Roman and Eastern Catholic documents / Documents catholiques romains et orientaux

Catholic documents

Papal documents
- Francis
- Benedict XVI
- John Paul II
- Paul VI
- John XXIII
- Pius XII
- Pius XI
- Benedict XV
- Pius X
- Leo XIII
- Pius IX
- Gregory XVI
- Paul III

Vatican Curia

Bishops & bishops' conferences

Other
- Catholic Archives
- Second Vatican Council
- Other Catholic documents
- Originsonline.com: The Catholic News Service documentary service

Ecumenical documents

Church documents

Additional documents

Documents œcuméniques

Documents ecclésiaux

Documents additionnelles

Roman Catholic texts have varying levels of authority. Conciliar documents are produced by the "ecumenical councils", such as Vatican II. They have the highest authority after Scripture itself. Papal documents are far more common than those of ecumenical councils, and are considered the most authoritative of the regular teaching instruments of Roman Catholicism. Other papal texts, curial documents, and the documents of the individual bishops and bishops' conferences have a lesser authority. An interesting question that has arisen from the ecumenical movement is the authority of agreed statements and common declarations arising from ecumenical dialogues. This is a matter which will remain undetermined for some time yet.

Catholic Archives

The following sites have a substantial archive of official documents. The links below, generally, draw from these archives. Although these archives can generally be trusted, care should be taken to ensure that the documents are translated accurately.

American University Documents Archive
Catholic Information Network (CIN)
Christus Rex
Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN)
New Advent
Originsonline.com
The Catholic News Service (CNS) documentary service. CNS is a service of the US National Conference of Catholic Bishops and the United States Catholic Conference.
Roman Catholic Text Archive at ChurchNet UK
The Vatican (The Holy See)
The Vatican website contains an extensive archive of documents from popes, councils, and the curia. In addition, there are news services and information about the Vatican Museums, Library, and Secret Archive.

Bishops and bishops' conferences

In the years since the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), a new instrument of the church's magisterium (teaching office) has become important: the bishops' conference. This has led to some struggle for local authority and independence. The catch-phrases that reflect a decentralizing ethos are: "collegiality" and "subsidiarity".

Canada

Bishops of Alberta

Catholic Education Sunday (November 2, 2008)
The role of the teacher in Catholic School (January 29, 2007)
It all starts with faith – Catholic Education Sunday (November 6, 2006)
The parent and the Catholic school (January 30, 2006)
Alberta bishops' message for Catholic Education Sunday (November 7, 2005)
Alberta bishops support Catholic education (November 1, 2004)
Catholic education an enduring gift (November 3, 2003)
Alberta bishops extol Catholic Education (November 4, 2002)
Alberta bishops issue challenge over shared school facilities (September 16, 2002)
A century of Alberta Catholic school rights (November 5, 2001)
Our schools a sacred trust - Alberta Bishops (November 6, 2000)
The Healing Ministry of Jesus Christ (February 21, 2000)
Catholic Education Sunday (November 8, 1999)
Celebrate Life: Care for Creation (October 5, 1998)
The False Eden of Gambling (January 12, 1998)
I Set Before You Life and Death: Choose Life (April 7, 1997)

Bishop Luc Bouchard (Diocese of St. Paul) Most Rev. Luc Bouchard, bishop of St. Paul, Alberta

The Integrity of Creation and the Athabasca Oil Sands (January 25, 2009)
Roman Synod - The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church (September, 2008)
A Little Catechism on Gambling (June 27, 2008)
On Gambling (Ash Wednesday, February 21, 2007)
Restoration of the Order of the Sacraments of Christian Initiation (December 27, 2006)
On the 1st Ad Limina Visit (September 26, 2006)
On the Role of Parents, Schools and Parishes in the Faith Formation of Children (May 1, 2005)
On the Shortage of Priests in the Diocese of Saint Paul (September 1, 2004)
On the Restoration of the Permanent Diaconate in the Diocese of Saint Paul (November 1, 2003)

Archbishop Thomas Collins (Archdiocese of Edmonton)
Note: Archbishop Collins is now the Archbishop of Toronto. The following were all written during his tenure as Archbishop of Edmonton.

