CUF
From the Mar/Apr 2006 Issue of Lay Witness Magazine
Issue: What topics did Pope John Paul II examine in his fourteen encyclicals?
Response: Pope John Paul devoted three encyclicals to the Divine Persons, three to subjects that touch upon the truth of the Catholic faith and morality, three to the Church’s social doctrine, two to missionary activity, and three to other subjects (the Holy Eucharist, the Blessed Mother, and ecumenism).
Discussion: Pope John Paul II issued important and at times groundbreaking apostolic constitutions, exhortations, and letters during his pontificate (1978–2005), and his audiences contain much rich theological reflection. Still, for him, like previous popes, the encyclical remained “the highest form of papal teaching document,”1 “a letter addressed to all Christendom for the defense and increase of spiritual life.”2 Papal encyclicals are “the richest and most colorful documents of the Church, issued primarily as the teaching authority (magisterium) of the Church in a manner to clarify the Church’s position on issues in the modern world.”3 The Fathers of the Second Vatican Council alluded to papal encyclicals in the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church:
This religious submission of mind and will must be shown in a special way to the authentic magisterium of the Roman Pontiff, even when he is not speaking ex cathedra; that is, it must be shown in such a way that his supreme magisterium is acknowledged with reverence, the judgments made by him are sincerely adhered to, according to his manifest mind and will. His mind and will in the matter may be known either from the character of the documents, from his frequent repetition of the same doctrine, or from his manner of speaking.4
Pope John Paul wrote fourteen encyclicals; this FAITH FACT summarizes their content in the order in which they were written.5
The Early Years
In the first three years of his reign, Pope John Paul wrote three encyclicals. He issued the first, Redemptor Hominis (“The Redeemer of Man”), less than five months after he was elected the 264th pope.
Redemptor Hominis begins with the resounding words “The Redeemer of man, Jesus Christ, is the center of the universe and of history. To him go my thoughts and my heart in this solemn moment of the world that the Church and the whole family of present-day humanity are now living.” Describing the years preceding 2000 as a “new Advent,” the Pope reflects briefly upon his election, the heritage left to the Church by Pope Paul VI, and the importance of collegiality and Christian unity. Considering the mystery of Christ’s redemption, he examines its divine and human dimensions, the relation between Christ the Redeemer and His Church, and the relation between the Church’s mission and human freedom. Turning his attention to redeemed man in the modern world, the Holy Father sets forth a Christian humanism and notes threats to man, especially violations of human rights. Pope John Paul then reflects upon Christians’ participation in the priestly, prophetic, and kingly office of our Lord. Participation in Christ’s prophetic office demands fidelity to revealed truth; participation in the kingly office demands a life of service to others. The union of the faithful with Christ the Priest, Prophet, and King is fostered by receiving the
Sacraments of the Eucharist and Penance. “Nobody else,” concludes the Holy Father, “can bring us as Mary can into the divine and human dimension of this mystery” of redemption.
Having devoted his first encyclical to “the truth about man, a truth that is revealed to us in its fullness and depth in Christ,” Pope John Paul noted that “a no less important need in these critical and difficult times impels me to draw attention once again in Christ to the countenance of the ‘Father of mercies and God of all comfort’ (2 Cor. 1:3). . . . Man and man’s lofty calling are revealed in Christ through the revelation of the mystery of the Father
and His love.” This theme forms the basis of his second encyclical, Dives in Misericordia (“Rich in Mercy”). The Holy Father begins by noting that Christ revealed the Father’s mercy and—even more—is the incarnation of mercy. The pontiff then develops a biblical theology of mercy: He considers mercy in Jesus’ actions and teaching, mercy in the Old Testament, mercy in the parable of the prodigal son, and mercy on Calvary, where one sees not only divine mercy but also Mary as Mother of mercy. In the sixth chapter, the Pope uses a verse from Mary’s Magnificat—”And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation” (Lk. 1:50)—as a foundation for pondering the ways in which modern man is particularly in need of mercy. Pope John Paul concludes by examining the relation between the Church and mercy: how the Church professes God’s mercy, proclaims it, seeks to put it into practice, and finally begs it from God.
