Encyclicals

Within Catholicism in recent times, an 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. Encyclicals indicate high Papal priority for an issue at a given time. Pontiffs define when, and under which circumstances encyclicals should be issued.

Recent Encyclicals (links to Wikipedia articles):

• Pope Paul VI (1963–1978)
  • Ecclesiam Suam 1964
  • Mense Maio 1965
  • Mysterium Fidei 1965
  • Christi Matri 1966
  • Populorum Progressio 1967
  • Sacerdotalis Caelibatus 1967
  • Humanae Vitae 1968
• Pope Blessed John Paul II (1978–2005)
  • Redemptor Hominis 1979
  • Dives in Misericordia 1980
  • Laborem Exercens 1981
  • Slavorum Apostoli 1985
  • Dominum et Vivificantem 1986
  • Redemptoris Mater 1987
  • Sollicitudo Rei Socialis 1987
  • Redemptoris Missio 1990
  • Centesimus Annus 1991
  • Veritatis Splendor 1993
  • Evangelium Vitae 1995
  • Ut Unum Sint 1995
  • Fides et Ratio 1998
  • Ecclesia de Eucharistia 2003
• Pope Benedict XVI (2005-2013)
  • Deus Caritas Est 2005
  • Spe Salvi 2007
  • Caritas in Veritate 2009
• Pope Francis (2013 to present)
  • Lumen Fidei 2013

Peter Claver

An excerpt from the website, http://www.kofpc.org/index.php/the-order/st-peter-claver

Into these yards Peter Claver plunged with medicines and food, bread, brandy, lemons, tobacco to distribute among them, some of whom were too frightened, others too ill to accept them. Claver would say frequently: “We must speak to them with our hands before we try to speak to them with our lips.” When he came upon any who were dying he baptized them and then sought out all babies born on the voyage that he might baptize them. During the time that the blacks spent in the sheds, they were penned so closely that they had to sleep almost upon one another and, thereby, freely handed on their diseases …nonetheless, Claver was seen caring for the bodies of the sick and the souls of all.

Unlike many, even among some of the clergy, Claver did not consider that ignorance of their African languages absolved him from the obligation of instructing them in the truths of religion and morals and bringing to their degraded spirits the consolation of the words of Jesus. Claver had a team of seven interpreters, one of whom spoke four African dialects, and with their help he taught the slaves and prepared them for baptism, not only in groups but individually; for the language difficulty was too great for him to make himself understood otherwise. Claver made use of pictures, in accordance with standard catechetical pedagogy of the time, showing our Lord suffering on the cross for them; above all did he try to instill in them some degree of self respect, to give them at least some idea that as redeemed human beings they had dignity and worth, even if as slaves they were outcast and despised. Not otherwise could he ever hope to arouse in them shame and contrition for their sins more perfect than that evoked by the picture of hell which he held up as a warning.