Church celebrates Real Presence (June 12, 2005)
Celibacy can be lived with joy (February 6, 2005)
Some Reflections on the Current Discussion of Marriage (January 17, 2005)
A pastoral letter on Stewardship (December 27, 2004)
CWL builds parishes' community (October 18, 2004)
Sanctity of Life Sunday (October 4, 2004)
Faith and the federal election (June 21, 2004)
Knights of Columbus lauded for turning away from gambling (May 24, 2004)
Pastoral service to the Archdiocese (April 5, 2004)
Archdiocese reorganizes Pastoral Centre (February 23, 2004)
Vocations: The Adventure of a call from Jesus (February 9, 2004)
A pastoral letter on the sacrament of Penance (January 26, 2004)
Reflections on Stewardship (2004)
On the Diaconate (2003)
Lenten Reflections: On the Sacrament of Reconciliation (2003)
Catholics have a right to priests of integrity (May 6, 2002)
Reflections on ecumenical marriages (April 16, 2001)
A Catholic role in the election (February 19, 2001)
Pastoral letter on the Eucharist (September 10, 2000)
Reflecting on the life of prayer (Lent 1999)

Archbishop Arthé Guimond (emeritus, Archdiocese of Grouard-McLennan)

Centre pastoral work on Christ (2001)

Bishop Fred Henry (Diocese of Calgary)

Examine God's work and grace in your daily life (02/16/2009)
Vote to allow the least harm to human life (11/24/2008)
Human Rights Act foils reasoned debate (06/23/2008)
Animals are God’s creatures and merit our stewardship (04/28/2008)
Media spin on sin has bishop bemused (03/24/2008)
Courage of Burmese monks was bishop's top story of 2007 (01/14/2008)
Homelessness is not a one-size-fits all dilemma (11/19/2007)
De facto unions not equivalent to marriage (10/01/2007)
Calgary mining firm wrecks havoc in the Philippines (09/10/2007)
Doctrine document sparks controversy (08/27/2007)
Mentally ill need Multi-faceted strategy (05/14/2007)
Today's youth gamble on the future (03/30/2007)
Pastoral letter decries cellphone pornography (02/26/2007)
How can we best 'vaccinate' children against STDs? (02/19/2007)
Behold the lilies of the fields (01/22/2007)
Killing Saddam violated God's law (01/22/2007)
Ask Canadians what they think about same-sex marriage (11/20/2006)
Rampaging violence underlines the need for peaceful dialogue (10/09/2006)
Violence comes in a multitude of guises (09/18/2006)
Rights of child in family must be studied (06/19/2006)
Media kisses reinvented Judas (05/15/2006)
Remember our shared heritage (05/01/2006)
Consider Henry's 'fourth way' (03/13/2006)
'Amen' to 'God bless Canada' (02/13/2006)
Beware the futile search for perfect sex (01/16/2006)
The haunting story of Africa's Ruth (11/28/2005)
Treat packing plant workers with justice (11/07/2005)
Kill this bill, not the dying (10/24/2005)
Courts silence parents voices (09/26/2005)
The inclintation versus the act (09/12/2005)
Pray, read, withdraw, be silent (08/22/2005)
It's about children, stupid (07/14/2005)
'I was hungry and you fed me' (04/25/2005)
Embrace intimacy in your life - within God's guidelines (03/14/2005)
Freedom of Religion? Really? (02/21/2005)
Troubled by same sex marriage? (01/17/2005)
Iraq bleeds U.S. military strength (12/13/2004)
Open Canada's doors to Iraqis (11/22/2004)
Invest in the poor, Mr. Klein (10/25/2004)
Advice for the Alberta Advantage (09/27/2004)
God's grace — the ticket to heaven (09/20/2004)
You are the king's sons, daughters (09/13/2004)
Bishop Henry's letter on Prime Minister Martin (06/14/2004)
No communion for John Kerry (05/24/2004)
'Let there be dialogue' -- Vatican II (04/26/2004)
All the good guys were Jews (03/15/2004)
Let all of us worship God freely (03/01/2004)
A life with many expectations (02/09/2004)
'Who should pay?' asks bishop (02/02/2004)
We strike out in the charity game (12/22/2003)
Consider the homosexual dilemma (10/20/2003)
Ottawa plays smoke and mirrors (09/22/2003)
The Church still spawns saints (09/01/2003)
Morality does not fit in a box (08/25/2003)
Sexuality marks our persona (07/21/2003)
Make your Earth footprint gentle (07/14/2003)
Scream - before it's too late (05/19/2003)
Keep a civil tongue in your head (04/28/2003)
Iraq conflict demands action (04/07/2003)
Marriage = man and woman (03/03/2003)
TP3's tack on costs to facilities (02/17/2003)
Take the price tag off medicare (01/27/2003)
Meditation on the rosary clarifies our soul's true path (01/20/2003)
Meditation on the rosary clarifies our soul's true path (01/20/2003)
Mint cashes in on Christmas (12/23/2002)
Province perpetuates poverty (11/18/2002)
Facts wipe out Klein's claim (10/21/2002)
Stand up for lives of the unborn (09/23/2002)
Big business ethics in question (09/09/2002)
Court fails to understand marriage (07/22/2002)
Stop the stem cell research bill (05/20/2002)
Please don't separate Church, state (04/29/2002)
The injustice of Alberta's Bill 12 (04/08/2002)
Take the price tag off medicare (03/18/2002)
Children offer ways to peace (01/28/2002)
Whose birthday is it, anyway? (12/17/2001)
Suggestions for interfaith relations (11/19/2001)
Decent care for the elderly (10/22/2001)
Alternatives to killing embryos (09/10/2001)
A bishop's Labour Day reflection (08/27/2001)
Radical shift needed to stop AIDS (07/16/2001)
Spirituality shallow without religion (07/02/2001)
A few things Talisman overlooked (05/21/2001)
Life contrasted with depravity (04/30/2001)
Why we legislate morality (03/26/2001)
On 'pro-choice' Catholics (02/26/2001)
The Wise Men need the baby (12/25/2000)
Funeral - good TV but bad liturgy (10/30/2000)
The role of distraction in prayer (09/25/2000)
God is found amidst silence (08/28/2000)
Women face violence, poverty (08/21/2000)
The residential school crisis (06/05/2000)
In defence of the World March (05/22/2000)
More on why I oppose Bill 11 (04/24/2000)
Conrad Black and the Herald strike (04/03/2000)
Forgiveness can transform us (03/20/2000)
Repair the public health system (03/06/2000)
Money is an extension of the self (01/24/2000)
Solving the year 2000 problem (12/27/1999)
When brothers dwell in unity (11/15/1999)
'Let the children come to me' (10/25/1999)
A failure to deal with controversy (10/04/1999)
What am I working for? (08/23/1999)
Province squeezes disabled majority (06/28/1999);
Euphemisms hide hospital reality (05/24/1999)
Say 'No' to the madness (04/05/1999)
Political correctness replaces moral correctness (03/15/1999)
Value system out of whack (02/15/1999)

