On October 24, 2024, Pope Francis will publish Dilexit nos (“He loved us,” in Latin), the fourth encyclical of his pontificate. The subject will be “human love and the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ.”
Let's take a look back at the Argentine pontiff's three previous encyclicals: Lumen fidei (2013), Laudato si' (2015) and Fratelli tutti (2020).
The kind of document called an “encyclical” was formalized in the 18th century. It refers to a letter addressed by the pope to the bishops, the faithful of the Catholic Church, and sometimes also “to people of good will.” From a magisterial point of view, it’s more important than an apostolic exhortation, which is itself more important than an apostolic letter. In this context it’s enlightening to review what subjects Pope Francis has chosen to address in this special format.
"Lumen fidei," written with Benedict XVI
To complete his series of encyclicals devoted to the three theological virtues (faith, hope and charity), Benedict XVI had made significant progress on the drafting of an encyclical on faith. However, he didn't have time to publish it before relinquishing the Throne of Peter in February 2013.
After his election, Pope Francis decided to take up his predecessor's work and complete it. He published Lumen fidei (The Light of Faith) on July 5, 2013. In so doing, he demonstrated his desire to fully assume the legacy of Benedict XVI.
Lumen fidei is intended to emphasize that faith is not “the illusion of light, an illusion which blocks the path of a liberated humanity to its future.” On the contrary, it’s “a light” that can “enlighten the present.” It does not distance us from the world, insists Pope Francis, for faith “does not (...) prove irrelevant to the concrete concerns of the men and women of our time.”
The main thrusts of Francis' pontificate emerge as he writes that the “history of faith has been from the beginning a history of brotherhood,” and that faith “enables us to respect nature all the more, and to discern in it a grammar written by the hand of God.”
"Laudato si'," the Pope's green encyclical
Rarely has an encyclical been as far-reaching as Laudato si', Pope Francis' 2015 text on integral ecology. It is inspired by St. Francis' Canticle of the Sun, from which he borrows the first line for the title Laudato si', (meaning “Praised be”). With this document, the Pope establishes himself as one of the great voices in favor of “care for our common home” (the subtitle of the encyclical). The publication of the encyclical just a few months before COP21 in Paris gaves it unprecedented political and media impact.
In this text, the Pope draws on expert reports, notably those of the IPCC, to denounce the ills from which the Earth is suffering as a result of the ecological crisis. He warns against a form of modern anthropocentrism fueled by a “dominant technocratic paradigm” which he sees as the main source of the crisis.
In contrast to this predicted decline, Pope Francis proposes an “integral ecology.” By this he means a vision of ecology that integrates all dimensions of life. In a world where “everything is interconnected,” it is counterproductive, he insists, to separate scientific or political ecology from the human and social dimensions. This text, with its particularly strong social overtones, calls for a wide-ranging ecological dialogue at all levels. This also requires a personal conversion to a more responsible way of life.
"Fratelli tutti," a universal manual of fraternity
Inspired once again by St. Francis of Assisi, the encyclical Fratelli tutti was published in the particular context of the COVID-19 pandemic. This crisis awakened “the sense that we are a global community, all in the same boat,” he writes. In this document, which summarizes the main principles of his pontificate focused on the “peripheries” and the “marginalized,” the Pope invites all people of good will, Christian and non-Christian alike, to cultivate “social friendship.”
In this text, the Pope develops his reflections on today’s “throwaway culture” and the attacks on human dignity that are all too common in today's world. He reminds us, for example, that migrants must be welcomed, protected, promoted, and integrated.
On the subject of interreligious dialogue, the Pope explains that the encyclical was also inspired by the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed Al Tayyeb. He reiterates his call for all religions to condemn violence committed in their name.
Pope Francis also makes a number of appeals in this resolutely social encyclical. He calls for a universal ban on the death penalty and nuclear weapons. The Pope also considers that it has become “very difficult today” to defend the principle of “just war.” He echoes the words of his predecessor Paul VI, speaking at the United Nations in 1965: “Never again war!
