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Haurietis Aquas

    Summary of Parts in Outline Form

    I found it hard, one day, to find a good summary of Haurietis Aquas, or On Devotion to the Sacred Heart by it's English title, the Encyclical of Pope Pius XII promulgated on May 15, 1956, upon the 100th anniversary of Blessed Pius IX's establishment of the Feast of the Sacred Heart in the Universal Calendar.

    So I decided to make my own. The encyclical enjoys infallibility, my outline does not :) ... for corrections or suggestions, please write me, I’d be most eager to hear from another good soul who might see the parts of the whole in another way.

    Informative links follow this outline.

I. INTRODUCTION (1-4)

A. General Introduction (1)

B. Place of Devotion to the Sacred Heart in Church Life (2-4)

II. BODY OF TEXT (5- 120)

A. Basic principles (5-18)

1. The Sacred Heart and God, One and Triune (5-6)

2. Role of this Devotion in the History of Salvation (7-9)

3. Refutation of Those who Wish to Restrict This Devotion (10-13)

4. Summary of All Devotions (14-18)

B. Theology of This Devotion (19) (19-89)

1. Proofs of the Propriety of Devotion to the Sacred Heart in the Catholic Church (20-57)

a) Scriptural Exegesis (20-43)

(1) Criteria of Interpretation (21-22)

(a) First: The Hypostatic Union (21)

(b) Second: Natural Symbol of God’s Love for Man(22)

(2) Analysis of Passages

(a) A Scriptural Objection (23)

(b) Old Testament (24-31)

(c) New Testament (32-43)

(i) Exegesis of Passages (32-37)

(ii) New Testament reveals Tri-fold Love: Divine Will, Human Will, Human Sentiment (38-43)

b) Teachings of the Church fathers (44-51)

c) Conclusions (52-57)

(1) Positions to refute (52-53)

(2) Conclusions to Draw (54-57)

2. Meditation on the Love of Jesus Christ (62-89)

a) Theandric Acts of Love (62-68)

b) The Sacred Heart and the Eucharist (69-74)

c) The Legitimate Symbolism of the Heart (75-78)

d) Abundance of Love in the Time of the Church (79-84)

e) Summary of the Love of the Sacred Heart (85-89)

C. Development of the Devotion (90-120)

1. In Catholic Piety (90-97)

2. Magisterial Interventions (98-101)

3. Justification of the Devotion (101-107)

a) Refutation of Nay-sayers (101-102)

b) Reasons Favoring This Devotion (103-107)

4. Fruits of the devotion (108-120)

a) Ardent Exhortation to Practice This Devotion (108-114)

b) Devotion to the SH against the Trials of Church and World (115-120)

III. CONCLUSION (121-127)

A. Reinforcing Devotion to the Sacred Heart (121-123)

B.  Mary and the Sacred Heart (124)

C.  Exhortation and Hope (125-127)

The encyclical can be found in it’s entirety here.

Pope Benedict XVI’s Letter, May 15, 2006, regarding this encyclical can be found here.