Archbishop Joseph MacNeil (emeritus, Archdiocese of Edmonton)
Archbishop MacNeil retired in 1998. His successor, Thomas Collins, was archbishop of Edmonton until his appointment to Toronto in 2006. Archbishop MacNeil is the emeritus archbishop of Edmonton.

Archbishop Richard Smith (Archdiocese of Edmonton)

Nothing More Beautiful... (May 12, 2008)

Bishops of Northern Canada

The Challenge of Family Healing. A statement to the families of the North
- English: Part One (October 1996); Part Two (February 1997); Part Three (July 1997)
- Français: première partie (Octobre 1996); deuxième partie (Février 1997); troisième partie (Juillet 1997)

Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

Catholics and Cremation: Some answers to questions regarding cremation and funerals (Episcopal Commission for Liturgy)
Catholic Funerals and Eulogies, the Pall and the Flag: Some helpful information for preparing a funeral liturgy (Episcopal Commission for Liturgy)
The Church and Social Communications (an Address by Rev. Pierre Babin, OMI to the 1999 Plenary Assembly of the Canadian Bishops)
Église et communications sociales en l'an 2000 (Allocution du P. Pierre Babin, o.m.i., aux évêques catholiques du Canada)
The Common Good or Exclusion: A Choice for Canadians (An Open Letter to the Members of Parliament from the Episcopal Commission for Social Affairs)
Communion from the Cup (Episcopal Commission for Liturgy)
Celiac Disease and Communion (Episcopal Commission for Liturgy)
The Celebration of Christmas Masses (Episcopal Commission for Liturgy)
Discerning Electoral Options (Episcopal Commission for Social Affairs)
Discerner en période électorale
The Information Highway (March 1995)
Muslim People and Institutions Must be Respected (Commission for Interfaith Dialogue)
Le peuple musulman et leurs institutions doivent être respectés
Preparing to celebrate Christmas (Episcopal Commission for Liturgy)
The Struggle Against Poverty: A Sign of Hope for Our World (pastoral letter of the Episcopal Commission for Social Affairs, 1996)
To Live and Die in a Compassionate Community (October 26, 1994)
Trading away the future: Concerns Arising From the Investor-State Mechanism of the North American Free Trade Agreement and its Extension throughout the Americas
A background paper prepared by the Episcopal Commission for Social Affairs (CCCB) for the Conference on Humanizing the Global Economy. Jointly sponsored by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), the Consejo Episcopal Latinoamericano (CELAM) and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Hosted by The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, January 28-30, 2002.