Following in the footsteps of Pope Pius XI and Bl. John XXIII, Pope John Paul II then issued an encyclical to commemorate the anniversary of Pope Leo XIII’s seminal 1891 social encyclical, Rerum Novarum (“Of New Things”). Pope John Paul II devoted Laborem Exercens (“Engaging in Work”)6 to human work, because work is a “perennial and fundamental” aspect of redeemed man’s existence. After showing that work has been a
key component of the Church’s social doctrine since 1891, the pontiff turns to the question of work and man: work in the Book of Genesis, work in its objective sense (technology), and work in its subjective sense (with man being the subject of work). After considering worker solidarity, work and personal dignity, work and society, and the threats posed to the right order of values by materialism and economism, John Paul evaluates the conflict between capital and labor, much as Leo had ninety years before, and discusses at length the rights of workers. The pontiff concludes by discussing the Church’s duty to develop a spirituality of work. Elements of this spirituality include seeing work as a sharing in the activity of the Creator, seeking union with Christ—whom the Pope calls “the man of work”—and considering work in the light of Christ’s Cross and Resurrection.
The Mid-1980s
Between 1985 and 1987, Pope John Paul II wrote four encyclicals. Like Pope Leo XIII before him, Pope John Paul devoted an encyclical to Saints Cyril and Methodius, who were declared co-patrons of Europe in 1980. In Slavorum Apostoli (“Apostles of the Slavs”), which commemorated the eleventh centenary of St. Methodius’s death, Pope John Paul sought to “look in a new way—a more mature and profound way—at these two holy figures. . . .And we can read in their lives and apostolic activity the elements that the wisdom of divine Providence placed in them, so that they might be revealed with fresh fullness in our own age and might bear new fruits.” In writing a biographical sketch of these two brothers, John Paul upholds them as models of missionary activity: “The effort to learn the language and to understand the mentality of the new peoples to whom they wished to bring the faith was truly worthy of the missionary spirit. Exemplary too was their determination to assimilate and identify themselves with all the needs and expectations of the Slav peoples.” Paying particular attention to how they planted the Church in Slavonic culture, the pontiff reflects upon what they can teach us about the catholicity of the Church. The saints’ legacy, he concludes, is an enduring one, for they are “recognized by the family of Slav peoples as the fathers of both their Christianity and their culture.”
Having devoted the topics of his first two encyclicals to God the Son and God the Father, Pope John Paul wished to write about the life of the Holy Spirit—for faith in the Holy Spirit, “uninterruptedly professed by the Church, needs to be constantly reawakened and deepened in the consciousness of the People of God.” Dominum et Vivificantem (“Lord and Giver of Life”) is largely a biblical reflection: It examines Jesus’ promise and revelation of the Holy Spirit at the Last Supper, the Messiah as the one anointed with the Holy Spirit, Christ’s words on Easter evening— “Receive the Holy Spirit”—and the Holy Spirit and the era of the Church, beginning at Pentecost. Reflecting upon the Holy Spirit as the one who “convinces the world concerning sin” (cf. Jn. 16:8), Pope John Paul considers original sin, the Holy Spirit’s work in consciences and in the Paschal Mystery, and the sin against the Holy Spirit. The pontiff then considers the Holy Spirit as the one who gives life: His role in the Incarnation—which would be recalled in the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000—His work in souls—whereby He strengthens the inner man for battles against the flesh—and His action in the life of the Church and in the prayer of believers.
Though thirteen years away, the year 2000 offered an occasion of Pope John Paul’s next encyclical, Redemptoris Mater (“Mother of the Redeemer”), on the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the pilgrim Church—for “the Bimillennial Jubilee of the birth of Jesus Christ at the same time directs our gaze towards his Mother.” The pilgrim Church, writes Pope John Paul, “proceeds along the path already trodden by the Virgin Mary.” Reflecting upon three Marian biblical texts—”full of grace” (Lk. 1:28), “blessed is she who believed” (Lk. 1:45), and “behold your mother” (Jn. 19:27)—Pope John Paul considers Mary in the mystery of Christ. Meditating upon the Mother of God as the one at the center of the pilgrim Church, the pontiff considers Mary’s presence at Pentecost, Mary and Christian unity, and the Church’s union with Mary in her Magnificat. Turning to Mary’s maternal mediation, Pope John Paul considers her mediation as part of her service as handmaid of the Lord and her role in the life of the Church and of every Christian. He also discusses the significance of the Marian Year of 1987–88.
