Apostolic exhortation

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An apostolic exhortation is a magisterial document written by the pope. Some experts regard it as third in importance among papal documents, after apostolic constitutions and encyclicals. [1] Exhortations generally encourage a particular virtue or activity. Apostolic exhortations are frequently issued following a Synod of Bishops, in which case they are known as post-synodal apostolic exhortations. They do not define Church doctrine and are not considered legislative. [2]

Contents

Examples of apostolic exhortations

Pope Pius XII

Pope Paul VI

Pope John Paul II

Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Francis

At the conclusion of the Sixteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (the "Synod on Synodality") in October 2024, Pope Francis said that he would not be issuing an apostolic exhortation to commend the synod's conclusions to the Church and wider world, stating that the Synodal Document itself was sufficient for this purpose. [8]

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Evangelii nuntiandi is an apostolic exhortation issued on 8 December 1975 by Pope Paul VI on the theme of Catholic evangelization. The title, taken from the opening words of the original Latin text, means "in proclaiming the Gospel". It affirms the role of every Christian, not only ordained ministers, priests, and deacons, or religious, or professional church staff, in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Catechesi tradendae is a post-synodal apostolic exhortation of Pope John Paul II, published October 16, 1979, on the topic of catechesis in the contemporary period.

In the Catholic Church, the Synod of Bishops, considered as an advisory body for the pope, is one of the ways in which the bishops render cooperative assistance to him in exercising his office. It is described in the 1983 Code of Canon Law as "a group of bishops who have been chosen from different regions of the world and meet at fixed times to foster closer unity between the Roman Pontiff and bishops, to assist the Roman Pontiff with their counsel in the preservation and growth of faith and morals and in the observance and strengthening of ecclesiastical discipline, and to consider questions pertaining to the activity of the Church in the world."

The new evangelization is the particular process by which baptized members of the Catholic Church express the general Christian call to evangelization.

Evangelii gaudium is a 2013 apostolic exhortation by Pope Francis "On the proclamation of the Gospel in today's world". In its opening paragraph, Pope Francis urged the entire Church "to embark on a new chapter of evangelism". According to the exhortation, the Church must understand itself as a community of missionary disciples, who are "permanently in a state of mission".

Amoris laetitia is a post-synodal apostolic exhortation by Pope Francis addressing the pastoral care of families. Dated 19 March 2016, it was released on 8 April 2016. It follows the Synods on the Family held in 2014 and 2015.

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The 15th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, commonly referred to as the Synod on Young People, is a Roman Catholic synod that took place 3–28 October 2018 and had as its theme "Young People, Faith, and Vocational Discernment". Its aim was to "accompany young people on their way of life towards maturity so that, through a process of discernment, they can discover their life project and realize it with joy, opening the encounter with God and with men, and actively participating in the building up of the Church and society".

The Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon region, commonly referred to as the Amazon synod, met in Rome from 6 to 27 October 2019. Pope Francis announced on 15 October 2017 that a special assembly of the Synod of Bishops would work "to identify new paths for the evangelization of God's people in that region", specifically the indigenous peoples who are "often forgotten and without the prospect of a serene future".

Gaudete et exsultate is the third apostolic exhortation of Pope Francis, dated 19 March 2018 and published on 9 April 2018, subtitled "on the call to holiness in today's world". It addresses the universal call to holiness, with a focus "to repropose the call to holiness in a practical way for our own time".

Christus vivit is a post-synodal apostolic exhortation of Pope Francis, written in response to the Fifteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, on young people, faith and vocational discernment, held from 3 to 28 October 2018.

Ecclesia in Europa is a post-synodal apostolic exhortation written by Pope John Paul II, published on 28 June 2003. The exhortation follows up on the Special Assembly for Europe of the Synod of Bishops, which met during 1–23 October 1999. It addresses the Church in Europe.

Episcopalis communio is an apostolic constitution promulgated by Pope Francis on September 15, 2018. It takes note of the various organizations used during the previous Synod of Bishops, and defines that its final document "participates in the ordinary magisterium."

Querida Amazonia is a 2020 post-synodal apostolic exhortation of Pope Francis, written in response to the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon region held in Rome in October 2019. Focusing on the Amazon region of South America, it is addressed "to the people of God and to all persons of good will". The document is dated 2 February 2020, the liturgical feast of Candlemas, and was released by the Holy See Press Office at a press conference on 12 February.

Africae munus is the third post-synodal apostolic exhortation issued by Pope Benedict XVI. It was signed on 19 November 2011 in Benin.

Ecclesia in Medio Oriente is the fourth and last post-synodal apostolic exhortation issued by Pope Benedict XVI. It was signed on 14 September 2012 in Beirut, Lebanon.

Ecclesia in Oceania is a post-synodal apostolic exhortation written by Pope John Paul II, published on 22 November 2001. It follows the 1998 Special Assembly for Oceania of the Synod of Bishops.

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The 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, commonly referred to as the Synod on Synodality, was a Synod of Bishops of the Catholic Church which concluded 27 October 2024 and has as its theme "For a synodal Church: communion, participation and mission". It has been described as the culmination of Pope Francis's papacy and the most important event in the Church since the Second Vatican Council.

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Laudate Deum is an apostolic exhortation by Pope Francis, published on October 4, 2023. It was released on the 2023 Feast of St Francis Assisi as a follow-up to his 2015 encyclical Laudato si'. The text is about 8,000 words divided into 73 paragraphs.

References

  1. San Martín, Inés (6 April 2018). "A new 'apostolic exhortation' is coming. What is that, anyway?". cruxnow.com. Archived from the original on 2020-01-27. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  2. Song, Connie. "LibGuides: Catholicism - General Resources: Papal documents". library.athenaeum.edu. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  3. "Africae Munus: Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on the Church in Africa in Service to Reconciliation, Justice and Peace (19 November 2011) | BENEDICT XVI". Vatican.va. Retrieved 2015-09-03.
  4. "Loreto: Pope signs Apostolic Exhortation to young people - Vatican News". 25 March 2019.
  5. "Visit of the Holy Father Francis to Loreto".
  6. "Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of the Holy Father Francis, "Querida Amazonia"".
  7. Pope Francis (2023-10-04). "Laudate Deum". vatican.va. Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  8. Synodal Pathway for the Catholic Church in Ireland, Final Document from the Universal Synod Published, published on 29 October 2024, accessed on 26 November 2024