This is a list of encyclicals of Pope Pius XII.

Pius XII Pius ( , ) Latin for "pious", is a masculine given name. Its feminine form is Pia. It may refer to: People Popes * Pope Pius (disambiguation) * Antipope Pius XIII (1918-2009), who led the breakaway True Catholic Church sect Given name * Pius ...

promulgated 41 papal encyclicals, during his reign as

pope 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 ...

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 Pope John XXIII ( la, Ioannes XXIII; it, Giovanni XXIII; born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, ; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death in June 19 ...

, Paul VI,

John Paul I Pope John Paul I ( la, Ioannes Paulus I}; it, Giovanni Paolo I; born Albino Luciani ; 17 October 1912 – 28 September 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City from 26 August 1978 to his death 33 days later. Hi ...

John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

, and

Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the soverei ...

) during the fifty years that followed (1958–2008).

The encyclicals of Pius XII

, - , 6. , , ''

Orientalis Ecclesiae ''Orientalis Ecclesiae'' () is an encyclical of Pope Pius XII signed on 9 April 1944. Its topic is St. Cyril, Patriarch of Alexandria. External links''Orientalis ecclesiae''– Latin text– English text Encyclicals of Pope Pius XII April 1 ...

'' , , "Of the

Eastern Church Eastern Christianity comprises Christian traditions and church families that originally developed during classical and late antiquity in Eastern Europe, Southeastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Northeast Africa, the Fertile Crescent and ...

" , , On St. Cyril, Patriarch of Alexandria , , April 9, 1944 ,
(English)
, - , 7. , , '' Communium interpretes dolorum'' , , "Interpreter of the universal anguish" , , On Ending the

Second World War 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 vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, , April 15, 1945 ,
(English)
, - , 8. , , '' Orientales omnes Ecclesias'' , , "All the

es" , , On the 350th Anniversary of Reunion of the Ruthenian Church with Rome , , December 23, 1945 ,
(English)
, - , 9. , , '' Quemadmodum'' , , , , On Pleading for Care for the World's Destitute Children , , January 6, 1946 ,
(English)
, - , 10. , , ''

Deiparae Virginis Mariae ''Deiparae Virginis Mariae'' (Latin for "Virgin Mary Mother of God"), is an encyclical of Pope Pius XII released in 1946 addressed to all Catholic bishops on the possibility of defining the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a dogma of fait ...

'' , , "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 Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...

" , , Should We Define the

Assumption Assumption, in Christianity, refers to the Assumption of Mary, a belief in the taking up of the Virgin Mary into heaven. Assumption may also refer to: Places * Assumption, Alberta, Canada * Assumption, Illinois, United States ** Assumption Tow ...

? , , May 1, 1946 ,
(English)
, - , 11. , , '' Fulgens radiatur'' , , "The radiant light" , , On the Brilliant Light of

Saint Benedict Benedict of Nursia ( la, Benedictus Nursiae; it, Benedetto da Norcia; 2 March AD 480 – 21 March AD 548) was an Italian Christian monk, writer, and theologian who is venerated in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Orient ...

, , March 21, 1947 ,
(English)
, - , 12. , , ''

Mediator Dei ''Mediator Dei'' (''Mediator etweenGod'') is a papal encyclical issued by Pope Pius XII on 20 November 1947. It was the first encyclical devoted entirely to liturgy. The encyclical suggested new directions and active participation instead of a me ...

'' , , "Mediator of God" , , On the Sacred Liturgy , , November 20, 1947 ,
(English)
, - , 13. , , '' Optatissima pax'' , , "Longed-for peace" , , On Prescribing Public Prayers for Social and

World Peace World peace, or peace on Earth, is the concept of an ideal state of peace within and among all people and nations on Planet Earth. Different cultures, religions, philosophies, and organizations have varying concepts on how such a state would ...

