This is a list of encyclicals of Pope Pius XII. Pius XII promulgated 41 papal

encyclical 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 from ...

s, during his reign as pope for over 19 years, from his election of March 2, 1939, until his death on October 9, 1958. The 41 encyclicals of Pius XII exceed the 32 encyclicals written by all his successors ( John XXIII,

Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo 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, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...

, John Paul I, John Paul II, and Benedict XVI) during the fifty years that followed (1958–2008).

The encyclicals of Pius XII

, - , 6. , , '' Orientalis Ecclesiae'' , , "Of the Eastern Church" , , On St. Cyril,

Patriarch of Alexandria The Patriarch of Alexandria is the archbishop of Alexandria, Egypt. Historically, this office has included the designation "pope" (etymologically "Father", like "Abbot"). The Alexandrian episcopate was revered as one of the three major episco ...

, , April 9, 1944 ,
(English)
, - , 7. , , ''

Communium interpretes dolorum ''Communium interpretes dolorum'' is an encyclical by Pope Pius XII at the ending of World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the ...

'' , , "Interpreter of the universal anguish" , , On Ending the Second World War , , April 15, 1945 ,
(English)
, - , 8. , , ''

Orientales omnes Ecclesias ''Orientales omnes Ecclesias'' (December 23, 1945) is an encyclical of Pope Pius XII to the faithful of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. It commemorates the three hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the Union of Brest. In his encyclical, Pope P ...

'' , , "All the Eastern Churches" , , On the 350th Anniversary of Reunion of the Ruthenian Church with Rome , , December 23, 1945 ,
(English)
, - , 9. , , ''

Quemadmodum ''Quemadmodum'' is an encyclical of Pope Pius XII pleading for the care of the world's destitute children after World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 19 ...

'' , , , , On Pleading for Care for the World's Destitute Children , , January 6, 1946 ,
(English)
, - , 10. , , '' Deiparae Virginis Mariae'' , , "Of the

Blessed Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother o ...

" , , Should We Define the Assumption? , , May 1, 1946 ,
(English)
, - , 11. , , '' Fulgens radiatur'' , , "The radiant light" , , On the Brilliant Light of Saint Benedict , , March 21, 1947 ,
(English)
, - , 12. , , '' Mediator Dei'' , , "Mediator of God" , , On the Sacred

Liturgy Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. ''Liturgy'' can also be used to refer specifically to public worship by Christians. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and partic ...

, , November 20, 1947 ,
(English)
, - , 13. , , ''

Optatissima pax ''Optatissima pax'' is an encyclical of Pope Pius XII on prescribing public prayers for social and world peace given at Rome, at St. Peter's, the 18th day of December in the year 1947, the ninth of his pontificate. Two years after World War I ...

'' , , "Longed-for peace" , , On Prescribing Public Prayers for Social and World Peace , , December 18, 1947 ,
(English)
, - , 14. , , '' Auspicia quaedam'' , , , , Prayers for World Peace and the Solution Of The Problems Of Palestine , , May 1, 1948 ,
(English)
, - , 15. , , '' In multiplicibus curis'' , , "Among the multiple preoccupations" , , On Prayers for Peace in

Palestine __NOTOC__ Palestine may refer to: * State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia * Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia * Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...

, , October 24, 1948 ,
(English)
, - , 16. , , '' Redemptoris nostri cruciatus'' , , " The Passion of Our Redeemer" , , On Holy Places in Palestine , , April 15, 1949 ,
(English)
, - , 17. , , '' Anni sacri'' , , "On the Holy Year" , , On a Program For Combating Atheistic Propaganda Throughout The World , , March 12, 1950 ,
(English)
, - , 18. , , '' Summi maeroris'' , , "With the deepest sorrow" , , On a Call for Public Prayers for Peace , , July 19, 1950 ,
(English)
, - , 19. , , '' Humani generis'' , , "On Human Origin" , , Concerning Some False Opinions Threatening to Undermine the Foundations of

Catholic Doctrine Catholic doctrine may refer to: * Catholic theology ** Catholic moral theology ** Catholic Mariology *Heresy in the Catholic Church * Catholic social teaching * Catholic liturgy *Catholic Church and homosexuality *Catholic theology of sexuality *Te ...

