4 You know only too well what followed upon this decision. The entire Catholic world looked on and was filled with admiration at the course of events. For precisely that which the Supreme Pontiff, Pius X, in the letter which We have referred to had asked of you, had with confidence recommended, and had even, if We may say so, foreseen, yes, that very course of action which you preached both by word and by example as the only solution of the problem, that finally and happily came to pass. Mankind witnessed the glorious spectacle of the clergy and the faithful of France rivaling each other day by day in fervor, in generosity, in devoted sacrifice. On the one hand, the faithful gave most generously and in abundance their offerings for the decorous upkeep of divine worship and for the adequate maintenance of their priests. On their side, the clergy willingly and even gladly submitted to the hard conditions of life which came into existence as a result of the law of separation.
Source: Maximam Gravissimamque (Vatican.va)