Ad Petri Cathedram
John XXIII
Libreria Editrice Vaticana
Vatican City
1959
© Copyright 1959 Libreria Editrice Vaticana
AD PETRI CATHEDRAM*
ENCYCLICAL OF POPE JOHN XXIII
ON TRUTH, UNITY AND PEACE,
IN A SPIRIT OF CHARITY
JUNE 29, 1959
To the Venerable Brethren, the Patriarchs, Primates, Archbishops, Bishops, and other Local Ordinaries in Peace and Communion with the Apostolic See, and to all the Priests and Faithful of the Catholic world.
Venerable Brethren and Beloved Sons, Greetings and Apostolic Benediction.
1. We who have been elevated despite Our unworthiness to the Chair of Peter have often reflected on the things We saw and heard when Our predecessor passed from this life. Virtually the entire world, regardless of race or creed, mourned his passing. And then when We were summoned to the dignity of Sovereign Pontiff, great numbers of people, although occupied with other things or weighed down with troubles and difficulties, turned their thoughts and affections to us, and placed their hopes and expectations in Us.
2. For these reflections of Ours, We have drawn comfort and instruction. For this experience certainly is clear indication that the Catholic Church is forever young and is indeed a standard raised before the nations.1 From her come a pervading light and a gentle love which reach all men.
3. Then We revealed Our plans to summon an Ecumenical Council and a Roman Synod, as well as to revise the Code of Canon Law in accordance with present needs and to issue a new Code of Canon Law for the Church of the Oriental Rite. This announcement received widespread approval and bolstered the universal hope that the hearts of men would be stirred to a fuller and deeper recognition of truth, a renewal of Christian morals, and a restoration of unity, harmony, and peace.
4. Today as We address Our first Encyclical Letter to the entire Catholic world, Our apostolic office clearly demands that We discuss three objectives—truth, unity, and peace—and indicate how they may be achieved and advanced in a spirit of charity.
5. May the light of the Holy Spirit come upon Us from on high as We write this letter and upon you as you read it. May the grace of God move all men to attain these objectives, which all desire, even though prejudices, great difficulties, and many obstacles stand in the way of their achievement.
6. All the evils which poison men and nations and trouble so many hearts have a single cause and a single source: ignorance of the truth—and at times even more than ignorance, a contempt for truth and a reckless rejection of it. Thus arise all manner of errors, which enter the recesses of men’s hearts and the bloodstream of human society as would a plague. These errors turn everything upside down: they menace individuals and society itself.
7. And yet, God gave each of us an intellect capable of attaining natural truth. If we adhere to this truth, we adhere to God Himself, the author of truth, the lawgiver and ruler of our lives. ...
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About Ad Petri Cathedram (English)For nearly two thousand years, popes have communicated to the world primarily through their letters. In the pre-modern world, the papal chancery turned out tens of thousands of letters a year. On occasion, a letter dealt with broad concerns and was intended to circulate through the churches of a given region. Such letters became known as encyclicals. In the modern period, papal encyclicals have become the primary medium through which the papacy exercises its teaching office. Through them, the popes address theological topics of especially timely concern, applying Christian doctrine to the immediate circumstances of the day. These encyclicals are a testament to their times. Written during the turbulent 1950s and 1960s, they demonstrate Blessed Pope John XXIII’s commitment to bringing the Gospel to humankind. In Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth), the first papal encyclical ever addressed not just to the Catholic faithful but “all Men of Good Will,” Pope John XXIII outlines the requirements for basic human rights, saying “Man has the right to live. He has the right to bodily integrity and to the means necessary for the proper development of life …” He continues by listing economic, political, immigration, vocational, and religious freedoms that must exist where they are able (e.g. first-world countries). This encyclical, perhaps more than any other pre-Vatican II papal writing, has begun the foundation for the modern Catholic teaching on human rights, freedoms, and responsibilities. |
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