, , December 18, 1947 ,
(English)
, - , 14. , , '' Auspicia quaedam'' , , , , Prayers for

and the Solution Of The Problems Of Palestine , , May 1, 1948 ,
(English)
, - , 15. , , ''

In multiplicibus curis ''In multiplicibus curis'' was an encyclical given by Pope Pius XII on 24 October 1948 at Castel Gandolfo, near Rome, in the tenth year of his pontificate. The encyclical repeated the Vatican's prior attitude to its concerns in the Holy Land and ...

'' , , "Among the multiple preoccupations" , , On Prayers for Peace in Palestine , , October 24, 1948 ,
(English)
, - , 16. , , ''

Redemptoris nostri cruciatus ''Redemptoris nostri cruciatus'' (''The passion of our Redeemer'') is an encyclical of Pope Pius XII dated 15 April 1949 focusing on the situation in Palestine immediately following the cessation of fighting in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. It wa ...

'' , , " The Passion of Our Redeemer" , , On Holy Places in Palestine , , April 15, 1949 ,
(English)
, - , 17. , , ''

Anni sacri ''Anni sacri'' (March 12, 1950) issued on the twelfth anniversary of his coronation, is an encyclical of Pope Pius XII on a program combating atheism Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Les ...

'' , , "On the

Holy Year A jubilee is a special year of remission of sins and universal pardon. In '' Leviticus'', a jubilee year ( he, יובל ''yūḇāl'') is mentioned to occur every 50th year; during which slaves and prisoners would be freed, debts would be forgi ...

" , , On a Program For Combating

Atheistic Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no d ...

Propaganda Throughout The World , , March 12, 1950 ,
(English)
, - , 18. , , ''

Summi maeroris {{Infobox encyclical, title=Summi maeroris, language of title=Latin, translation of title=, pope=Pius XII, Papal coats of arms=C o a Pius XII.svg, signature date=19 July 1950, subject=, number=17, before=Anni Sacri, after=Humani Generis''Summi maero ...

'' , , "With the deepest sorrow" , , On a Call for Public Prayers for Peace , , July 19, 1950 ,
(English)
, - , 19. , , ''

Humani generis ''Humani generis'' is a papal encyclical that Pope Pius XII promulgated on 12 August 1950 "concerning some false opinions threatening to undermine the foundations of Catholic Doctrine". Theological opinions and doctrines known as ''Nouvelle Théol ...

'' , , "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 The Catholic Church broadly ...

, , August 12, 1950 ,
(English)
, - , 20. , , ''

Mirabile illud ''Mirabile illud'' is an encyclical of Pope Pius XII on the crusade of prayer for peace, given at Rome from St. Peter's on the 6 December 1950, the twelfth year of his Pontificate. The Pope is concerned about imminent war spreading from the Ko ...

'' , , "That admirable" , , On a Crusade for Prayers for Peace , , December 6, 1950 ,
(English)
, - , 21. , , ''

Evangelii praecones ''Evangelii praecones'' (June 2, 1951) was an encyclical letter of Pope Pius XII about Catholic missions. In it, he described necessary improvements and changes, and the persecution of the Church in some parts of the world. The encyclical was i ...

'' , , "Toiling missionaries" , , On the Promotion of

Catholic Missions Missionary work of the Catholic Church has often been undertaken outside the geographically defined parishes and dioceses by religious orders who have people and material resources to spare, and some of which specialized in missions. Eventually, p ...

, , June 2, 1951 ,
(English)
, - , 22. , , '' Sempiternus Rex Christus'' , , "Christ, the Eternal King" , , On the

Council of Chalcedon The Council of Chalcedon (; la, Concilium Chalcedonense), ''Synodos tēs Chalkēdonos'' was the fourth ecumenical council of the Christian Church. It was convoked by the Roman emperor Marcian. The council convened in the city of Chalcedon, Bi ...

, , September 8, 1951 ,
(English)
, - , 23. , , ''

Ingruentium malorum ''Ingruentium malorum'' ( en, In the face of approaching evils, italic=yes) is an encyclical of Pope Pius XII on reciting the rosary, issued on September 15, 1951, the Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary. "It is an appeal for an intensifi ...

