Vatican Documents
Explore the most important documents of the Catholic Church — from the Second Vatican Council to modern papal encyclicals and apostolic exhortations.
Vatican II Documents
Lumen Gentium
Dogmatic Constitution · Paul VI, 1964
Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, is one of the principal documents of the Second Vatican Council. Promulgated by Pope Paul VI o...
Gaudium et Spes
Pastoral Constitution · Paul VI, 1965
Gaudium et Spes, the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, was promulgated by Pope Paul VI on December 7, 1965, as the final docume...
Sacrosanctum Concilium
Dogmatic Constitution · Paul VI, 1963
Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, was the first document issued by the Second Vatican Council, promulgated by Pope Paul ...
Dei Verbum
Dogmatic Constitution · Paul VI, 1965
Dei Verbum, the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, was promulgated by Pope Paul VI on November 18, 1965, during the Second Vatican Council. I...
Nostra Aetate
Declaration · Paul VI, 1965
Nostra Aetate, the Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions, was promulgated by Pope Paul VI on October 28, 1965. Though o...
Dignitatis Humanae
Declaration · Paul VI, 1965
Dignitatis Humanae, the Declaration on Religious Freedom, was promulgated by Pope Paul VI on December 7, 1965. It represents one of the most debated a...
Social Teaching
Rerum Novarum
Encyclical · Leo XIII, 1891
Rerum Novarum, meaning "Of Revolutionary Change" or commonly subtitled "On the Condition of Workers," is an encyclical by Pope Leo XIII promulgated on...
Pacem in Terris
Encyclical · John XXIII, 1963
Pacem in Terris, meaning "Peace on Earth," is an encyclical by Pope John XXIII promulgated on April 11, 1963, just months before his death and during ...
Centesimus Annus
Encyclical · John Paul II, 1991
Centesimus Annus, meaning "The Hundredth Year," is an encyclical by Pope John Paul II promulgated on May 1, 1991, on the hundredth anniversary of Reru...
Laudato Si'
Encyclical · Pope Francis, 2015
Laudato Si', subtitled 'On Care for Our Common Home,' is an encyclical letter by Pope Francis promulgated on May 24, 2015. It is the first papal encyc...
Fratelli Tutti
Encyclical · Pope Francis, 2020
Fratelli Tutti, subtitled "On Fraternity and Social Friendship," is an encyclical letter by Pope Francis signed on October 3, 2020, at the tomb of Sai...
Faith & Morals
Veritatis Splendor
Encyclical · John Paul II, 1993
Veritatis Splendor, meaning "The Splendor of Truth," is an encyclical by Pope John Paul II promulgated on August 6, 1993. It is the first encyclical i...
Fides et Ratio
Encyclical · John Paul II, 1998
Fides et Ratio, meaning "Faith and Reason," is an encyclical by Pope John Paul II promulgated on September 14, 1998. It addresses the fundamental rela...
Humanae Vitae
Encyclical · Paul VI, 1968
Humanae Vitae, meaning "Of Human Life," is an encyclical by Pope Paul VI promulgated on July 25, 1968. It is one of the most discussed and debated doc...
Deus Caritas Est
Encyclical · Benedict XVI, 2005
Deus Caritas Est, meaning "God is Love," is the first encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI, promulgated on December 25, 2005. This profound theological med...
Evangelii Gaudium
Apostolic Exhortation · Pope Francis, 2013
Evangelii Gaudium, meaning "The Joy of the Gospel," is an apostolic exhortation by Pope Francis promulgated on November 24, 2013. Often described as t...
Christology & Mission
Redemptor Hominis
Encyclical · John Paul II, 1979
Redemptor Hominis, meaning "The Redeemer of Man," is the first encyclical of Pope John Paul II, promulgated on March 4, 1979, just months after his el...
Redemptoris Missio
Encyclical · John Paul II, 1990
Redemptoris Missio, meaning "The Mission of the Redeemer," is an encyclical by Pope John Paul II promulgated on December 7, 1990, on the twenty-fifth ...
