Church Documents: Morality

This is a collection of links to English translations of Church documents relating to morality found on-line. It is part of my Church Documents project.

Nota Bene: I realize Bioethics and Sexual Ethics are related and often intertwined, especially in regards to abortion and contraception. I tried to separate these documents as best as I could, and many are under both headings, but the division is not perfect. Also, documents dealing with homosexuality (even just the political ramifications of it) are under Sexual Ethics.  On another note, documents dealing with morality on a broader, more societal scale can be found under Social Doctrine.

Bioethics

11/29/1588: Effraenatam by Pope Sixtus V
Apostolic Constitution: Against Abortionists

7/25/1968: Humanae Vitae by Pope Paul VI
Encyclical: On the Regulation of Birth

11/18/1974: Quaestio de Abortu by the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Declaration: On Procured Abortion

5/5/1980: Iura et Bona by the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Declaration: On Euthanasia

2/22/1987: Donum Vitae by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Instruction: On Respect for Human Life in Its Origin and on the Dignity of Procreation

3/25/1995: Evangelium Vitae by Pope Bl. John Paul II
Encyclical: On the Value and Inviolability of Human Life

9/8/2008: Dignitatis Personae by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Instruction: On Certain Bioethical Questions

Christian Life

12/25/1888: Exeunte Iam Anno by Pope Leo XIII
Encyclical: On the Right Ordering of Christian Life

2/11/1984: Salvifici Doloris by Pope Bl. John Paul II
Apostolic Letter: On the Christian Meaning of Human Suffering

10/15/1989: Orationis Formas by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Letter: On Some Aspects of Christian Meditation

5/31/1998: Dies Domini by Pope Bl. John Paul II
Apostolic Letter: On Keeping the Lord's Day Holy

7/14/2000: Ardens Felicitatis by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Instruction: On Prayers of Healing

Fasting/Penance

12/20/1759: Appetente Sacro by Pope Clement XIII
Encyclical: On the Spiritual Advantages of Fasting

7/1/1962: Paenitentiam Agere by Pope Bl. John XXIII
Encyclical: On the Need for the Practice of Interior and Exterior Penance

2/17/1966: Paneitemini by Pope Paul VI
Apostolic Constitution: On Fast and Abstinence12/2/1984: Reconciliatio et Paenitentia by Pope Bl. John Paul II
Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation: On Reconciliation and Penance in the Mission of the Church Today

Other

9/12/1891: Pastoralis officii by Pope Leo XIII
Encyclical: On the Morality of Dueling

8/6/1993: Veritatis Splendor by Pope Bl. John Paul II
Encyclical: The Splendor of Truth

2/2/1994: Gratissimam Sane by Pope Bl. John Paul II
Letter: Letter to Families

4/23/1999: Letter to Artists by Pope Bl. John Paul II
11/24/2002: Participation of Catholics in Political Life by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

5/31/2004: On the Collaboration of Men and Women in the Church and in the World by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

Sexual Ethics

3/16/1962: Crimen Sollicitationis by the Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office
Instruction: On the Manner of Proceeding in Cases of Solicitation

7/25/1968: Humanae Vitae by Pope Paul VI
Encyclical: On the Regulation of Birth12/29/1975: Persona Humana by the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Declaration: On Certain Questions Concerning Sexual Ethics

10/1/1986: Homosexualitatis Problema by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Letter: On the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons

2/22/1987: Donum Vitae by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Instruction: On Respect for Human Life in Its Origin and on the Dignity of Procreation

7/22/1992: Some Considerations Concerning the Response to Legislative Proposals on the Non-Discrimination of Homosexual Persons by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

6/3/2003: Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions Between Homosexual Persons by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

5/3/2011: Circular Letter to Assist Episcopal Conferences in Developing Guidelines by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Circular Letter: For Dealing with Cases of Sexual Abuse of Minors Perpetrated by Clerics

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How to Discuss the Eastern Church: A Grammatical Primer

Image
"To count the terms used in theology as of primary importance, and to endeavor to trace out the hidden meaning in every phrase and in every syllable, is a characteristic wanting in those who are idle in the pursuit of true religion, but distinguishing all who get knowledge of the mark of our calling...The beginning of teaching is speech." --St. Basil the Great, On the Holy Spirit I.2 I've often written here of the need to reclaim the Church's bipulmonary nature, that is, the fact that she has two lungs, as Pope Bl. John Paul II loved to say, the West and the East.  I've recently realized that just having people mention the Eastern Church is not enough (though it is certainly a great start): people must also know what they're talking about in regards to Eastern Christianity.  One of the greatest aspects that needs to be cleared up is simply the matter of terminology.  Thus I here attempt to give a quick grammatical primer on terms that are often ...
Read more

St. Gregory Palamas on the Graven Images

Image
"You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God" (Ex 20:4-5a). God's forbidding of graven images is a part of the Decalogue (the Ten Commandments) that I do not hear mentioned often among Catholics. Since the Decalogue does not have a strict division in the Scriptures themselves, there are multiple ways to divide them. The division commonly used by the Orthodox and most Protestants lists "I am the Lord your God; you shall have no other gods before Me" and "You shall not make for yourself a graven image" as two separate commandments, while combining "You shall not covet your neighbor's goods" and "You shall not covet your neighbor's wife" into one commandment. The division commonly used by Catholics and ma...
Read more

Franciscan Fasting

Image
 "Induebar cilicio, humiliabam in ieiunio animam meam, et oratio mea ad sinum meum revertetur." "I wore sackcloth, I afflicted myself with fasting.  I prayed with head bowed on my bosom."--Ps 35:13. No Christian life is without suffering, for Christ suffered.  Even the most joyful Christian recognizes the necessity of suffering, whether voluntary or no.  The Seraphic Father, St. Francis of Assisi, was no different in this regard.  Yet so many portray him as solely a lover of God's creation (which he most assuredly was).  How many know of his tears, his tears so plentiful that they ran furrows in his cheeks, that they took away his sight?  Who knows of his public self-deprecation when he took a spoonful of meat broth while fasting?  Who knows of his flight into a thorn bush to conquer the passions of the flesh? St. Francis was not just a man of joy who loved God's creation, but he was a man who suffered for the Lord, who mortified hi...
Read more