Later in 1987, Pope John Paul wrote his second encyclical on the Church’s social doctrine. Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (“Solicitude for the Social Condition”)7 commemorates the twentieth anniversary of Pope Paul VI’s social encyclical, Populorum Progressio (“The Progress of Peoples”), and highlights “the continuity of the social doctrine as well as its constant renewal.” Pope John Paul pays tribute to the threefold originality of Populorum Progressio, which is original in its theme of evaluating economic and social development in light of God’s word, in its broad recognition of development as an international concern, and in its description of development as “the new name for peace.” John Paul then offers a largely negative survey of development in the contemporary world and in doing so discusses the gap between North and South, unemployment, international debt,
international relations, arms production, and demography. After noting some positive contemporary trends, the pontiff examines authentic human development before offering “a theological reading of modern problems” and some particular guidelines. Although “the Church well knows that no temporal achievement is to be identified with the Kingdom of God . . . that expectation can never be an excuse for lack of concern for people in their concrete personal situations and in their social, national and international life.”
The Early 1990s
Pope John Paul II wrote three encyclicals in the early 1990s. The first, Redemptoris Missio (“The Mission of the Redeemer”), affirms the permanent validity of the Church’s missionary mandate and highlights the “urgency of missionary activity.” After teaching that Jesus Christ is the only Savior and that the Church is the sign and instrument of salvation, the pontiff examines the Kingdom of God, the Holy Spirit as the principal agent of mission, the vast horizon of missionary activity, and how such activity takes place. The Pope then turns his attention to the leaders and workers in the missionary apostolate, the mutual cooperation of all Catholics in missionary activity, and the components of missionary spirituality.
The pontiff’s final social encyclical, Centesimus Annus (“The Hundredth Year”), commemorates the centenary of Pope Leo XIII’s groundbreaking Rerum Novarum. In Centesimus Annus, Pope John Paul proposes a “rereading” of Rerum Novarum, in which he “looks back” at its fundamental principles, “looks around” at contemporary society, and “looks to the future.” After considering the historical context and doctrinal content of Rerum Novarum, the Pope examines at length the contemporary historical context—particularly the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe in 1989—and applies to the modern world Pope Leo’s teachings on private property and the universal destination of material goods. The pontiff then considers the state and culture, including its economic component, and urges Christians to act in accordance with the Church’s social doctrine so as to promote man’s good.
Two years later, Pope John Paul issued Veritatis Splendor (“The Splendor of Truth”) to recall “certain fundamental truths of Catholic doctrine which, in the present circumstances, risk being distorted or denied.” The pontiff examines these truths in light of the conversation between Christ and the rich young man (Mt. 19:16–22) and in doing so affirms the link between eternal life and obedience to the commandments. The Pope then
evaluates trends in moral theology in light of Catholic doctrine; issues examined include freedom and law, conscience and truth, the “fundamental option” and specific kinds of behavior, and moral acts—certain acts, he emphasizes, are intrinsically evil. He then turns to false dichotomies between freedom and truth and between faith and morality. Obedience to the commandments, even unto martyrdom, is possible through divine grace and the cooperation of human freedom.
The Last Decade
Pope John Paul II wrote four encyclicals in the last decade of his pontificate. Evangelium Vitae (“The Gospel of Life”) begins:
The Gospel of life is at the heart of Jesus’ message. . . . Jesus says: “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (Jn. 10:10). In truth, he is referring to that “new” and “eternal” life which consists in communion with the Father, to which every person is freely called in the Son by the power of the Sanctifying Spirit. It is precisely in this “life” that all the aspects and stages of human life achieve their full significance.
Proclaiming the “incomparable worth of the human person” the pontiff uses the biblical passage about Cain’s murder of Abel (Gen. 4:1–16) as a prism through which to examine “the extraordinary increase and gravity of threats to the life of individuals and peoples.” The Pope then discusses at great length the content of the Gospel of life and the demands of the divine commandment “Thou shalt not kill.” After offering guidance for building a culture of life, Pope John Paul uses texts from St. John’s Apocalypse to reflect upon Mary and life.
