Encyclical

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Pronunciation: /ɛnˈsɪklɪkəl/

Definitions

1. A teaching document sent by the Pope addresses particular issues of faith and morality to guide the Catholic faithful in understanding Church teachings
2. A letter from the Pope that tackles specific theological topics aims to instruct and inform Catholics about essential moral and spiritual matters
3. A formal letter issued by the Pope that addresses crucial Church teachings, guiding the faithful on various theological and moral issues

Etymology: The word's core idea is "circular." In ancient Greek, "enkyklios" meant "circular" and also "general" or "all-round," as in the general education, or "enkyklios paideia," a circle of studies that everyone was expected to master. Its building blocks are "en," meaning "in," and "kyklos," meaning "circle," the same root behind "cycle" and "cyclone." Latin later borrowed it as "encyclicus," and English then added the adjective-forming suffix "-al." The modern sense comes from the idea of a letter meant to circulate widely. A document addressed to many readers at once was, in a sense, a circular letter, and the Church adopted the term for papal letters sent to bishops across the world. Over time, "encyclical" narrowed from a general quality of being all-round to this specific kind of formal Church document.

Synonyms: papal letter, pastoral letter, apostolic letter