
Who wrote the first papal encyclical?
in 1740, Pope Benedict XIV instituted the tradition of writing Papal Encyclicals with his document Ubi Primum. This letter was distributed to churches throughout the world, with regards to the Duties of Bishops.
What is the encyclical of the Pope?
Encyclical, pastoral letter written by the pope for the whole Roman Catholic church on matters of doctrine, morals, or discipline.
What was the first encyclical of the Catholic Church?
On social issues, Pope Leo XIII promulgated the encyclical Rerum novarum (1891), which was followed by Quadragesimo anno (1931) of Pius XI and Centesimus annus (1991) of John Paul II .
How many encyclicals have there been in the Catholic Church?
The letter brought about a new style of papal communication with Catholics both lay and clerical as they transmitted directly the thoughts of the pope. Since then, there have been almost 300 encyclicals from subsequent popes. The most prolific writers were Pope Leo XIII (who wrote 85) and Pope Pius X (who wrote 41).

What was the first encyclical of Pope Francis?
Lumen fideiLumen fidei (The Light of Faith) is the first encyclical of Pope Francis, issued on 29 June 2013, the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, and published on 5 July 2013, less than four months after his election to the papacy.
Who wrote the first encyclical?
The first encyclical was written in 1740 by Pope Benedict XIV. Since then, nearly 300 have been written. Popes have published encyclicals on issues of general concern, like peace or human rights, after Pope Leo XIII issued an encyclical on labor and social justice in 1897.
What are the papal encyclicals?
Catholic usage For the modern Roman Catholic Church, a papal encyclical is a specific category of papal document, a kind of pastoral letter concerning Catholic doctrine, sent by the Pope and usually addressed especially to patriarchs, primates, archbishops and bishops who are in communion with the Holy See.
How many papal encyclicals are there?
275 encyclicalsSince the pontificate of Pius VII in 1800 and throughout history, the Popes have collectively written a total of 275 encyclicals with a primarily social focus.
Which pope wrote the most encyclicals?
The 41 encyclicals of Pius XII exceed the 32 encyclicals written by all his successors (John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I, John Paul II, and Benedict XVI) during the fifty years that followed (1958–2008).
Who was the first pope?
PeterPeter, traditionally considered the first pope. Among these, 82 have been proclaimed saints, as have some antipopes (rival claimants to the papal throne who were appointed or elected in opposition to the legitimate pope).
What is the longest encyclical written by the pope in the history of the church?
Titled Mater et Magistra (Mother and Teacher) and addressed broadly to "all Christians," it is 25,000 words long—probably the longest encyclical in history—and ranges farther and wider than either of its two predecessors.
What is the latest papal encyclical?
Fratelli tuttiFratelli tutti is Pope Francis' third encyclical letter, after Lumen fidei and Laudato si'. The document was first announced on 5 September 2020. The encyclical's title is taken from Francis of Assisi's Admonitions.
Why did the pope write Laudato Si?
Pope Francis' inspiring Encyclical Letter, Laudato Si' (Be Praised), titled in such a way as to remind us of St. Francis of Assisi's Canticle of the Sun (1225 ad), calls forcefully on everyone to care for the Creation that makes our lives possible.
Is a papal encyclical infallible?
Encyclicals are authoritative, not to be criticized or rejected lightly by members of the church, but they are not infallible.
Why did the pope select the name Francis?
Pope Francis chose his name in honor of St. Francis of Assisi because he is a lover of the poor, said Vatican deputy spokesman Thomas Rosica. “Cardinal Bergoglio had a special place in his heart and his ministry for the poor, for the disenfranchised, for those living on the fringes and facing injustice,” Rosica said.
Why did the pope write Laudato Si?
Pope Francis' inspiring Encyclical Letter, Laudato Si' (Be Praised), titled in such a way as to remind us of St. Francis of Assisi's Canticle of the Sun (1225 ad), calls forcefully on everyone to care for the Creation that makes our lives possible.
What are the three encyclical letters written by Pope Francis?
Background. Fratelli tutti is Pope Francis' third encyclical letter, after Lumen fidei and Laudato si'.
Who was the Rerum Novarum written to?
Description. In an open letter to all Catholics, Pope Leo XIII addressed the conditions of the working classes, the relationships between labor and capital, as well as government and its citizens.
What is the main message of Pope Francis encyclical Laudato Si?
Laudato Si' is an encyclical of Pope Francis published in May 2015. It focuses on care for the natural environment and all people, as well as broader questions of the relationship between God, humans, and the Earth. The encyclical's subtitle, “Care for Our Common Home,” reinforces these key themes.
What is an encyclical letter?
