How to Read, Study and Benefit from Papal Encyclicals
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How to Read, Study and Benefit from Papal Encyclicals Contents What is an Encyclical ..................................................................................................................................... 1 How to Read and Study an Encyclical ........................................................................................................... 2 Are Encyclicals Infallible Teachings of a Pope ............................................................................................... 2 History of Encyclicals ..................................................................................................................................... 3 Why Read Encyclicals if You are Not Catholic? ............................................................................................. 4 Links to Other Encyclicals and Lists of All Encyclicals ................................................................................... 4 List of Encyclicals ........................................................................................................................................... 4 What is an Encyclical The word encyclical literally means "in a circle." It is a letter intended to travel— to circulate. However in modern times it has become almost exclusively used to denote teachings from the Pope. Comparing an encyclical to other kinds of official Roman Catholic documents is a good way to understand the significance of an encyclical. Firstly, when the pope makes a declaration of some article of faith or moral law it is given in the form of a Papal Bull, which is very formal and uses prescriptive and dogmatic language. These are rare in recent times. Secondly there are Decrees, which address a very particular problem requiring precise response and action. Thirdly there are apostolic letters and messages, which are characteristically pastoral, encouraging, and inspirational. Encyclicals can have some features of all these categories but are generally longer; the thinking behind the statements is deeper and articulated more expansively. They are addressed usually to the whole church (a few exceptions have been addressed to bishops of particular nations) and it is understood that bishops will promulgate the teachings and make the encyclicals widely available. Nowadays all the encyclicals are posted on the Vatican website and other websites of Catholic organizations. Encyclicals are exhortative in tone. They counsel and encourage and thus make clear that what is said is not to be taken lightly. They deal with complex social and moral issues and back up their claims with reference to the Bible and to Catholic tradition and doctrines. While Encyclicals do not compel Catholics to believe and act in accordance with what is said, the expectation is that all Catholics (and it is hoped all people of good will) will use the teaching as guidance for their life style and moral commitments. The title of an encyclical is the first two words of the document in Latin, the official language in which encyclicals are written. How to Read and Study an Encyclical First, start with a prayer, and second understand what an Encyclical is especially why and when the encyclical you are about to read was written. Doing a close reading, or as we would call it a “study of an encyclical”, would generally be a slow process. As you read through these encyclicals you might be struck by what a treasure trove of teaching they are on a whole host of issues: inspiration, inerrancy, interpretation, the literal and spiritual senses of Scripture, the role of the Scripture in the spiritual life and mission of the Church, and on and on. Always pause and spend time to reflect on short portions. A straight through read from one end to the other, at one sitting would not only be laborious but your concentration would also be limited. It can be difficult, but try to resist interpreting the encyclical through the perceptual ‘filters’ of your prior beliefs as they are amenable to your personal values, aka the upcoming encyclical on climate change. But as you look around in secondary literature, both Catholic and Protestant, no one seems to be actually reading the encyclicals and engaging them. This is an odd situation, one that seems to be peculiar to biblical studies. At least in Catholic circles, no moral theologian worth his or her salt would ever presume to speak about, say, the Church's teaching on contraception without reference to Paul VI's Encyclical Letter Of Human Life, Humanae Vitae (1968). Likewise, Catholic philosophers regularly make their students study John Paul II's Encyclical Letter On the Relationship between Faith and Reason, Fides et Ratio (1998), in close detail. Many of encyclicals would be better with a good commentary, because many can be hard to understand. Some commentaries are better than others, so make sure you are getting your money’s worth if you buy one. Are Encyclicals Infallible Teachings of a Pope Another way of teaching – Ordinary Papal Magisterium – would not use the charism of infallibility. When the Pope issues a document that has his authority as Pope, it doesn’t mean that it bears the full weight of that authority. Most encyclicals are not ex cathedra statements. To be an ex cathedra (infallible) statement, the teaching must bear the full authority of the Pope and be about faith or morals. The Pope can speak to different topics using different levels of his authority, though if he is teaching as universal pastor at any time, we are required to assent to the teaching. There are only two instances of the Pope using his entire authority to speak ex cathedra: 1. The Assumption of Mary into Heaven (1950) 2. Immaculate Conception (1854). When something is declared infallible, we are obligated to have the response of the “obedience of faith”, because it has been declared part of the deposit of the faith. It is universally binding on all Catholics. Encyclicals generally do not define dogma, but rather are the ordinary way for the Pope to teach and would not be extraordinary. Now, that doesn’t mean that there are not infallible teachings within the document, but it is not infallible declared. A common example would be that moral questions are generally not infallibly defined, but that does not in any way make the teaching less binding. Rather, infallibility is the gift of the Holy Spirit given to the Church that allows it to recognize those truths that cannot be reversed in content (not wording) because they correspond to the “deposit of faith” from Christ and the apostles. Papal encyclicals are diagnoses of particular historical ailments—the encyclicals speak about work (Laborem Exercens), the environment (Laudato Si'), religious freedom (Dignitatis Humanae), birth control (Humanae Vitae), the state and civil society (Centesimus Annus), development (Popularum Progressio, Caritas in Veritate)—and as such, they offer different prescriptions. History of Encyclicals The name of the encyclical that began this tradition also set the tone for the form of later encyclicals. Rerum Novarum, written in 1891 by Leo XIII and which many consider the fi rst modern encyclical, literally translates as "new things." It attempted (and succeeded) to bring to bear the old, old story of the Christian church on the new—and revolutionary— things that were happening in Europe during the Industrial Revolution. At the time Rerum Novarum was written, Europe was a seething mess of injustice, revolution, poverty, inequality, and instability. The massive industrialization of work and production, combined with wide‐scale urbanization, led to massive poverty, social dislocation, and a massive underclass that was largely uneducated, disenfranchised, increasingly resentful. It was also still predominantly Christian. Since 1854 (during the term of Pope Pius IX) there have been 240 encyclicals. However, it is noteworthy that the number of encyclicals written by more recent popes is less than the number written by earlier popes in this period. Pius XII (pope from 1939‐1958) wrote 40 encyclicals and Leo XIII (1878‐1903) wrote 87. John Paul II (1978‐2005) wrote 14 and Benedict (2005‐2013) only 3. The reasons for these differences in numbers has to do with at least two factors: (1) The term encyclical has taken on a narrower meaning in recent times, so kinds of writings that were once called encyclicals are now named differently. (2) Recent Popes have more direct contact with Catholics around the world through different forms of media and through travel. Pope John Paul II was the first pope in recent times to travel outside the Vatican. Two officials presiding over separate bureaux still count it among their duties to aid the Holy Father in the drafting of his encyclical letters. These are the "Segretario dei brevi ai Principi" assisted by two minutanti, and the "Segretario delle lettere Latine" also with a minutante. But it was undoubtedly the habit of Leo XIII to write his own encyclicals, and it is plainly within the competence of the sovereign pontiff to dispense with the services of any subordinates. Each Encyclical bears the mark of its time. Reading John Paul II's Centesimus Annus, for instance, against the backdrop of the breaking of the grip of communism helps you understand how its recognition of the tremendous good that markets can achieve is not out of step with the concerns about those same markets that appear in Benedict XVI's Caritas in Veritate, which was written after the financial meltdown. Why Read Encyclicals if You are Not Catholic? If you're