The world is going through one of the greatest crises in history. A complete crisis... which causes those who are aware of it to tremble. It is a serious hour... a fearful hour because its dangers are so serious. times that are considered as the most crucial... a decisive crossroad in history in which we may say that the destiny of humanity is at stake. A tormented century, immersed in the dark night, where anxiety, anguish and uncertainty rule; in which an avalanche of error and corruption rules with such confusion that we behold the most absurd errors recommended as formulas of good living. It is an epoch in which light and darkness, truth and error, Christianity and anti-Christianity struggle for the possession of the souls of the faithful to such an extent that rarely was there a generation assaulted by such profound and extensive disturbances, which agitate the people, unsettled civilizations, unchained passions and threaten the most sacred values of morality and civilization.
My dear brothers and sisters, you have the dark picture, the exact description of the actual world, drawn by the hand of the Vicar of Jesus Christ. We can well, therefore, compare our age with the situation of the world at the historical moment of barbarian invasions or the times immediately preceding the coming of our divine Savior.
As far as religion is concerned, there is irreligion among the educated classes and disorientation among the masses. With regards to philosophy, complete bankruptcy, anguish,pessimism and a universal skepticism. As to the social state, announces of radical changes in their very structures. As to morality, human beings lowered themselves from sentient beings, promoting themselves from their destructive pleasures.
The present generation, so strained, so sorrowful, so deceitful, feels the restlessness of the search for a lost blessing, feels itself incapable of controlling the course of the world, the contrast between the presumptuous hopes and the bitter reality of long years of mourning and ruin which wound its pride. But not all men resist stubbornly in their proud attitude of rebellion. Million of men cry aloud for a change of direction for the world, and look at the Church as the only rudder, and turn to the Holy see as to an anchor of salvation for the entire world.
He who remains firm in faith with stout heart, knows that Christ the King is never so near as in the hour of trial, which is the hour of happiness, the hour of justice. Perhaps we are in the presence of another plenitude of time, plenitude of preparation which is disposing the world with the certain maturity for a new outpouring of the redeemers mercy. Do we not see on all sides the significant signs that Our Savior wishes once more to save men, not precisely by their works of justice but by His Infinite Mercy?