'' , , "Approaching evil" , , On Reciting the Rosary , , September 15, 1951 ,
(English)
, - , 24. , , ''

Orientales Ecclesias ''Orientales ecclesias'' (December 15, 1952) is an encyclical of Pope Pius XII concerning the persecution of the Eastern Catholic Churches and describing the desperate situation of the faithful in Bulgaria. Summary ''Orientales ecclesias'' review ...

'' , , "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 Church Fathers, Fathers , , May 24, 1953 ,
(English)
, - , 26. , , ''Fulgens corona'' , , "The radiant crown" , , Proclaiming a Blessed Virgin Mary, Marian Year to Commemorate the centennial, Centenary of the Immaculate Conception#Dogmatic definition, Definition of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception , , September 8, 1953 ,
(English)
, - , 27. , , ''Sacra virginitas'' , , "On Holy Virginity" , , On Consecrated Virginity , , March 25, 1954 ,
(English)
, - , 28. , , ''Ecclesiae fastos'' , , "History of the Church" , , On Saint Boniface , , June 5, 1954 ,
(English)
, - , 29. , , ''Ad Sinarum gentem'' , , "To the Chinese people" , , On the Supranationalism, Supranationality of the Church , , October 7, 1954 ,
(English)
, - , 30. , , ''Ad Caeli Reginam'' , , "To the Queen of Heaven" , , On Proclaiming the Blessed Virgin Mary#Co-Redemptrix, Queenship of Mary , , October 11, 1954 ,
(English)
, - , 31. , , ''Musicae sacrae'' , , "Of Sacred Music" , , On Christian music, Sacred Music , , December 25, 1955 ,
(English)
, - , 32. , , ''Haurietis aquas'' , , "You shall draw waters" , , On Devotion to the Sacred Heart , , May 15, 1956 ,
(English)
, - , 33. , , ''Luctuosissimi eventus'' , , "Sorrowful events" , , Urging Public Prayers for Hungarian Revolution of 1956, Peace and Freedom for the People of Hungary , , October 28, 1956 ,
(English)
, - , 34. , , ''Laetamur admodum'' , , "We are most pleased" , , Renewing Exhortation for Prayers for Peace in Poznań 1956 protests, Poland, Hungarian Revolution of 1956, Hungary, and the Middle East , , November 1, 1956 ,
(English)
, - , 35. , , ''Datis nuperrime'' , , "In the recent encyclical" , , Lamenting the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, Sorrowful Events in Hungary, and Condemning the Ruthless Use of Force , , November 5, 1956 ,
(English)
, - , 36. , , ''Fidei donum (encyclical), Fidei donum'' , , "The gift of faith" , , On the Present Condition of the Catholic Missions#Catholic missions, 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 on the Centennial, Centenary of the Our Lady of Lourdes, Apparitions at Lourdes , , July 2, 1957 ,
(English)
, - , 39. , , ''Miranda prorsus'' , , , , On the Communication, Communications Fields: Film, Motion Pictures, Radio, Television , , September 8, 1957 ,
(English)
, - , 40. , , ''Ad Apostolorum principis'' , , "At the Prince of the Apostles" , , On Communism and the Catholicism in China, 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 language, Greek "en kyklo, ", meaning "general" or "encircling") was a Flyer (pamphlet), 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 incipit, first few words.

View of Pope Pius XII

Pope Pius XII held that papal encyclicals, even when they are not Papal infallibility, ''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

Encyclicals indicate high Papal :wikt:priority, 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, Papal bull, bull, encyclical, apostolic letter or give a papal speech. Pontiffs differ on the use of encyclicals. On the issue of birth control and contraception, for example, Pope Pius XI issued the encyclical ''Casti connubii'', while Pope Pius XII 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 ''Luctuosissimi eventus'') protesting the Soviet Union, Soviet invasion and crackdown of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, 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'', followed by ''Quadragesimo anno'' by Pius XI, and ''Centesimus annus'' by John Paul II. Pius XII spoke on the same topic to a Papal consistory, consistory of Cardinal (Catholicism), 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 Encyclicals of Pope Pius XII, * Lists of papal encyclicals, Pius 12