They are somewhere in length between a newspaper column and a book. But papal encyclicals wield an outsize influence. Papal encyclicals have inspired revolutions, changed cultures, and helped topple ideologies and empires. Sometimes they meet with universal acclaim. Some arouse widespread disdain and dissent. Either way, when a pope issues his thoughts on an important matter of faith and morals, the world listens-even if it doesn’t always agree.
There are some encyclicals, in particular, that have left, it seems, an indelible impact on the world-whether the world of Catholicism, the broader Christian community, or beyond.