''Satis cognitum'' is an
encyclical of
Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...
dated 29 June 1896 on the unity of the Church, and some
heresies
Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important religi ...
of his time.
Content
"The pontificate of Leo marked a change in how popes exercised their teaching authority. With Leo, the popes begin to offer theological treatments on important topics. It also saw a beginning the Church's participation in ecumenism.
The encyclical is an invitation to those who are without the Church to return to it. It is an affirmation of the Church's unity, and the role of the Magisterium in preserving that unity, through the threefold responsibilities of sanctifying, governing and teaching.
The document contains an extensive articulation of and apologia for Catholic
ecclesiology
In Christian theology, ecclesiology is the study of the Church (congregation), Church, the origins of Christianity, its relationship to Jesus, its role in salvation, its ecclesiastical polity, polity, its Church discipline, discipline, its escha ...
as it relates to the Church's unity, one of the four marks of the Church according to the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, which professes belief in "one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church." The purpose was to indicate Leo's desire for unity and his interest in Catholic Ecumenism.
[
In the second half of the text, Pope Leo strongly defends the ]primacy of the Roman Pontiff
Papal primacy, also known as the primacy of the bishop of Rome, is a Roman Catholic ecclesiological doctrine concerning the respect and authority that is due to the pope from other bishops and their episcopal sees. The doctrine is accepted a ...
as taught at the First Vatican Council as a corollary of the Church's unity, but notes
The encyclical concludes with an appeal to non-Catholic Christians and others for reunion with the Catholic Church.
See also
* List of encyclicals of Pope Leo XIII
* ''Mortalium animos
''Mortalium animos'' ( en, The minds of mortals) is a papal encyclical promulgated in 1928 by Pope Pius XI on the subject of religious unity, condemning certain presumptions of the early ecumenical movement and confirming that the unique Church ...
'' - Pius XI on the same subject
References
External links
{{Wikisource, Satis Cognitum
''Satis cognitum''
Encyclicals of Pope Leo XIII
1896 in Christianity
1896 documents
June 1896 events