According to Catholicism, are encyclicals considered infallible?
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**Does the Catholic Church consider all encyclicals infallible?**
> Although the term "encyclical" originally simply meant a circulating letter, it acquired a more specific meaning within the context of the Catholic Church. In 1740, Pope Benedict XIV wrote a letter titled *Ubi primum*, which is generally regarded as the first encyclical. The term is now used almost exclusively for a kind of letter sent out by the pope.
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> For the modern Roman Catholic Church, a papal encyclical is a specific category of papal document, a kind of pastoral letter concerning Catholic doctrine, sent by the pope and usually addressed especially to patriarchs, primates, archbishops and bishops who are in communion with the Holy See. The form of the address can vary widely and may concern bishops in a particular area, or designate a wider audience. Papal encyclicals usually take the form of a papal brief because of their more personal nature as opposed to the formal papal bull. They are usually written in Latin, and like most papal documents the title of the encyclical is usually taken from its first few words (its incipit). - [Encyclical](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encyclical)
Asked by Ken Graham
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Apr 14, 2023, 02:56 PM
Last activity: Apr 14, 2023, 03:48 PM
Last activity: Apr 14, 2023, 03:48 PM