, , August 12, 1950 ,
(English)
, - , 20. , , '' Mirabile illud'' , , "That admirable" , , On a Crusade for Prayers for Peace , , December 6, 1950 ,
(English)
, - , 21. , , '' Evangelii praecones'' , , "Toiling missionaries" , , On the Promotion of Catholic Missions , , June 2, 1951 ,
(English)
, - , 22. , , '' Sempiternus Rex Christus'' , , "Christ, the Eternal King" , , On the Council of Chalcedon , , September 8, 1951 ,
(English)
, - , 23. , , '' Ingruentium malorum'' , , "Approaching evil" , , On Reciting the Rosary , , September 15, 1951 ,
(English)
, - , 24. , , '' Orientales Ecclesias'' , , "The Oriental Churches" , , On The Persecuted Eastern Church and describing the hopeless situation of the faithful in Bulgaria , , December 15, 1952,
(English)
, - , 25. , , '' Doctor Mellifluus'' , , "Sweet Doctor" , , On St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Last of the Fathers , , May 24, 1953 ,
(English)
, - , 26. , , '' Fulgens corona'' , , "The radiant crown" , , Proclaiming a Marian Year to Commemorate the

Centenary {{other uses, Centennial (disambiguation), Centenary (disambiguation) A centennial, or centenary in British English, is a 100th anniversary or otherwise relates to a century, a period of 100 years. Notable events Notable centennial events at ...

of the Definition of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception , , September 8, 1953 ,
(English)
, - , 27. , , ''

Sacra virginitas Sacra may refer to : * '' Bibliotheca Sacra'', the theological journal published by Dallas Theological Seminary * ''Harmonia Sacra'', a Mennonite shape note hymn and tune book * Isola Sacra, an island in the Lazio region of Italy south of Rome * N ...

'' , , "On Holy Virginity" , , On Consecrated Virginity , , March 25, 1954 ,
(English)
, - , 28. , , '' Ecclesiae fastos'' , , "History of the Church" , , On

Saint Boniface Boniface, OSB ( la, Bonifatius; 675 – 5 June 754) was an English Benedictines, Benedictine monk and leading figure in the Anglo-Saxon mission to the Germanic parts of the Frankish Empire during the eighth century. He organised significant ...

, , June 5, 1954 ,
(English)
, - , 29. , , '' Ad Sinarum gentem'' , , "To the Chinese people" , , On the Supranationality of the Church , , October 7, 1954 ,
(English)
, - , 30. , , '' Ad Caeli Reginam'' , , "To the Queen of Heaven" , , On Proclaiming the

Queenship of Mary Queen of Heaven ( la, Regina Caeli) is a title given to the Virgin Mary, by Christians mainly of the Catholic Church and, to a lesser extent, in Anglicanism, Lutheranism, and Eastern Orthodoxy. The Catholic teaching on this subject is expresse ...

, , October 11, 1954 ,
(English)
, - , 31. , , '' Musicae sacrae'' , , "Of Sacred Music" , , On Sacred Music , , December 25, 1955 ,
(English)
, - , 32. , , '' Haurietis aquas'' , , "You shall draw waters" , , On Devotion to the

Sacred Heart The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus ( la, Cor Jesu Sacratissimum) is one of the most widely practised and well-known Catholic devotions, wherein the heart of Jesus is viewed as a symbol of "God's boundless and passionate love for mankind". This devo ...

, , May 15, 1956 ,
(English)
, - , 33. , , ''

Luctuosissimi eventus ''Luctuosissimi eventus'', issued October 28, 1956, is an encyclical of Pope Pius XII urging public prayers for peace and freedom for the people of Hungary. The Pope is "deeply moved by the sorrowful events which have befallen the people of Eas ...

'' , , "Sorrowful events" , , Urging Public Prayers for Peace and Freedom for the People of Hungary , , October 28, 1956 ,
(English)
, - , 34. , , ''

Laetamur admodum ''Laetamur admodum'' issued November 1, 1956, is an encyclical of Pope Pius XII renewing his request for prayers for peace for Poland, Hungary, and the Middle East. The Holy Father is most pleased to learn that the Catholic World responded ...

'' , , "We are most pleased" , , Renewing Exhortation for Prayers for Peace in Poland, Hungary, and the Middle East , , November 1, 1956 ,
(English)
, - , 35. , , '' Datis nuperrime'' , , "In the recent encyclical" , , Lamenting the Sorrowful Events in Hungary, and Condemning the Ruthless Use of Force , , November 5, 1956 ,
(English)
, - , 36. , , ''

Fidei donum This is a list of encyclicals of Pope Pius XII. Pius XII promulgated 41 papal encyclicals, during his reign as pope for over 19 years, from his election of March 2, 1939, until his death on October 9, 1958. The 41 encyclicals of Pius XII excee ...

