Social Encyclicals

Pope Francis offers his newest encyclical, Fratelli tutti, as a vision for a post-pandemic world but his guidance is just as helpful for a nation grappling with one of the most difficult elections in its history.

When the pope publishes an encyclical, it is a newsworthy event anticipated by both Catholics and many non-Catholics. Encyclicals can be controversial – both within the Church and in the outside world – but they are almost always relevant, thought-provoking and challenging. What are papal encyclicals and what do they mean for Catholics?