Two months later, the pontiff renewed the Church’s commitment to ecumenism in the encyclical Ut Unum Sint (“That They May Be One”). Because “Christ calls all his disciples to unity . . . how could [believers] refuse to do everything possible, with God’s help, to break down the walls of division and distrust, to overcome obstacles and prejudices which thwart the proclamation of the Gospel of salvation in the Cross of Jesus, the one Redeemer of man, of every individual?” Emphasizing renewal, conversion, the importance of doctrine, the primacy of prayer, dialogue, and practical cooperation, Pope John Paul affirms the Church’s commitment to ecumenism and discusses at length the fruits of ecumenical dialogue since the Second Vatican Council. After discussing the future of ecumenism, he states that “as the Church turns her gaze to the new millennium, she asks the Spirit for the grace to strengthen her own unity and to make it grow towards full communion with other Christians.” The Church can obtain this grace through prayer, thanksgiving, and hope in the Spirit.
Having drawn attention in Veritatis Splendor to “certain fundamental truths of Catholic doctrine which, in the present circumstances, risk being distorted or denied,” Pope John Paul wished “to pursue that reflection by concentrating on the theme of truth itself and on its foundation in relation to faith.” This theme forms the basis of Fides et Ratio (“Faith and Reason”), which was issued “because of the Second Vatican Council’s insistence that the Bishops are ‘witnesses of divine and catholic truth,’” and because of “the patent inadequacy of perspectives in which the ephemeral is affirmed as a value and the possibility of discovering the real meaning of life is cast into doubt. This is why many people stumble through life to the very edge of the abyss without knowing where they are going.” Discussing at length divine revelation, human understanding, and their mutual
relation, Pope John Paul reviews the history of Christian philosophy, pays tribute to “the enduring originality of the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas,” recalls the magisterium’s interventions in philosophical matters, and explores the relation between philosophy and theology.8 He then outlines the “current requirements and tasks” in this area, including “the indispensable requirements of the word of God” and “current tasks for theology.”
Pope John Paul wrote his final encyclical to rekindle “Eucharistic amazement” in the Church, in accord with his post-Jubilee “program” —outlined in two apostolic letters—of contemplating with Mary the face of Christ. In Ecclesia de Eucharistia (“The Church from the Eucharist”), the pontiff emphasizes that “the Church draws her life from the Eucharist”; he examines the content of the Church’s Eucharistic faith and explores how the Eucharist builds the Church. Reflecting upon how the Church and the Eucharist are both apostolic, he explores the relation between Holy Communion and ecclesial communion. In light of lamentable liturgical abuses, Pope John Paul turns to sacred music and architecture and stresses the importance of following liturgical norms. Reflecting upon the relation between Mary and the Eucharist, he writes that “the Eucharist has been given to us so that our
life, like that of Mary, may become completely a Magnificat.” The Eucharistic mystery, he concludes, “does not allow for reduction or exploitation; it must be experienced and lived in its integrity, both in its celebration and in the intimate converse with Jesus which takes place after receiving communion or in a prayerful moment of Eucharistic adoration apart from Mass. These are times when the Church is firmly built up and it becomes clear what she truly is.”
1 Matthew E. Bunson, gen. ed., Our Sunday Visitor’s Catholic Almanac 2006 (Huntington, Ind.: Our Sunday Visitor, 2005), p. 140.
2 James-Charles Noonan, Jr., The Church Visible (New York: Viking Penguin, 1996), p. 403.
3 Noonan, p. 408.
4 Lumen Gentium (November 21, 1964), n. 25. The documents of the Second Vatican Council are available online at http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/.
5 All of Pope John Paul’s encyclicals are available online at http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_ paul_ii/encyclicals/index.htm. Excerpts of encyclicals quoted in this FAITH FACT come from the translations on the Vatican Web site; italics in the original (when used for emphasis) have been removed.
6 The English title of this encyclical is often rendered On Human Work.
7 The English title of this encyclical is often rendered On Social Concern.
8 In doing so, he pays tribute to nine modern thinkers: Ven. John Henry Newman, Antonio Rosmini, Jacques Maritain, Etienne Gilson, St. Edith Stein, Vladimir S. Soloviev, Pavel A. Florensky, Petr Chaadaev, and Vladimir N. Lossky.
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