encyclicals
Pope's official writings
Encyclicals are formal letters issued by the Pope to Catholic bishops worldwide, addressing matters of doctrine, morals, or church discipline.
The term comes from a Greek word meaning circular, reflecting their distribution throughout the church.
Encyclicals carry significant authority but are not considered infallible: The pope's encyclical on climate change sparked debate among Catholics.
Catholic Church's supreme leader
- VaticanPapal city-state
- pontiffSupreme Catholic leader
- apostolicOf the first disciples
- bishopsHigh-ranking clergy members
Catholicism · doctrine · John Paul II · Francis · Holy See · pastoral · faithful · church teaching
Trust without proof
- salvationDeliverance from harm
- doctrineEstablished body of teachings
- dogmaUnchallengeable official beliefs
- revelationSurprising disclosed truth
scripture · tradition · Christ · redemption · ecclesiology · sacraments · liturgy · truth
Strenuous effort; also childbirth
- justiceFair treatment under law
- workersPeople doing jobs
- povertySevere lack of resources
- dignityInnate personal worth
capitalism · solidarity · subsidiarity · economics · inequality · wages · common good · exploitation
Written symbol or message
- circularForming a closed curve
- promulgationFormal announcement of law
- LatinAncient Roman language
- translationConverting between languages
publication · official · binding · addressees · dissemination · archive · text · decree
pope
Catholic Church's supreme leader
bishops · Catholicism · doctrine · John Paul II · Francis · Holy See · pastoral · faithful · church teaching · pronouncement
faith
Trust without proof
- salvationDeliverance from harm
- doctrineEstablished body of teachings
- dogmaUnchallengeable official beliefs
revelation · scripture · tradition · Christ · redemption · ecclesiology · sacraments · liturgy · truth · orthodoxy
labor
Strenuous effort; also childbirth
dignity · capitalism · solidarity · subsidiarity · economics · inequality · wages · common good · exploitation · industrialization
letter
Written symbol or message
- circularForming a closed curve
- promulgationFormal announcement of law
- LatinAncient Roman language
translation · publication · official · binding · addressees · dissemination · archive · text · decree · proclamation
- Latin ChurchVatican II, liberation theology, John Paul II, papal visits, catechists
- Catholic ChurchVatican, papacy, cardinals, popes, papal
- CatholicismVatican, cardinals, pope, Holy Communion, popes
- church historychurch history, apostles, Protestant Reformation, Christian history, baptism
- papacypontiff, Pope, pope, Holy See, papal election
- American Catholicismarchdiocese, parish council, archdioceses, Catholic school, Catholic schools