A papal conclave is a gathering of the College of Cardinals convened to elect a bishop of Rome, also known as the pope. The pope is considered by Catholics to be the apostolic successor of Saint Peter and earthly head of the Catholic Church.
An apostolic constitution is the most solemn form of legislation issued by the Pope. The use of the term constitution comes from Latin constitutio, which referred to any important law issued by the Roman emperor, and is retained in church documents because of the inheritance that the canon law of the Roman Catholic Church received from Roman law.
Romano Pontifici eligendo was the apostolic constitution governing the election of popes that was promulgated by Pope Paul VI on 1 October 1975. It instituted a number of far-reaching reforms in the process of electing popes. It set the maximum number of electors at 120 and restated in a more formal context the rule he had already instituted that cardinals over the age of 80 not participate in electing a pope.
Familiaris consortio is a post-synodal apostolic exhortation written by Pope John Paul II and promulgated on 22 November 1981.
Ecclesia in Asia is an apostolic exhortation issued by Pope John Paul II to serve as a blueprint for the expansion of the Roman Catholic faith in Asia. It summarises ideas and conclusions of the Special Asian Synod held in Rome from April 18 to May 14, 1998. It was officially promulgated by John Paul II in New Delhi, India on November 6, 1999.
The Pope John Paul II bibliography contains a list of works by Pope John Paul II, and works about his life and theology. Pope John Paul II reigned as pope of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City for 26 years and six months. Works written and published prior to his election to the papacy are attributed to Karol Wojtyła. Additional resources can be found on the Vatican website.
An apostolic exhortation is a magisterial document written by the pope. It is considered third in importance, after apostolic constitutions and encyclicals. 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.
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 Code of Canon Law (CIC) as "a group of bishops who have been chosen from different regions of the world and meet together 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.
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.
The 15th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops was 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".
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.
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.
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.
Une espérance nouvelle pour le Liban is a post-synodal apostolic exhortation written by Pope John Paul II, signed on 10 May 1997 in Harissa-Daraoun, Lebanon. It came as the result of a synod of Lebanese Catholic bishops in Rome in November–December 1995.
Redemptionis donum is a post-synodal apostolic exhortation of Pope John Paul II, signed on 25 March 1984.
Ecclesia in Africa is a post-synodal apostolic exhortation written by Pope John Paul II, published on 14 September 1995. It follows the 1994 Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops which was held in Rome.
