Today is the 58th anniversary of Pacem in Terris.

The Papal Encyclical, Pacem in Terris, published on April 11^th, 1963, focuses on issues of peace in a nuclear age. Pacem in Terris was the first time a major Catholic Social Teaching document was addressed not just to Catholics but to all people of good will. It was also the first time a social encyclical used the language of ‘signs of the times’. This indicates the beginning of a shift in the theological methodology of the teachings. Pacem in Terris is also notable for its detailed reflection on human rights. It remains one of the most extensive listing and affirmations of human rights in Catholic Social Teaching.
 

Adapted from Australian Bishops Conference,
Office for Social Justice
^{‘Social Justice Trends’ March 2021}
 

Click here to read the Papal Encyclical: Pacem in Terris
 

For further action following the themes of Pacem in Terris,
you may go to the website of the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative, a project of Pax Christi International.