According to the English Dictionary, Collins Encyclical is an official letter written by the pope and sent to the Roman Catholic bishops in order to make a statement about the official teachings of the Church. This can be a message to bishops in a particular state, as well as in all countries of the world.
The origin and meaning of the term
The term itself appeared a long time ago and comes from the Greek word "circle" or "circular". Important letters of the pope were sent to the bishops and local churches, which were then copied and sent to others until the whole Church received the news.
The process required a lot of effort, so the encyclicals contained only vital information and were not issued regularly.
Today's encyclicals are immediately published on the Vatican website in many languages โโso that the whole world can read them. But the main audience is still the bishops and pastors of the world, as well as those who preach and defend the Catholic faith. They help to understand how to apply the teachings of scripture and the Catholic tradition, especially in the light of a particular problem.
Incentive for spiritual development
Encyclicals are not necessarily โinfallibleโ statements, although they may be so if dad wants to. This happens infrequently. But this does not mean that Catholics can ignore the encyclical if they do not like what it says. The encyclical of the pope is very important, it challenges, encouraging the spiritual growth of followers of the doctrine.
The Church has a tradition, especially in the last century, to write social encyclicals on the rights of workers or the development of people and cultures. Catholic social teaching is constantly evolving through observation and analysis. It directs in actions and reactions to the social problems of our ever-changing world.
Social Encyclicals
The beginning of the Catholic social doctrine can be traced back to 1891, when Pope Leo XIII wrote the encyclical Rerum Novarum. This document sets out some basic guidelines and Christian values โโthat influence how societies and countries act. It spoke of the right, for example, to work, own private property, receive fair wages and join workers' associations.
There is a list of encyclicals, which has become widely accepted, albeit an unofficial document, which is usually called "Catholic social doctrine."
Encyclicals offer important principles for believers that they should reflect on. That is why, both in the first and in the twenty-first century, whenever the pope wants to give guidance on a particular topic, he sends out messages from the whole Church.