CHAPTER XIII: ON THE ORGANISATION OF THE APOSTOLIC LEAGUE

S. Is there any organisation duly constituted which has for its object to bring back society to God?
T. Yes. Pope Benedict XV has blessed, praised and highly approved of the Apostolic League for the return of nations and Peoples and the whole organisation of society to God and our Saviour, through Holy Church. Its title, in which it glories, was conferred on the League by the Pope himself. The Holy Father indeed went further and expressed the wish that all Catholics worthy of the name should join the Apostolic League.
S. What are the conditions of membership of the Apostolic League?
T. There are two conditions to be fulfilled by all. The first is to adopt and profess certain truths which are at the foundation of the work and which are necessary for the reform of men's minds. These truths are: that error and sin are destitute of right, either in society or in the individual; that all rights are based on truth and goodness exclusively; that, therefore, it is necessary to suppress and remove what are regarded as directive principles from the constitutions and laws of peoples, the so-called rights, which are not rights at all, and which are therein extolled as the Rights of Man; that these must be replaced by the rights of God, of Jesus Christ and of the Church; that every society depends on God as sovereign and absolute Ruler and that it must be subject to Him.

The second condition is that members , either offer every day some part of their prayers and of their sacrifices for the return of nations and of society everywhere to Christ, or recite a Pater, Ave and Gloria for this intention. Such are the minimum conditions.
 
S. Are there any other conditions?
T. There are souls who are particularly ,drawn by grace and who devote their lives in a special manner to the promotion of the object of the Apostolic League. They wish to live in closer union with the Blessed Trinity, they wish, as St. Paul says, "to fill up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ"; for this purpose they form a special association and observe special rules.

S. Has the Pope granted spiritual favours to the members of the Apostolic League?
T. The Pope has granted numerous indulgences to the members:

1. An indulgence of 7 years and 7 quarantines every time they do an act prescribed by the statutes, or every time that they impose on themselves, under the impulse of grace, a special prayer or act of mortification or act of apostleship directed to bring about the return of society to Christ.

2. A plenary indulgence on the ordinary conditions: (i) on the day of their entry, into the League or, if they prefer, any day in the week following; (ii) similarly, on the principal feasts which recall to mind that Christ is the immortal King of all nations and of all ages---Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, the Ascension, Pentecost, Corpus Christi, the Feast of the Sacred Heart, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul; (iii) similarly, one day in the month chosen by themselves, which they consecrate altogether and in a special manner to the good of the Church, by applying to this object all their prayers and works.

3. For priests the faculty of giving the Apostolic Blessing twice a year on the occasion of the more solemn meetings of the members of the League.

We draw special attention to the great favour of the indulgence of 7 years and 7 quarantines which the members of the League can gain "toties quoties." [Such indulgences are no longer granted under the1983 revision. As far as I could discern, the League as such is no longer viable; there is an Apostolic League of various other titles, but they are not for the purpose here.---The Web Master] It is not difficult to offer to God a suffering to be endured or a work to be done to obtain the return of all nations to God, nor is it difficult to lift one's heart to God with the same intention. Members may acquire in a very short time a great many indulgences for the Souls in Purgatory, by praying for the intentions of the League and offering the treasures placed at their disposal by the Church for the suffering souls they love.