Encyclical, pastoral letter written by the pope for the whole Roman Catholic church on matters of doctrine, morals, or discipline. Although formal papal letters for the entire church were issued from the earliest days of the church, the first commonly called an encyclical was Ubi primum, dealing with episcopal duties, ...
What age is the encyclopedia?
Encyclical - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
Which Pope wrote an encyclical on labor and social justice?
Popes have published encyclicals on issues of general concern, like peace or human rights, after Pope Leo XIII issued an encyclical on labor and social justice in 1897. Francis' encyclical being released Thursday will be his second.
What is an encyclical letter?
As its name implies, an encyclical is a "circular letter" to be spread throughout a community. (The word comes from the Greek egkyklios, with kyklos meaning a circle.)
What is the first papal encyclical?
He argues that Rerum Novarum, widely recognized as the first papal social encyclical, is actually the culmination of a much longer and older tradition of Catholic investigation into the everyday affairs of the world and the human person’s ultimate vocation and place in the cosmos.
What did Aquinas think about?
Aquinas eventually came to systematize and harmonize thinking about the virtues of justice and the call for the Christian to find his or her proper role in society. But as much of this reflection took place in pre-industrial Europe, the utterly new social realities which resulted from the discoveries that unfolded in the 15th to 19th centuries — from the Age of Exploration to the printing press to the migration into cities caused by the industrial revolution — called for new modes of thought about the intersection of religion and social concerns.
What was the first papal encyclical written in German?
1937 papal encyclical condemning fascism and antisemitism in Germany. The encyclical Mit brennender Sorge issued by Pope Pius XI was the first papal encyclical written in German. Part of a series on. Catholic social teaching. Emblem of the Holy See.
What was the significance of the encyclical Mit brennender Sorge?
There was a striking and deliberate emphasis on the permanent validity of the Jewish scriptures, and the Pope denounced the 'idolatrous cult' which replaced belief in the true God with a 'national religion' and the 'myth of race and blood'. He contrasted this perverted ideology with the teaching of the Church in which there was a home 'for all peoples and all nations'. The impact of the encyclical was immense, and it dispelled at once all suspicion of a Fascist Pope. While the world was still reacting, however, Pius issued five days later another encyclical, Divini Redemptoris, denouncing Communism, declaring its principles "intrinsically hostile to religion in any form whatever", detailing the attacks on the Church which had followed the establishment of Communist regimes in Russia, Mexico and Spain, and calling for the implementation of Catholic social teaching to offset both Communism and 'amoral liberalism'. The language of Divini Redemptoris was stronger than that of Mit brennender Sorge, its condemnation of Communism even more absolute than the attack on Nazism. The difference in tone undoubtedly reflected the Pope's own loathing of Communism as the "ultimate enemy."
What is the importance of race in the encyclical?
The encyclical states that race is a fundamental value of the human community, which is necessary and honorable but condemns the exaltation of race, or the people, or the state, above their standard value to an idolatrous level.
Why did we not withhold our consent to the Concordat?
...Hence, despite many and grave misgivings, We then decided not to withhold Our consent [to the Concordat] for We wished to spare the Faithful of Germany, as far as it was humanly possible, the trials and difficulties they would have had to face, given the circumstances, had the negotiations fallen through
Who was the Pope's spokesman during the war?
Over the years until the outbreak of war Catholic resistance stiffened until finally its most eminent spokesman was the Pope himself with his encyclical Mit brennender Sorge ... of 14 March 1937, read from all German Catholic pulpits...
Did the Vatican respond to the complaint of the German government?
It is understood that the Vatican will reply to the note of complaint presented to it by the German Government in regard to the Encyclical Mit Brennender Sorge. The note was not a defence of Nazism, but a criticism of the Vatican's action at a time when negotiations on the relations between the Vatican and Germany were still in being. It would seem that the Vatican, desirous of finding a modus vivendi, however slight the chance of it may appear, wishes to clear up any possible misunderstanding. On 15 April Cardinal Pacelli received Herr von Bergen, the Reich Ambassador at the Holy See. This was the first diplomatic meeting since the publication of the Encyclical.
Who disbanded the Catholic organization Friends of Israel?
Historian Garry Wills, in the context of Jews having traditionally been described as deicides, says that the encyclical affirms " 'Jesus received his human nature from a people who crucified him' – not some Jews, but the Jewish people" and that it was also Pius XI who had disbanded the Catholic organization "Friends of Israel" that had campaigned to have the charge of deicide dropped. The charge of deicide against all Jewish people was later dropped during the Second Vatican Council.
Who started the encyclical of the Holy Father?
This sounds like a pretty straightforward answer, but with this encyclical, the answer is a bit more complicated. This encyclical was started and mostly completed by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI when he was still the Holy Father. The Vatican has said that Francis would take Benedict’s draft and make it his own. We do not know if the encyclical will carry just Francis’ name or both popes’ names.
