''Ecclesiam Suam'' is an
encyclical letter
An encyclical was originally a circular letter sent to all the churches of a particular area in the ancient Roman Church. At that time, the word could be used for a letter sent out by any bishop. The word comes from the Late Latin (originally fr ...
of
Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI (born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding John XXII ...
on the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
given at St. Peter's, Rome, on the
Feast of the Transfiguration
The Feast of the Transfiguration is celebrated by various Christian communities in honor of the transfiguration of Jesus. The origins of the feast are less than certain and may have derived from the dedication of three basilicas on Mount Tabor.' ...
, 6 August 1964, the second year of his Pontificate.
In the opening words of the letter, Pope Paul refers to the Church founded by
Jesus Christ
Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
as "a loving mother of all men". He states that in light of
the ongoing Vatican Council he did not want to offer new insights or doctrinal definitions. He asks for a deeper self-knowledge, renewal and dialogue. He also states that the Church itself was engulfed and shaken by a tidal wave of change, and was deeply affected by the climate of the world.
Sean O'Riordan, in ''
The Furrow'', noted that the encyclical was issued between the second and third sessions of the Council "to guide the thoughts and aspirations of men, and of his brother bishops in particular, towards the exigencies of the conclusive moment of the Church's history" which was then upon them.
Contents
Aims
The letter is addressed not only to Catholic bishops, but to "the faithful of the entire world, and to all men of good will". Paul sets out the following aim: Three sections follow, dealing in turn with the church's self-awareness, its renewal, and the development of a
dialogue
Dialogue (sometimes spelled dialog in American and British English spelling differences, American English) is a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people, and a literature, literary and theatrical form that depicts suc ...
with the contemporary world.
The Mystical Body of Christ
Paul quotes the encyclical ''
Mystici Corporis'' of
Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII (; born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli; 2 March 18769 October 1958) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death on 9 October 1958. He is the most recent p ...
, as a key document:In ''Ecclesiam suam'', he invites separated Churches to unity, stating that the continued
papacy
The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...
is essential for any unity, because without it, in the words of
Jerome
Jerome (; ; ; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was an early Christian presbyter, priest, Confessor of the Faith, confessor, theologian, translator, and historian; he is commonly known as Saint Jerome.
He is best known ...
: "There would be as many schisms in the Church as there are priests."
The Pope also attempts to present the
Marian teachings of the Church in view of her new ecumenical orientation. ''Ecclesiam suam'' calls the
Virgin Mary
Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...
the ideal of Christian perfection, regarding "devotion to the Mother of God as of paramount importance in living the life of the Gospel".
[''Ecclesiam suam'', paragraph 57]
References
{{Catholicism, uncollapsed
Papal encyclicals
Catholic ecclesiology
Documents of Pope Paul VI
1964 in Christianity
1964 documents
August 1964 in Europe