Papal encyclicals are documents that are written in order to
address and speak to the needs of the times. The Pope in
consultation with his bishops and scholars writes these papers on
topics varying in nature. The listing below will give some idea
of the issues addressed. Click on a topic of interest to view a
brief summary of the document.
Rerum Novarum-The Condition of Labor |
Quadragesimo Anno- The Reconstruction of the Social Order |
Mater et Magistra- Christianity and Social Progress |
Pacem in Terris-Peace on Earth |
Laborem Exercens- On Human Work |
Octogesima Adveniens - A Call to Action |
Populorum Progressio-The Development of Peoples |
Sollicitudo Rei Socialis- Social Concerns of the Church |
Gaudiem et Spes- The Church in the Modern World |
Pope Leo XIII, May 15, 1891
This work addresses the deplorable plight of the industrial
workers in the wake of the Industrial Revolution. It calls for
the protection of the weak and the poor through the perfection of
justice by charity, while excluding socialism and class struggle
as legitimate principles of change. It affirms:
* the dignity of work,
* the right to private property,
* the right to from and join professional associations.
Pope Pius XI, May 15, 1931
Written in response to the alarming concentration of wealth and power in the socioeconomic realism, Pius XI calls for the re-establishment of a social order based on the principle of subsidiarity. In commemorating the 40th anniversary of Rerum Novarum, this encyclical reaffirms the need for a social order founded on and animated by justice and charity.
Pope John XX III, May 15, 1961
This work affirmed the role of the Church as a teacher distinguishing good and evil, and as a nurturing mother to the poor and oppressed, John XXIII calls for a greater awareness of the need for all peoples to live as one community with a common good. Special attention is focused on the plight of the farmers and farm workers in depressed rural, agricultural economies.
John XXIII, April 11, 1963
Covering the entire spectrum of relations between individuals, between the individual and the community and between nations, John XXIII affirms the inviolability of human rights. Peace, based on mutual trust, can be well founded only if undergirded by a unity of right order in human affairs arising from a genuine respect for and adherence to the law of God.
Pope Paul VI, March 26, 1967
Calling attention to the worsening marginalization of the poor, Paul VI presents the various dimensions of an integral human development and the necessary conditions for growth in the solidarity of peoples. Only with an accompanying theological reflection on liberation from injustice and genuine human values can there be true human development towards a more human condition.
Pope Paul VI, May 14, 1971
Realizing the need for a genuine renewal in domestic and international societal structures, Paul VI calls on Christians to live up to the duty of participation in social and political reform as a way of discovering the truth and living out the Gospel.
Pope John Paul II, September 14, 1981
Exhorting Christians everywhere to be involved in the transformation of existing socioeconomic systems, John Paul II presents work as a fundamental dimension of human existence through which the "social question" must be viewed. The meaning of work can only be properly understood when the dignity of labor is taken as an underlying premise.
Pope John Paul II, December 30, 1987
Expanding on the notion of development in Populorum Progressio, John Paul II reviews the state of world development in the past tow decades. The moral nature of development I leading humanity to the "fullness of being" is emphasized.
Vatican II, December 7, 1965
Calling for a new sense of service by the church in a rapidly changing world, the Council systematically presents the ethical framework of the church's commitment to pastoral work in the world. This servant Church addresses itself to the real concerns and problems faced by Christians living in the modern age and calls for a development based on an unqualified acceptance of the inherent dignity of the human person.