Encyclicals
Pope John Paul II issued 14 Papal encyclicals during his reign as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church for over 26 years, from his election on 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005. Encyclicals (from Latin encyclia, from the Greek "en kyklo, ἐν κύκλῳ", meaning "general" or "encircling") were originally circular letters sent to all the churches of a particular area in the early Christian church. For the modern Roman Catholic Church, a papal encyclical, in the strictest sense, is a letter sent by the Pope which is explicitly addressed to Roman Catholic bishops of a particular area or to the world, usually treating some aspect of Catholic doctrine. A papal 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. The title of a Papal Encyclical is usually taken from its first few words. Pope John Paul II issued his first encyclical, Redemptor Hominis, on 4 March 1979. Ecclesia de Eucharistia, his last encyclical, was issued on 17 April 2003.
| No. | Title | Subject | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Latin | English translation | |||
| 1. | Redemptor Hominis | "The Redeemer of Man" | On Jesus' Redemption of the world; the central importance of the human person; the Pope's plan of governance | 4 March 1979 |
| 2. | Dives in Misericordia | "Rich in Mercy" | On God's mercy given to the Church and the world | 30 November 1980 |
| 3. | Laborem Exercens | "On Human Work" | On the 90th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII's encyclical Rerum Novarum; the conflict of labour and capital, and the rights of workers | 14 September 1981 |
| 4. | Slavorum Apostoli | "The Apostles of the Slavs" | In commemoration of Saints Cyril and Methodius | 2 June 1985 |
| 5. | Dominum et Vivificantem | "The Lord and Giver of Life" | On the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church and the world | 18 May 1986 |
| 6. | Redemptoris Mater | "Mother of the Redeemer" | On the Blessed Virgin Mary in the life of the Pilgrim Church | 25 March 1987 |
| 7. | Sollicitudo Rei Socialis | "On Social Concerns" | On the 20th anniversary of Pope Paul VI's encyclical Populorum Progressio; on the social concerns and teachings of the Church | 30 December 1987 |
| 8. | Redemptoris Missio | "Mission of the Redeemer" | On the permanent validity of the Church's missionary mandate | 7 December 1990 |
| 9. | Centesimus Annus | "The Hundredth Year" | On the 100th anniversary of Rerum Novarum; on capital and labour; and on Catholic social teaching | 1 May 1991 |
| 10. | Veritatis Splendor |
"The Splendor of Truth" | On fundamental questions of the Church's moral teaching | 6 August 1993 |
| 11. | Evangelium Vitae |
"The Gospel of Life" | On the value and inviolability of human life | 25 March 1995 |
| 12. | Ut Unum Sint | "That They May Be One" | On commitment to ecumenism | 25 May 1995 |
| 13. | Fides et Ratio | "Faith and Reason" | On the relationship between faith and reason; condemning both atheism and faith unsupported by reason; affirming the place of reason and philosophy in religion | 14 September 1998 |
| 14. | Ecclesia de Eucharistia | "The Church of the Eucharist" | On the Eucharist in its relationship to the Church | 17 April 2003 |
Read more about this topic: Pope John Paul II Bibliography