Salvifici Doloris
Apostolic Letter · John Paul II, 1984
Salvifici Doloris, meaning "On the Christian Meaning of Human Suffering," is an apostolic letter by Pope John Paul II promulgated on February 11, 1984...
Ecclesia de Eucharistia
Encyclical · John Paul II, 2003
Ecclesia de Eucharistia, meaning "The Church from the Eucharist," is an encyclical by Pope John Paul II promulgated on Holy Thursday, April 17, 2003, ...
Dives in Misericordia
Encyclical · John Paul II, 1980
Dives in Misericordia, meaning "Rich in Mercy," is the second encyclical of Pope John Paul II, promulgated on November 30, 1980. Building upon the chr...
Christifideles Laici
Apostolic Exhortation · John Paul II, 1988
Christifideles Laici, meaning "The Lay Members of Christ's Faithful People," is a post-synodal apostolic exhortation by Pope John Paul II promulgated ...
All Documents
Lumen Gentium
Paul VI, 1964
Dogmatic Constitution
“Christ is the Light of nations. Because this is so, this Sacred Synod gathered t...”
Gaudium et Spes
Paul VI, 1965
Pastoral Constitution
“The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men of this age, esp...”
Sacrosanctum Concilium
Paul VI, 1963
Dogmatic Constitution
“Mother Church earnestly desires that all the faithful should be led to that full...”
Dei Verbum
Paul VI, 1965
Dogmatic Constitution
“In His goodness and wisdom God chose to reveal Himself and to make known to us t...”
Nostra Aetate
Paul VI, 1965
Declaration
“The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions. Sh...”
Dignitatis Humanae
Paul VI, 1965
Declaration
“This Vatican Council declares that the human person has a right to religious fre...”
Laudato Si'
Pope Francis, 2015
Encyclical
“Laudato si', mi' Signore - Praise be to you, my Lord. In the words of this beaut...”
Fratelli Tutti
Pope Francis, 2020
Encyclical
“Here we have a splendid secret that shows us how to dream and to turn our life i...”
Deus Caritas Est
Benedict XVI, 2005
Encyclical
“God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. The...”
Evangelii Gaudium
Pope Francis, 2013
Apostolic Exhortation
“The joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Tho...”
Fides et Ratio
John Paul II, 1998
Encyclical
“Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the conte...”
Veritatis Splendor
John Paul II, 1993
Encyclical
“No one can escape from the fundamental questions: What must I do? How do I disti...”
Humanae Vitae
Paul VI, 1968
Encyclical
“The Church, calling men back to the observance of the norms of the natural law, ...”
Rerum Novarum
Leo XIII, 1891
Encyclical
“Some opportune remedy must be found quickly for the misery and wretchedness pres...”
Pacem in Terris
John XXIII, 1963
Encyclical
“Peace on Earth, which all men of every era have most eagerly yearned for, can be...”
Redemptor Hominis
John Paul II, 1979
Encyclical
“The Redeemer of the world! In him has been revealed in a new and more wonderful ...”
Salvifici Doloris
John Paul II, 1984
Apostolic Letter
“In itself human suffering constitutes as it were a specific "world" which exists...”
Christifideles Laici
John Paul II, 1988
Apostolic Exhortation
“The lay faithful, precisely because they are members of the Church, have the voc...”
Ecclesia de Eucharistia
John Paul II, 2003
Encyclical
“The Church draws her life from the Eucharist. This truth does not simply express...”
Dives in Misericordia
John Paul II, 1980
Encyclical
“The present-day mentality, more perhaps than that of people in the past, seems o...”
Centesimus Annus
John Paul II, 1991
Encyclical
“The fundamental error of socialism is anthropological in nature. Socialism consi...”
Redemptoris Missio
John Paul II, 1990
Encyclical
“The mission of Christ the Redeemer, which is entrusted to the Church, is still v...”
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