First Papal Encyclicals, Part I

By Charles Peters, MD, OFS

The Catholic Church views the provision of healthcare not only as a profession but also as a sacred vocation. It is a vocation intimately associated with the healing ministry of the Divine Physician. In treating the whole person, healthcare professionals attend to the body, mind and soul of the patient while upholding the inherent dignity and sanctity of every person from the moment of conception to natural death. They are called to imitate the compassion of Christ through care for the marginalized, the suffering and the vulnerable and to attest to the redemptive nature of suffering in their patients. During the performance of their duties, they may and often do encounter clinical situations in which their consciences are challenged. Fortunately, they may and should turn to Holy Mother Church to better inform their consciences, to guide their healing ministry and to live faithful lives. Papal encyclicals can support their formation in critical and essential ways.

Papal encyclicals are pastoral letters addressed primarily to the bishops yet they are also intended for the Catholic Church faithful. They address pressing social issues, offer guidance on faith and morals and/or clarify Church doctrine. The first such recognized letter, Ubi Primum (“When First”), focused on episcopal duties. Pope Benedict XIV issued it on the Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier in 1740. A pontiff’s first encyclical typically sets the tone and direction for his papacy.

Pope Leo XIII’s papacy from 1878 to 1903 was noteworthy for many important and powerful teaching documents including Rerum Novarum (“Of New Things,” Memorial of Saint Isidore the Farmer, 1891), generally regarded as the beginning of modern Catholic social teaching. In his first encyclical, Inscrutabili Dei Consilio (“On the Evils of Society,” Easter Sunday, 1878), Pope Leo XIII identifies several threats to humanity including the rejection of objective truth (i.e., modernism), authority and the law as well as attachment to material goods rather than eternal ones. He believed that solutions to the problems of the modern world including the decline of the family and sanctity of marriage could and should come from the Catholic Church.

Eighty-one years later, Pope John XXIII issued Ad Petri Cathedram (“To the Chair of Peter,” Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, 1959) in which he outlines the themes of his pontificate—truth, unity and peace in a spirit of charity thereby laying the groundwork for the Second Vatican Council. He notes the marked indifference toward truth in modern society and he views it as a major source of societal ills and evils. He also calls for unity among all Christians while stressing that peace must be rooted in charity and justice.

In the midst of the Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI issued Ecclesiam Suam (“His Church,” The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, 1964) which outlines the Catholic Church’s relationship with Christ calling for the Church to engage in deep self-reflection and strive for conversion (metanoia) and spiritual growth. It introduces dialogue as the principal tool for engaging the modern world—humanity as a whole, worshippers of the one God, Christians and the faithful of the Catholic Church.

Pope John Paul II’s first encyclical of his nearly 27-year pontificate was Redemptor Hominis (“The Redeemer of Man,” The First Sunday of Lent, 1979). It is often described as the mission statement of his papacy. It is divided into four parts: Christocentric Focus, Human Dignity and Rights, Christian Unity and The Eucharist. The opening sentence boldly states that “Jesus Christ, is the center of the universe and of history.” He would go on to write 13 additional encyclicals with the last being Ecclesia de Eucharistia (“On the Eucharist and Its Relationship to the Church,” Holy Thursday, 2003) which focuses on the theological and pastoral importance of the Eucharist in the Catholic faith. Pope John Paul II begins the encyclical: “The Church draws her life from the Eucharist. This truth does not simply express a daily experience of faith but recapitulates the heart of the mystery of the Church.”

Pope Benedict XVI’s first encyclical was Deus Caritas Est (“God is Love,” The Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord, 2005). The Holy Father explores the concepts of human love (eros) and divine love (agape). There are two parts to the encyclical: Part I, The Unity of Love, explores the relationship between eros and agape and how they are ultimately unified in Jesus Christ. Part II, Charity in the Church, shows that the practice of charity is a fundamental responsibility of the Church and not just a social service.

In the first months of his papacy, Pope Francis promulgated Lumen Fidei (“The Light of Faith,” The Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, 2013) which completed work begun by Pope Emeritus Benedict XIV for the Year of Faith. Key themes appearing in this encyclical include: the journey of faith; faith and reason; life, love and hope; and Mary as the Icon—the perfect model of faith.

Our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas was issued on May 25, 2026, the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church. Its major themes are: Technology and the Human Person; Pastoral Care for Families and Youth; The Dignity of Work; The Common Good and Social Justice; and Migration and Human Vulnerability. This encyclical will be explored in greater detail in First Papal Encyclicals, Part II.

Papal encyclicals may be found at www.vatican.va

Dr. Charles Peters is a member of CMA’s Catholic Social Teaching on Justice in Medicine Committee.

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