What is an encyclical letter?
An encyclical is an open letter from the Pope to the Church on a particular theme or topic.
What is the encyclical of light of faith?
The encyclical is entitled, “Lumen Fidei” or “Light of Faith.” Pope Benedict wrote three encyclicals total, including one on love and one on hope. This encyclical on faith completes the summary of the three theological virtues – faith, hope, and love – started by Pope Benedict.
Is Pope Alarm releasing updates?
Pope Alarm will be releasing updates on the encyclical after it is made public. We will write a summary shortly following the release of the document and be releasing quotes from the document over the next month.
Who is releasing the encyclical?
The Vatican announced that Pope Francis will be releasing an encyclical this week. Here are seven things you need to know:
Did Pope Francis want the encyclical to overshadow the Synod on the New Evangelization?
Normally, an apostolic exhortation following the Synod on the New Evangelization would be expected at this time, but Pope Francis did not want the encyclical to overshadow this important document.
Why are papal encyclicals written in Latin?
Papal encyclicals usually take the form of a papal brief due to their more personal nature as opposed to the formal papal bull. They are usually written in Latin and, like all papal documents, the title of the encyclical is usually taken from its first few words (its incipit ).
Who is the Pope's encyclical addressed to?
For the modern Roman Catholic Church, a papal encyclical is a specific category of papal document, a kind of letter concerning Catholic doctrine, sent by the Pope and usually addressed especially to patriarchs, primates, archbishops and bishops who are in communion with the Holy See .
How many encyclicals did Pope Pius XII write?
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 crack down on the Hungarian Revolution in 1956: Datis nuperrime, Sertum laetitiae and Luctuosissimi eventus.
What is the encyclical used for?
Papal use of encyclicals. 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.
What is the Catholic encyclical?
Catholic usage. Although the term "encyclical" originally simply meant a circulating letter, it acquired a more specific meaning within the context of the Catholic Church. In 1740, Pope Benedict XIV wrote a letter titled Ubi primum, which is generally regarded as the first encyclical in a modern sense. The term is now used almost exclusively ...
Where did the word "encyclical" come from?
At that time, the word could be used for a letter sent out by any bishop. The word comes from Late Latin encyclios (from Latin encyclius, a Latinization of Greek ἐνκύκλιος enkyklios meaning "circular", "in a circle", or "all-round", also part of the origin of the word encyclopedia ).
Which Pope said that papal encyclicals are authoritative?
Pope Pius XII held that papal encyclicals, even when they are not of ordinary magisterium, can nonetheless be sufficiently authoritative to end theological debate on a particular question:
When did Pope Benedict XIV start writing encyclicals?
in 1740, Pope Benedict XIV instituted the tradition of writing Papal Encyclicals with his document Ubi Primum. This letter was distributed to churches throughout the world, with regards to the Duties of Bishops. The letter brought about a new style of papal communication with Catholics both lay and clerical as they transmitted directly ...
How many encyclicals have been written by Popes?
Since then, there have been almost 300 encyclicals from subsequent popes. The most prolific writers were Pope Leo XIII (who wrote 85) and Pope Pius X (who wrote 41).
What was the document that the modernists were hoping to infiltrate the Church with false teachings and to?
Pascendi Dominici Gregis by Pope Pius X : This document was subtitled ‘On the Doctrine of the Modernists’. It detailed the many ways with which Modernists were hoping to infiltrate the church with false teachings and to water down the Catholic faith. If only people had listened.
Who wrote the encyclical Fides et Ratio?
Fides et Ratio by Pope John Paul II: In this encyclical, Pope John Paul II draws on his studies under Reginald Garrigou Lagrange and provides a powerful synthesis of the relationship between faith and reason.
Who wrote the Deus Caritas Est?
Deus Caritas Est by Pope Benedict XVI: In Benedict’s first encyclical, released Christmas Day 2005, he deals with the nature of love in the context of its true Christian definition.
Which book deals with the twin evils of capitalism and socialism?
Rerum Novarum by Leo XIII : If you only read one text we recommend this one, which deals with the twin evils of Capitalism and Socialism in reducing man to an economic unit.
Who presided over the ecumenical council?
This council opened on 19 June in the presence of the emperor, but it is uncertain who presided over the sessions. In the extant lists of bishops present, Ossius of Cordova, and the presbyters Vitus and Vincentius are listed before the other names, but it is more likely that Eustathius of Antioch or Alexander of Alexandria presided. (see Decrees of the Ecumenical Councils, ed. Norman P. Tanner S.J.)
What is the role of the bishop of Alexandria in the election of the Church?
