encyclical

An encyclical was originally a circular letter sent to all the churches of a particular area in the ancient Christian church. At that time, the word could be used for a letter sent out by any bishop. The word comes from Latin encyclia (from the Greek "en kyklo, ἐν κύκλῳ") meaning "general" or "encircling", which is also the origin of the word "encyclopedia". The Roman Catholic Church generally only uses this term for Papal encyclicals, but the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Anglican Communion retain the older usage.

Roman Catholic usage

For the modern Roman Catholic Church a Papal encyclical, in the strictest sense, is a letter, usually treating some aspect of Catholic doctrine, sent by the Pope and addressed either to the Catholic bishops of a particular area or, more normally, to the bishops of the world; however, the form of the address can vary widely, and often designates a wider audience. Papal encyclicals usually take the form of a Papal brief due to their more personal nature as opposed to the formal Papal bull. Papal encyclicals are so famous that the term encyclical is used almost exclusively for those sent out by the Pope. The title of the encyclical is usually taken from its first few words (its incipit).

Within Catholicism in recent times, an encyclical is generally used for significant issues, and is second in importance only to the highest ranking document now issued by popes, an Apostolic Constitution. However, the designation 'encyclical' does not always denote such a degree of significance. The archives at the Vatican website currently classify certain encyclicals as "Apostolic Exhortations". This informal term generally indicates documents with a broader audience than the bishops alone.

Pope Pius XII held that Papal Encyclicals, even when they are not ex cathedra, can nonetheless be sufficiently authoritative to end theological debate on a particular question:

Papal use of encyclicals

Encyclicals indicate high Papal priority for an issue at a given time. Pontiffs define when, and under which circumstances encyclicals should be issued. They may choose to issue an apostolic constitution, bull, encyclical, apostolic letter or give a papal speech. Popes have differed on the use of encyclicals: on the issue of birth control and contraception, Pope Pius XI issued the encyclical Casti Connubii, while Pope Pius XII gave a speech to midwives and the medical profession, clarifying the position of the Church on the issue. ^[1] Pope Paul VI published an encyclical Humanae Vitae on the same topic. On matters of war and peace, Pope Pius XII issued ten encyclicals, mostly after 1945, three of them protesting the Soviet invasion of Hungary in order to crackdown on the Hungarian Revolution in 1956: Datis Nuperrime, Sertum Laetitiae, Luctuosissimi Eventus. Pope Paul VI spoke about the war in Vietnam and Pope John Paul II, issued a protest against the war in Iraq using the medium of speeches. On social issues, Pope Leo XIII promulgated Rerum Novarum (1891), which was followed by the Quadragesimo Anno (1931) of Pius XI, and the Centesimus Annus (1991) of John Paul II. Pius XII spoke on the same topic to a consistory of cardinals, in his Christmas messages and to numerous academic and professional associations. ^[2]

Important papal encyclicals

• Pope Eugene IV (1431-1447)
  • Sicut Dudum 1435
• Pope Benedict XIV (1740-1758)
  • Demandatam 1743
  • Vix Pervenit 1745
  • Ex Quo 1756
• Pope Blessed Pius IX (1846-1878)
  • Quanta Cura 1864
• Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903)
  • Humanum Genus 1884
  • Rerum Novarum 1891
  • Providentissimus Deus 1893
• Pope Saint Pius X (1903-1914)
  • Vehementer Nos 1905
  • Pascendi Dominici Gregis 1910
• Pope Benedict XV (1914-1922)
  • Humani Generis Redemptionem 1917
  • Pacem, Dei Munus Pulcherrimum 1920
• Pope Pius XI (1922-1939)
  • Quas Primas 1925
  • Iniquis Afflictisque 1926
  • Casti Connubii 1930
  • Quadragesimo Anno 1931
  • Acerba animi 1932
  • Dilectissima Nobis 1933
  • Divini Redemptoris 1937
  • Mit Brennender Sorge 1937
• Pope Pius XII (1939-1958)
  • Summi Pontificatus1939
  • Sertum Laetitiae 1939
  • Mystici Corporis Christi 1943
  • Divino Afflante Spiritu 1943
  • Orientales Omnes1945
  • Deiparae Virginis Mariae1946
  • Mediator Dei 1947
  • Provida Mater Ecclesia 1947
  • Auspicia Quaedam 1948
  • In Multiplicibus 1948
  • Redemptoris Nostri 1949
  • Humani Generis 1950
  • Anni Sacri 1950
  • Fulgens Corona 1950
  • Munificentissimus Deus 1950, Ap. Const., Dogma of the Assumption
  • Sempiternus Rex 1951
  • Evangelii Praecones 1951
  • Orientales Ecclesia1952
  • Ad Caeli Reginam 1954
  • Ad Sinarum Gentes 1954
  • Sacra Virginitas 1954
  • Haurietis Aquas 1956
  • Miranda Prorsus 1957
  • Invicti Athletae 1957
  • Ad Apostolorum Principis 1958
• Pope Blessed John XXIII (1958-1963)
  • Ad Petri Cathedram 1959(text)
  • Sacerdotii Nostri Primordia 1959 (text)
  • Grata Recordatio 1959(text)
  • Princeps Pastorum 1959(text)
  • Mater et Magistra 1961(text)
  • Aeterna Dei Sapientia 1961(text)
  • Poenitentiam Agere 1962(text)
  • Pacem in Terris 1963 (text)
• Pope Paul VI (1963-1978)
  • Ecclesiam Suam 1964
  • Mense Maio 1965
  • Mysterium Fidei 1965
  • Christi Matri 1966
  • Populorum Progressio 1967
  • Sacerdotalis Caelibatus 1967
  • Humanae Vitae 1968
• Pope John Paul II (1978-2005)
  • Redemptor Hominis 1979
  • Dives in Misericordia 1980
  • Laborem Exercens 1981
  • Slavorum Apostoli 1985
  • Dominum et Vivificantem 1986
  • Redemptoris Mater 1987
  • Sollicitudo Rei Socialis 1987
  • Redemptoris Missio 1990
  • Centesimus Annus 1991
  • Veritatis Splendor 1993
  • Evangelium Vitae 1995
  • Ut Unum Sint 1995
  • Fides et Ratio 1998
  • Ecclesia de Eucharistia 2003
• Pope Benedict XVI (2005 to present)
  • Deus Caritas Est 2005
  • Spe Salvi 2007
  • (Caritas in Veritate expected June 29, 2009)

Anglican usage

Amongst Anglicans the term encyclical was revived in the late 19th century. It is applied to circular letters issued by the English primates.

Important Anglican encyclicals

• Encyclical Saepius Officio (1897)

Important Eastern Orthodox encyclicals

• Encyclical of the Eastern Patriarchs (1848)

External links

• List of papal documents at the Theology Library [1]
• Leo XIII Encyclicals from Vatican
• St.Pius X Encyclicals from Vatican
• BenedictXV Encyclicals from Vatican
• Pius XI Encyclicals from Vatican
• Pius XII Encyclicals from Vatican
• John XXIII Encyclicals from Vatican
• Paul VI Encyclicals from Vatican
• John Paul II Encyclicals from Vatican
• Benedict XVI Encyclicals from Vatican
• Papal Encyclicals at Giga-Catholic Information
• www.papalencyclicals.net, a source for etexts of most of the encyclicals from recent centuries
• The Authority of Papal Encyclicals

Source

• Acta Apostolicae Sedis, (AAS), Roma Vaticano, 1920-2007
• The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (3rd. ed.), p. 545.

Quotes