'' , , "The gift of faith" , , On the Present Condition of the Catholic Missions, especially in Africa , , April 21, 1957 ,
(English)
, - , 37. , , '' Invicti athletae'' , , "Of the unconquered athlete" , , On St. Andrew Bobola , , May 16, 1957 ,
(English)
, - , 38. , , '' Le pèlerinage de Lourdes'' , , "Of the pilgrimage to Lourdes" , , Warning Against

Materialism Materialism is a form of philosophical monism which holds matter to be the fundamental substance in nature, and all things, including mental states and consciousness, are results of material interactions. According to philosophical materiali ...

on the

of the Apparitions at Lourdes , , July 2, 1957 ,
(English)
, - , 39. , , '' Miranda prorsus'' , , , , On the Communications Fields: Motion Pictures, Radio, Television , , September 8, 1957 ,
(English)
, - , 40. , , '' Ad Apostolorum principis'' , , "At the Prince of the Apostles" , , On Communism and the Church in China , , June 29, 1958 ,
(English)
, - , 41. , , '' Meminisse iuvat'' , , "It is helpful to recall" , , On Prayers for the Persecuted Church , , July 14, 1958,
(English)

Background

An encyclical (from Latin ''encyclia'', from the Greek "en kyklo, ", meaning "general" or "encircling") was a circular letter sent to all the churches of a particular area in the ancient Christian church. For the modern Roman Catholic Church, a Papal Encyclical, in the strictest sense, is a letter sent by the pope which is explicitly addressed to Roman Catholic bishops of a particular area or to the world, usually treating some aspect of Catholic doctrine. A Papal 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. The title of a Papal Encyclical is usually taken from its first few words.

View of Pope Pius XII

Pope Pius XII Pope Pius XII ( it, Pio XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (; 2 March 18769 October 1958), was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death in October 1958. Before his e ...

held that papal encyclicals, even when they are not ''ex cathedra'', can nonetheless be sufficiently authoritative to end theological debate on a particular question. He wrote in ''Humani generis'':

The use of encyclicals by Pius XII

Encyclical 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 from ...

s indicate high

Papal The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

priority for an issue at a given time. Only pontiffs define when, and under which circumstances encyclicals should be issued. They may choose to issue an apostolic constitution, bull, encyclical, apostolic letter or give a papal

speech Speech is a human vocal communication using language. Each language uses Phonetics, phonetic combinations of vowel and consonant sounds that form the sound of its words (that is, all English words sound different from all French words, even if ...

. Pontiffs differ on the use of encyclicals. On the issue of

birth control Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth contr ...

and contraception, for example,

Pope Pius XI Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City fro ...

issued the encyclical ''

Casti connubii ''Casti connubii'' (Latin: "of chaste wedlock") is a papal encyclical promulgated by Pope Pius XI on 31 December 1930 in response to the Lambeth Conference of the Anglican Communion. It stressed the sanctity of marriage, prohibited Catholics fro ...

'', while

spoke to midwives and the medical profession when he clarified his position on the issue. Pope Paul VI published an encyclical '' Humanae vitae'' on the same topic. On matters of war and peace, Pope Pius XII issued ten encyclicals, most of them after 1945, three of them ('' Datis nuperrime'', '' Sertum laetitiae'', and ''

'') protesting the Soviet invasion and crackdown of the Hungarian revolution in 1956. Pope Paul VI spoke about the war in Vietnam and Pope John Paul II, issued his protest against the war in Iraq in speeches. On social issues, Pope Leo XIII promulgated ''

Rerum novarum ''Rerum novarum'' (from its incipit, with the direct translation of the Latin meaning "of revolutionary change"), or ''Rights and Duties of Capital and Labor'', is an encyclical issued by Pope Leo XIII on 15 May 1891. It is an open letter, pass ...

'', followed by '' Quadragesimo anno'' by Pius XI, and '' Centesimus annus'' by John Paul II. Pius XII spoke on the same topic to a consistory of cardinals in his Christmas messages and to numerous academic and professional associations. The magisterium of Pius XII is therefore significantly larger than the below listed 41 encyclicals. Most of the detailed teachings are in his papal speeches on specific topics such as: * Conscience, guilt and fair punishment, * Ethics of psychological research, * Farmers, * Fashion Industry, * Formation of conscience, * Genetic research, * Human dignity, * Medical doctors and the use of weapons, * Military medical research,AAS 1953, 744

References

External links

Pope Pius XII Encyclicals
(most in English, Italian, Portuguese with some in French, Italian, Spanish and one in German) - from the Papal Archive at the internet site of the Holy See.
PapalEncyclicals.net - Pope Pius XII
- online copies {{Pope Pius XII * Pius 12