Encyclicals

[Little_Boy_Lost]

Are the Patriarch’s or any other bishops for that matter, allowed to issue encyclicals for their faithful like the pope does? I am under the impression this was done in the pre-schism church.

Thanks!

 

[Phillip_Rolfes]

Are the Patriarch’s or any other bishops for that matter, allowed to issue encyclicals for their faithful like the pope does? I am under the impression this was done in the pre-schism church.

Thanks!

Patriarch Gregorios III has issued a number of Encyclicals, as has Patriarch Bartholomew I. Encyclicals are simply general letters of a bishop, metropolitan or patriarch to his faithful. They are not, strictly speaking, “binding” documents coming from the Pope.

 

[Little_Boy_Lost]

Where can I find Patriarch Gregory’s Encyclicals?

 

[Phillip_Rolfes]

Here is a link to one place where you can find a book of some of Patriarch Gregorios encyclicals/“pastoral letters”. The book is entitled “I Am with You Always” and is a little over half-way down the page. Directly beneath it is His Beatitude’s excellent book on the Divine Liturgy.

You might also check out byzcath.org. From time to time they post pastoral letters from our Patriarch.

secure.webvalence.com/ecommerce/kiosk.lasso?merchant=ecpubs&kiosk=books&class=ecp

 

[Wesley7]

I think you read Enyclicals as each Pope/Patriarch is dealing with the issues of the day.

 

[Evan]

Are the Patriarch’s or any other bishops for that matter, allowed to issue encyclicals for their faithful like the pope does? I am under the impression this was done in the pre-schism church.

Thanks!

I know the USCCB issues documents for all the faithful in the US. Similarly our bishop issues pastoral documents to our diocese. So I would assume other bishop conferences and bishops and patriarchs can do the same.

This all comes under the heading of the ordinary magisterium.