'Auspicia quaedam is an encyclical

Encyclical

An encyclical was originally a circular letter sent to all the churches of a particular area in the ancient Catholic Church. At that time, the word could be used for a letter sent out by any bishop...

 of Pope Pius XII

Pope Pius XII

The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....

  on worldwide public prayers to the Virgin Mary for World peace and the solution of the problem of Palestine

Palestine

Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....

, given at Rome at St. Peter's, the first day of May of the year 1948, the tenth of his Pontificate

Background

The war in Palestine affected the holy places and therefore the encyclical hopes for a settlement of the situation through a just peace and mutual concord. To support this requests, the Pope asks for a holy prayer

Prayer

Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...

 crusade to the Most Blessed Virgin. He asks for a consecration to be made in the various dioceses as well as in each of the parishes and families.

Although a terrible war has ended, peace has not arrived in the minds and hearts of all men. The post-war period is full of dangers for the family of nations, dangers of threatening disasters. Because human means are unequal to the task, the Pontiff appeals in prayer first of all to God; he exhorts all throughout the world, to implore, together, in ardent prayer the Divine assistance.

He thanks the Virgin Mother of God for having obtained, through her powerful intercession, the long desired termination of World War Two. At the same time, He implores her for the gift of peace, of fraternal and complete peace among all nations and for harmony among all social classes.

The encyclical argues, that prayer to the Blessed Virgin must be more than words, they must be based on virtues, reform and a revival of Christian conduct. For only from Christian virtues one can hope to see the course of history take its proper, orderly direction.

The Pontiff is concerned about the Holy Places of Palestine, which have long been disturbed.

• If there exists any place that ought to be most dear to every cultured person, surely it is Palestine, where, from the dawn of antiquity, such great light of truth shone for all men, where the Word of God made flesh announced, through the angels' choir, peace to all men; where, finally, Christ hanging on the Cross acquired salvation for all mankind, with arms outstretched as if He were inviting all nations to fraternal harmony; and where He consecrated His precept of charity with the shedding of His blood.

Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

He desires, that supplications be poured forth to the Most Holy Virgin for this request: that the situation in Palestine may at long last be settled justly and thereby concord and peace be also happily established. He places great confidence in her powerful patronage and asks for the month of May 1948 for a crusade of prayers especially of children to the Heavenly Mother For a just solution of disputes, and a firm and free peace for the Church and for all nations Pope Pius XII dedicates the human family to the immaculate heart of Mary and asks local dedication to be made as well.

• And even as our predecessor of immortal memory, Leo XIII, at the dawn of the twentieth century saw fit to consecrate the whole human race to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, so We have likewise, in the guise of representative of the whole human family which He redeemed, desired to dedicate it in turn to the Immaculate Heart of the Virgin Mary. It is our wish, consequently, that wherever the opportunity suggests itself, this consecration be made in the various dioceses as well as in each of the parishes and families.

Quotations from the Encyclical

• • Let there be an end to dissensions that are to no one's advantage.
  • Let there be a reconciliation of disputes that often sow the seeds of further misfortunes.
  • Let international relations, public and private, be fittingly strengthened.
  • Let religion, the foster mother of all virtues, enjoy the liberty to which she is entitled.
  • Let men set about their peaceful work of abundant production for the common welfare - with justice their guide and charity their motive.

• • It is our wish, consequently, that wherever the opportunity suggests itself, this consecration be made in the various dioceses as well as in each of the parishes and families. And We are confident that abundant blessings and favors from Heaven will surge forth from this private and public consecration.