In the event of the death of any in the church, those who have recently been accepted are thereupon to succeed to the office of the deceased, provided that they appear worthy and are chosen by the people; the bishop of Alexandria is to take part in the vote and confirm the election. This privilege, which has been granted to all others, does not apply to the person of Meletius because of his inveterate seditiousness and his mercurial and rash disposition, lest any authority or responsibility should be given to one who is capable of returning to his seditious practices.
What does the Holy Synod say about those who transgress without necessity?
Concerning those who have transgressed without necessity or the confiscation of their property or without danger or anything of this nature, as happened under the tyranny of Licinius, this holy synod decrees that, though they do not deserve leniency, nevertheless they should be treated mercifully.
What is the bold text in the profession of faith of the 318 fathers?
The bold text in the profession of faith of the 318 fathers constitutes, according to Tanner “The additions made by the council to an underlying form of the creed”, and that the underlying creed was most likely “derived from the baptismal formula of Caesarea put forward by the bishop of that city Eusebius” or that it “developed from an original form which existed in Jerusalem or at any rate Palestine”. “A direct descent from the creed of Eusebius of Caesarea is manifestly out of the question.” Vol 1, p2)
Where were the bishops assembled?
The bishops assembled at Nicaea, who constitute the great and holy synod, greet the church of the Alexandrians, by the grace of God holy and great, and the beloved brethren in Egypt, Libya and Pentapolis.
Which ancient city has authority over all these places?
The ancient customs of Egypt, Libya and Pentapolis shall be maintained, according to which the bishop of Alexandria has authority over all these places since a similar custom exists with reference to the bishop of Rome. Similarly in Antioch and the other provinces the prerogatives of the churches are to be preserved.
Does the Catholic Church admit presbyters?
If any have been promoted presbyters without examination, and then upon investigation have confessed their sins, and if after their confession men have imposed hands upon such people, being moved to act against the canon, the canon does not admit these people, for the catholic church vindicates only what is above reproach.

Overview
Content
The numbers conform to the numbers used by the Vatican in its English translation of the text.
In the introduction and sections 1–8 of the encyclical Pius XI wrote of his "deep anxiety and growing surprise" on observing the travails of the Catholic Church in Germany with the terms of Concordat being openly broken and the faithful being oppressed as had never been seen before.
1. It is with deep anxiety and growing surprise that We have long been following the painful trial…
Background
Following the Nazi takeover, the Catholic Church hierarchy in Germany initially attempted to co-operate with the new government, but by 1937 had become highly disillusioned. A threatening, though initially mainly sporadic persecution of the Catholic Church followed the Nazi takeover. Hitler moved quickly to eliminate Political Catholicism. Two thousand functionaries of the Bavarian P…
Authorship
A five-member commission drafted the encyclical. According to Paul O'Shea the carefully worded denunciation of aspects of Nazism was formulated between 16–21 January 1937, by Pius XI, Cardinal Secretary of State Eugenio Pacelli (later Pope Pius XII) and German cardinals Bertram, Faulhaber and Schulte, and Bishops Preysing and Galen. Cardinal Bertram of Breslau was the chairman of …
Release
The encyclical was written in German and not the usual Latin of official Catholic Church documents. Because of government restrictions, the nuncio in Berlin, Archbishop Cesare Orsenigo, had the encyclical distributed by courier. There was no pre-announcement of the encyclical, and its distribution was kept secret in an attempt to ensure the unhindered public reading of its contents in all the Catholic churches of Germany. Printers close to the church offered their servic…
Nazi response
The release of Mit brennender Sorge precipitated an intensification of the Nazi persecution of the Catholic Church in Germany. Hitler was infuriated. Twelve printing presses were seized, and hundreds of people sent either to prison or the concentration camps. In his diary, Goebbels wrote that there were heightened verbal attacks on the clergy from Hitler, and wrote that Hitler had approved the start of trumped up "immorality trials" against clergy and anti-Church propaganda …
Catholic response
Ian Kershaw wrote that during the Nazi period, the churches "engaged in a bitter war of attrition with the regime, receiving the demonstrative backing of millions of churchgoers. Applause for Church leaders whenever they appeared in public, swollen attendances at events such as Corpus Christi Day processions, and packed church services were outward signs of the struggle of; … especially of the Catholic Church – against Nazi oppression". While the Church ultimately failed t…
Assessments
The historian Eamon Duffy wrote:
In a triumphant security operation, the encyclical was smuggled into Germany, locally printed, and read from Catholic pulpits on Palm Sunday 1937. Mit brennender Sorge (With Burning Anxiety) denounced both specific government actions against the Church in breach of the concordat and Nazi racial theory more generally. There was a striking and deliberate emphasis on the permane…