encyclical
Vatican doctrinal missive
An encyclical is a formal letter from the Pope addressed to Catholic bishops, clergy, and sometimes all the faithful worldwide.
These letters typically address matters of doctrine, morality, or social issues: The pope's encyclical on climate change sparked global discussion.
The term comes from a Greek word meaning circular, since such letters were meant to circulate widely through the church.
Catholic Church's supreme leader
- VaticanPapal city-state
- pontiffSupreme Catholic leader
- apostolicOf the first disciples
- papacyPope's office and authority
Holy See · curia · bishop · cardinal · pronouncement · exhortation · bull · decree
Unchallengeable official beliefs
- teachingProfession of instructing others
- orthodoxyAdherence to accepted beliefs
- creedStatement of belief
- canonAccepted authoritative works
catechism · ecclesiology · eschatology · ecumenism · exegesis · apologetics · scholasticism · heresy
Trust held as true
- devotionDeep, loyal commitment
- pietySincere religious devotion
- worshipReligious reverence and praise
- sacredWorthy of reverence
divine · revelation · salvation · grace · sanctity · holiness · redemption · providence
Formal literary letter
- missiveFormal letter sent
- correspondenceExchanged written communication
- communiqueOfficial public announcement
- proclamationFormal public announcement
address · message · dispatch · announcement · bulletin · directive · instruction · open letter
pope
Catholic Church's supreme leader
papacy · Holy See · curia · bishop · cardinal · pronouncement · exhortation · bull · decree · promulgation
dogma
Unchallengeable official beliefs
- teachingProfession of instructing others
- orthodoxyAdherence to accepted beliefs
- creedStatement of belief
canon · catechism · ecclesiology · eschatology · ecumenism · exegesis · apologetics · scholasticism · heresy · magisterial
belief
Trust held as true
sacred · divine · revelation · salvation · grace · sanctity · holiness · redemption · providence · spirituality
epistle
Formal literary letter
- missiveFormal letter sent
- correspondenceExchanged written communication
- communiqueOfficial public announcement
proclamation · address · message · dispatch · announcement · bulletin · directive · instruction · open letter
- papal decreespapal bull, rescript
- Catholic ChurchVatican, papacy, cardinals, popes, papal
- CatholicismVatican, cardinals, pope, Holy Communion, popes
- declarationsdeclaration, declarations, proclamation, proclamations, announcement
- official documentsbirth certificate, marriage certificate, death certificate, passport, driver's license
- papacypontiff, Pope, pope, Holy See, papal election
encyclicalpersonal correspondence
Direct written communication between individuals
confidential communication · classified document · sealed letter · concentrated · internal memo
encyclicalinformal note
Casual written reminder
personal reflection · blog post · tweet · opinion piece · gossip