that joy with which the God of 

 all comfort has caused our hearts to 

 overflow for the happy change, or 

 conversion to the interest of the 

 catholic religion, which has been 

 produced by that concordat in those 

 Tast and populous regions. From 

 that time the holy temples have been 

 again opened and purified from the 

 profanations they had endured: al- 

 tars were again built, the standard 

 of the health-bearing cross was 

 again raised, the true worshi]) of 

 God restored, the august mysteries 

 of religion freely and publicly cele- 

 brated, lawful pastors given to the 

 people who could labour in feediug 

 the flock. The catholic religion it- 

 self most happily emerged from that 

 obscurity in which it had been bu- 

 ried, and placed in noon-day splen- 

 dor in the midst of that renowned 

 nation, so many souls recalled from 

 the paths of error into the bosom of 

 3 



eternity, and reconciled to them- 

 selves and to their God : these con- 

 siderations united, justly filled our 

 hearts with joy and exultation, 

 which we poured out to the Lord. 

 — That great and wonderful task 

 not only then excited in our minds 

 the most lively gratitude to that 

 powerful prince, who in establish- 

 ing the concordat, put forth all his 

 power and authority to accomplish 

 jt ; but the recollection must al- 

 ways incline our mind whenever the 

 opportunity shall offer, to prove 

 that we are still strongly impressed 

 Mith those feelings towards him. — 

 And now the same most powerful 

 prince, our dearest son in Christ, 

 Napoleon, emperor of the French, 

 who has deserved so well of the 

 catholic religion for what he has 

 done, has signified to us his strong 

 desire to be anointed with the holy 

 unction, and to receive theimperial 

 crown from us, to the end that the 

 solemn rights which are to place him 

 in the highest rank, shall be strongly- 

 impressed with the character of re- 

 ligion, and call down more power- 

 fully the benediction of heaven. — A 

 request of this nature not only in 

 itself affords the clearest proof of 

 his religion and filial reverence to 

 his holy see, but it has also been 

 accompanied with the express decla- 

 rations, by which the empeior has 

 informed us of his constant desire 

 to promote the holy faith, to repair 

 the injuries, for the preventing of 

 which, he has laboured with so 

 much zeal in these flourishing regions. 

 You therefore see, most venerable 

 brothers, Avhat just and momentous 

 causes wc have for undertaking this 

 journey : we are moved not only by 

 the interests of our holy religion, 

 but by gratitude to that powerful 

 emperor, who has put forth all his 



authority 



