Save the Church: Home

An encyclical is the result of an immense amount of prayer, study, thought, reflection and consultation over a long period of time. Catholics – and many others – find them of great value in shedding light on and summarising issues of great complexity. Many return to encyclicals time and again to reflect on the insights which they contain.

These index pages include a listing of each Pope’s Encyclicals, Apostolic Letters, and other documents. An English translation of the Latin titles is also provided.

Catholic Social Teaching touches upon many different aspects of life, from the family to international development, how we think of those who are homeless to how we care for the environment, and from how we shop and consume to the rights of workers and the dignity of work. All the different areas that Catholic Social Teaching touches upon have developed from practical reflection on the realities of modern life in the light of the principles and themes of Catholic Social Teaching.

In this section, you can find a more detailed study of the six central themes of Catholic social teaching that are focused on in the website.

Catholic Social Teaching covers all spheres of life – the economic, political, personal and spiritual. With human dignity at its centre, a holistic approach to development founded on the principles of CST, is what Pope Paul VI called ‘authentic development’. Explore the Catholic Social Teaching principles and how they guide the work of Caritas Australia.

Church history is far more than just a collection of past events. It’s a powerful narrative of faith, perseverance, conflict, and transformation. The story of Christianity is built on key moments that have shaped not only the Church but also the world.

Next to the Apostle Paul, Augustine is probably the most influential theologian for western Christians.

The Catholic Church was the single most powerful institution in medieval Europe. From the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century until the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, the Church dominated nearly every aspect of European society. It shaped politics, economics, education, art, and everyday life for centuries.