APOSTOLIC LETTER
MULIERIS DIGNITATEM
OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF
JOHN PAUL II
ON THE
DIGNITY AND VOCATION
OF WOMEN
ON THE OCCASION
OF THE MARIAN YEAR

Venerable Brothers and dear Sons and Daughters,
Health and the Apostolic Blessing.

I

INTRODUCTION

A sign of the times

1. THE DIGNITY AND THE VOCATION OF WOMEN - a subject of constant human and Christian reflection - have gained exceptional prominence in recent years. This can be seen, for example, in the statements of the Church's Magisterium present in various documents of the Second Vatican Council, which declares in its Closing Message: "The hour is coming, in fact has come, when the vocation of women is being acknowledged in its fullness, the hour in which women acquire in the world an influence, an effect and a power never hitherto achieved. That is why, at his moment when the human race is undergoing so deep a transformation, women imbued with a spirit of the Gospel can do so much to aid humanity in not falling".1 This Message sums up what had already been expressed in the Council's teaching, specifically in the Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes2 and in the Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity Apostolicam Actuositatem.3

APOSTOLIC LETTER
DILECTI AMICI
OF POPE
JOHN PAUL II
TO THE YOUTH OF THE WORLD
ON THE OCCASION OF INTERNATIONAL YOUTH YEAR

Dear Friends,

Good wishes for International Youth Year

1. "Always be prepared to make a defence to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you".(1)

CARTA APOSTÓLICA
REDEMPTIONIS ANNO
DEL SUMO PONTÍFICE
JUAN PABLO II
SOBRE LA CIUDAD DE JERUSALÉN

A los obispos,
sacerdotes,
familias religiosas y fieles de toda la Iglesia católica
sobre la ciudad de Jerusalén,
patrimonio sagrado de todos los creyentes
y deseada encrucijada de paz
para los pueblos del Oriente Medio

Venerables hermanos y queridos hijos, salud y bendición apostólica:

El Año Jubilar de la Redención se concluye y, mientras tanto, mi pensamiento se dirige a la tierra privilegiada, situada en el punto de confluencia de Europa, Asia y África, donde se realizó la redención del género humano "una vez para siempre" (cf. Rom 6, 10; Heb 7, 27; 9, 12; 10, 10).

GIOVANNI PAOLO II

CHIROGRAFO

LE SOLLECITUDINI CRESCENTI

Al Nostro Venerato Fratello Agostino Casaroli
Cardinale Segretario di Stato

Le sollecitudini crescenti per la cura della Chiesa universale Ci suggeriscono di costituirCi sempre più validi ausili nell’espletamento della Nostra missione e per tanto, Signor Cardinale, tenuto conto di quanto disposto dalla Costituzione Apostolica “Regimini Ecclesiae” al n. 25, dopo matura riflessione, abbiamo stabilito di conferire a Lei, come di fatto Le conferiamo nella sua qualità di Nostro Segretario di Stato, alto e speciale mandato a rappresentarCi nel governo civile dello Stato della Città del Vaticano e ad esercitare, in Nostro nome ed in Nostra vece, - sempre riferendo a Noi, specialmente nei casi di particolare importanza - i poteri e le responsabilità inerenti alla Nostra sovranità temporale sul medesimo Stato, dal quale è garantita l’indipendenza da ogni potestà terrena di questa Sede Apostolica Romana che la Provvidenza Ci ha chiamato a reggere.

APOSTOLIC LETTER
SALVIFICI DOLORIS
OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF
JOHN PAUL II
TO THE BISHOPS, TO THE PRIESTS,
TO THE RELIGIOUS FAMILIES
AND TO THE FAITHFUL
OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
ON THE CHRISTIAN MEANING
OF HUMAN SUFFERING

Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate and dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

I

INTRODUCTION

1. Declaring the power of salvific suffering, the Apostle Paul says: "In my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the Church"(1).

«Aperite portas Redemptori»

BULA DE CONVOCACIÓN
DEL JUBILEO
PARA EL 150 ANIVERSARIO
DE LA REDENCIÓN

JUAN PABLO OBISPO

SIERVO DE LOS SIERVOS DE DIOS
A TODOS LOS FIELES DEL MUNDO CATÓLICO:
SALUD Y BENDICIÓN APOSTÓLICA

1. « ABRID LAS PUERTAS AL REDENTOR ». He aquí la llamada que, en la perspectiva del Año jubilar de la Redención, dirijo a toda la Iglesia, renovando la invitación hecha a los pocos días de mi elección a la Cátedra de Pedro. Desde aquel instante, mis sentimientos y mi pensamiento se han orientado más que nunca a Cristo Redentor, a su misterio pascual, vértice de la Revelación divina y actuación suprema de la misericordia de Dios para con los hombres de todos los tiempos[1].

APOSTOLIC LETTER
A CONCILIO CONSTANTINOPOLITANO I
OF HIS HOLINESS
JOHN PAUL II
TO THE BISHOPS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
FOR THE 1600TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST COUNCIL OF
CONSTANTINOPLE AND THE 1550TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE
COUNCIL OF EPHESUS

My dear brothers in the Episcopate,

I.

1. I am impelled to write you this letter-which is both a theological reflection and a pastoral invitation coming from the depths of my heart-first of all, by the Sixteenth Centenary of the First Council of Constantinople, which was held in the year 381. As I pointed out at the beginning of the new year in St. Peter's Basilica, "after the Council of Nicaea this was the second Ecumenical Council of the Church.... To it we owe the Credo that is constantly recited in the Liturgy. A particular heritage of that Council is the doctrine on the Holy Spirit, thus proclaimed in the Latin Liturgy: Credo in Spiritum Sanctum, Dominum et vivificantem. :. qui cum Patre et Filio simul adoratur et conglorificatur, qui locutus est per prophetas."(1)

LETTER
DOMINICAE CENAE
OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF
JOHN PAUL II
TO ALL THE BISHOPS OF THE CHURCH
ON THE MYSTERY AND WORSHIP
OF THE EUCHARIST

My venerable and dear brothers,

1. Again this year, for Holy Thursday, I am writing a letter to all of you. This letter has an immediate connection with the one which you received last year on the same occasion, together with the letter to the priests. I wish in the first place to thank you cordially for having accepted my previous letters with that spirit of unity which the Lord established between us, and also for having transmitted to your priests the thoughts that I desired to express at the beginning of my pontificate.