Human Rights Office-Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph
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Papal Encyclicals & Church Documents
​

Provided below are the names and brief descriptions for the papal encyclicals and documents from the past 150 years that are most frequently referenced in discussions on the authentic teaching of the Catholic Church in the areas of sanctity of human life and the dignity of the person.  This is not intended to be an exhaustive list, but rather a convenient source of the most fundamental resources on these topics.

Also included are links to the full text of each document located on the Vatican’s website .

​
Papal Encyclicals

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Pope Leo XIII

     Rerum Novarum (Of New Things): On Capital and Labor (May 15, 1891)
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Pope Pius XI

     Quadragesimo Anno (The Fortieth Year): On the Reconstruction of the Social Order (May 15, 1931)


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Pope John XXIII

      Mater et Magistra (Mother and Teacher): On Christianity and Social Progress (May 15, 1961)
      
     Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth): On Establishing Universal Peace in Truth, Justice, and Liberty (April 11, 1963)​


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Pope Paul VI

     Populorum Progressio (Development of People): On the Development of People (March 26, 1967)
     
     Humanae Vitae (Of Human Life): On the Regulation of Human Birth (July 25, 1968) ​


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Pope John Paul II  

     Laborem Exercens (Working/Labor): On Human Work (September 14, 1981)
     
     Sollicitudo Rei Socialis
 (The Social Concern): On the Twentieth Anniversary of Populorum Progressio (December 30, 1987)
    
     Centesimus Annus (The Hundredth Year): On the One Hundredth Anniversary of Rerum Novarum (May 1, 1991)    

     Veritatis Splendor (The Splendor of Truth): On the Spendor of Truth (August 6, 1993)
     
                                                         Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life): On the Value and Inviolability of Human Life (March 25, 1995)
     
                                                         Fides et Ratio (Faith and Reason): On the Relationship of Faith and Reason (September 14, 1998)


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Pope Benedict XVI

     Deus Caritas Est (God Is Love): On Christian Love (December 25, 2005)

     Spe Salvi (Saved by Hope): On Christian Hope (November 30, 2007)
     
     Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth): On Integral Human Development in Charity and Truth (June 29, 2009)


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Pope Francis

     Lumen Fidei  (The Light of Faith): On Faith (June 29, 2013)  En Español

​    Evangelii Gaudium  (The Joy of the Gospel):  On the Gospel in Today's World  (November 24, 2013)  En Español

     Laudauto Si  (Praise Be to You): On Care for Our Common Home (May 24, 2015)  En Español
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Additional Church Documents
​

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   Gaudium et Spes (Joy and Hope):  Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (Vatican Council II,
         Promulgated by His Holiness Pope Paul VI, December 7, 1965)


   Dignitatis Humanae (Of the Dignity of the Human Person): On the Rights of the Person and of Communities to Social and
         Civil Freedom in Matters Religious (Vatican Council II, Promulgated by His Holiness Pope Paul VI, December 7, 1965)

 
   Octogesima Adveniens (The Eightieth Anniversary): Apostolic Letter of Pope Paul VI to Cardinal Maurice Roy, President of
         the 
Council of the Laity and of the Pontifical Commission Justice and Peace (May 14, 1971

   Evangelii Nuntiandi (On Evangelization in the Modern World): Apostolic Exhortation of His Holiness Pope Paul VI to the
         Episcopate, to the Clergy, and to all the Faithful of the Entire World (December 8, 1975)  

                                                      Dignitas Personae (The Dignity of the Person): Instruction on Certain Bioethical Questions (Congregation for the Doctrine of
                                                            the Faith, September 8, 2008)


Compendium for the Social Doctrine of the Church
​
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The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church was published in 2004 by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace at the request of John Paul II.  Catholic social teaching deals with "questions concerning life in society" of which the Compendium aspires to present "a precise but complete overview". In its English translation, the volume is 315 pages long, not counting the extensive Table of Contents, a foreword in the shape of a Letter from Cardinal Sodano, the then Cardinal Secretary of State to the President of the Pontifical Council, a brief Presentation by that President, a 24-page Index of References, and a comprehensive Analytical Index of 141 pages organized alphabetically from "abortion" to "youth".


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Human Rights Office ~ Diocese of Kansas City - St. Joseph  ~ 20 West Ninth Street ~ Kansas City, MO 64105 ~ ​(816) 756-1850
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  • HOME
    • Catholic News & Current Events
    • Share Your Gifts
    • About Us
  • PASTORAL CARE
    • BCIT (African-American Apostolate)
    • CRS - (Food Security & Global Trade) >
      • CRS Rice Bowl Campaign
      • CRS Emergency Response
      • CRS Ethical Trade
    • Faith in Action (KofC)
    • "MAX" -- (Prison & Jail)
    • "VIA" -- (Immigration & Refugee)
    • "Life & Justice" -- (Stewardship)
    • Pastoral Partners >
      • A Simple House -- (Poverty & Evangelization)
      • Catholic Charities - KC-StJ
      • Catholic Mobilizing Network (Death Penalty)
      • Cristo Rey High School -- (Student Internships)
      • F.I.R.E. -- (Catholic Education & Special Needs)
      • Franciscan Mission Warehouse -- (Global Health Care)
      • Holy Rosary Credit Union -- (Small Dollar Loans)
      • Jerusalem Farm -- (Sustainable Living & Home Repairs)
      • Knights of Columbus
      • Morning Glory Ministries -- (Serving the Homeless)
      • NWMEF (Rural Economic Development)
      • Unbound -- (Global Human Development)
  • EDUCATION
    • Death Penalty
    • Human Trafficking
    • Immigrants & Refugees
    • Racism
    • Rural Life & Stewardship of Creation
    • Papal Encyclicals & Church Documents
    • Additional CST Sites >
      • Acton Institute -- Learning
      • CAPP-USA -- Contemporary Issues
      • Society of Catholic Social Scientists (SCSS)
      • USCCB - Issues & Action
  • PARISH MINISTRIES
    • Committees & Toolkits >
      • Parish Coordinator Sign-Up
    • Priests & Pastoral Leaders
    • Prayer & Liturgy
  • PUBLIC POLICY
    • Contacting Elected Officials
    • Human Rights Advocacy Organizations
  • RESOURCES
    • Criminal & Restorative Justice
    • Death Penalty
    • Human Trafficking
    • Immigrants & Refugees >
      • Emergency Planning
    • Mental Illness
    • Racism
    • Religious Liberty & Conscience Protection >
      • USCCB Religious Freedom Week
    • Rural Life & Stewardship of Creation
  • CONTACT US