Pacem in terris () is a papal encyclical issued by Pope John XXIII on 11 April 1963, on the rights and obligations of people and their states, as well as proper interstate relations. It emphasizes human dignity and human equality in endorsing women's rights, nuclear nonproliferation and the United Nations.

It was the last encyclical drafted by the pope, who was diagnosed with cancer in September 1962 and died two months after its completion. Biographer Peter Hebblethwaite called it his "last will and testament". Published on Holy Thursday, John called it his Easter gift.

Due to its importance and popularity, Pacem in terris is held in the UN archives.

Title

The full title of the encyclical is On Establishing Universal Peace in Truth, Justice, Charity and Liberty. The short title Pacem in terris is derived from the opening words of the encyclical, as is customary with papal documents:

:Pacem in terris, quam homines universi cupidissime quovis tempore appetiverunt, condi confirmarique non posse constat, nisi ordine, quem Deus constituit, sancte servato.

:("Peace on earth, for which all men of every era have most eagerly yearned, cannot be firmly established unless the order which God laid down is dutifully observed.")

History

thumb|West German Stamp 1969

Pacem in terris was the first encyclical that a pope addressed to "all men of good will", rather than only to Catholics, quoting the phrase to God as said by the heavenly army above the manger of Bethlehem (Latin Vulgate: in terra pax in hominibus bonae voluntatis, Luke ; English translation: ). Learned Hand Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, Mary Ann Glendon, interprets this to mean, "He was insisting that the responsibility for setting conditions for peace does not just belong to the great and powerful of the world—it belongs to each and every one of us." In theological terms, it marked a major shift in papal teaching from reliance on classical scholastic categories of natural law to a more inductive approach based on the signs of the times. the document also reflected the Pope's experience of 1960 in trying to resolve difficulties arising out of the four-power occupation of Berlin. The "peace encyclical" was issued only two years after the erection of the Berlin Wall. It also draws on Pope John's reading of Saint Augustines The City of God and Thomas Aquinas' view of Eternal Law. In this it echoes the Gospel's core values and principles of patristic and medieval thought, while reflecting the historical period in which it was written.

Sociologist Monsignor Pietro Pavan and a small group of theologians helped draft it. In Pavan's view Pacem in terris would present the teachings of Leo XIII on the eternal law, "in light of the changing tides of history, and allow them to resonate with a much wider audience". The Washington Post said, "Pacem in terris is not just the voice of an old priest, nor just that of an ancient Church; it is the voice of the conscience of the world." It also influenced the 1965 Declaration on Religious Freedom (Dignitatis humanae).

During an event held on 6 May 2019, in Bulgaria, where John XXIII had gained a reputation for protecting Jews when serving as the country's Vatican representative,

See also

  • List of encyclicals of Pope John XXIII
  • Pacem in Terris Award
  • Tranquillitas ordinis
  • Universal Declaration of Human Rights

References

Further reading

  • Hollenbach, David. "Pacem in Terris and human rights." Journal of Catholic Social Thought 10.1 (2013): 5–15. https://doi.org/10.5840/jcathsoc20131012
  • English text
  • Original Latin text
  • "What we are for", Time Magazine, 1963.
  • Pacem in Terris
  • "An Appeal to the Heart of Humanity", Montreal Gazette, April 13, 1963