from the admission of the writers of the Jewish people, several
prophetic and Messianic psalms are to be recognised, as prophesying
concerning the coming kingdom, priesthood, passion, death and
resurrection of the future Redeemer; and that therefore the opinion is
to be absolutely rejected of those who, perverting the prophetic and
Messianic character of the Psalms, twist these same prophecies
regarding Christ into merely a prediction regarding the future lot of
the chosen people?

ANSWER: In the affirmative to both parts.

On May 1, 1910, in an audience graciously granted to both Most Reverend
Consultors Secretaries His Holiness approved the foregoing answers and
ordered that they be published.

Rome, May 1, 1910.

PULCRANUS VIGOUROUX, P.S.S.

LAURENTIUS JANSSENS, O.S.B.

Consultors Secretaries.


The Psalms were always dear to the hearts of Christians. Our Lord died
with the words of a psalm on His sacred lips: "Into thy hands I commend
my spirit" (Psalm 30, v. 6). Millions of dying Christians have repeated
His great prayer. On the Church's very birthday, when St. Peter preached
the first Christian sermon, he had three texts and two of them were from
the Psalms (Acts II.). To an educated and rigid Pharisee like St. Paul