United States

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
formerly: National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) & the United States Catholic Conference (USCC)

Because God Loves You: A Message from the U.S. Catholic Bishops for the Jubilee Year 2000 (November 1999)
Blessings of Age: A Pastoral Message on Growing Older Within the Faith Community (November 1999)
Called and Gifted for the Third Millennium (September 1995)
Catholic Social Teaching and Environmental Ethics
Choices for the Future (statement on Political Responsibility by the USCC Administrative Board)
Civility in media (2000)
Economic Justice for All (pastoral message)
- A Decade after Economic Justice for All: Continuing Principles, Changing Context, New Challenges (pastoral message, November 1995)
Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services (Committee on Doctrine, December 1, 1994)
Everyday Christianity: to hunger and thirst for justice (1998)
Ex Corde Ecclesiae: An Application to the United States, Final Draft (November 1999)
Faithful citizenship: civic responsibility for the new millennium (1999)
In All Things Charity: A Pastoral Challenge for the New Millennium (November 1999)
In support of catechetical ministry (2000)
Lay Ecclesial Ministry: The State of the Questions (September 1999)
Nutrition and Hydration: Moral and Pastoral Reflections (Committee for Pro-Life Activities, April 1992)
Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us: A Pastoral Plan for Adult Faith Formation in the United States (November 1999)
Partners Once More: On our need for the Jewish community (Bishop Richard J. Sklba, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, March 11, 1999)
Pastoral Statement on Abortion (statement on the 1973 Roe v Wade decision)
Sons and Daughters of the Light: A Pastoral Plan for Ministry with Young Adults (November 1996)
Statement on Same Sex Marriage (July 24, 1996)
Strengthening the Bonds of Peace: A Pastoral Reflection on Women in the Church and in Society (September 1994)
Walk in the Light: A Pastoral Response to Child Sexual Abuse (Committees on Women in Society and in the Church, and Committee on Marriage and Family)
Your family and cyberspace (2000)
To Do the Work of Justice: A Plan of Action for the Catholic Community in the U.S. (May 4, 1978)

United Kingdom

Bishops' Conference of England and Wales

Catholics and Holocaust Memorial Day (27 January 2001)
Child Abuse: Pastoral and Procedural Guidelines (1994)
Children and the Net - a short guide for parents
The Church & the Media (1998) - schools resource pack
The Common Good and the Catholic Church's Social Teaching (1996 pastoral letter)
Europe Day - The Bigger Picture (2002)
The Holy Land 2000
Human Rights and the Catholic Church (1998)
Jubilee for Refugees (1999) - a biblical reflection
Life, Debt & Jubilee (1999) - poverty elimination and debt remission
One Bread, One Body (1998 Catholic bishops' conferences of England & Wales, Scotland, & Ireland)
- cached copy
- Catechetical material (cached)
- Suggestions for presentation and study in parishes and small groups (cached)
Racial Justice, Refugees and the General Election (2001)
Reconciliation for the Millennium (1999)
Religious Education in Catholic schools (2000)
Review on Child Protection in the Catholic Church in England and Wales (First Report April 2001)
The Search for Christian Unity (2002)
Supporting Ministry (1999) - recommendations for clergy appraisal
Teachers of the Faith (2002)
Valuing Difference (1998) - people with disabilities in the life and mission of the Church
Vote for the Common Good (2001) English & Welsh
World Communications Day 2002

Other bishops conferences

Civil Law and the Right to Life (Irish Catholic Conference)
Come home to the Father's house (Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference)
"This year 1999 is the last year before the Millenium, the year of God the Father. In this year we are invited to return home to the Father's House, to the God who is the creator and source of all life. The living God who calls us back to our Father's home is not only a father but also one who, like a mother, brings us to life and loves us tenderly. God invites all of humanity to 'come back home' and be reconciled. God excludes no one from the family home, and as we approach the year 2000, we here in South Africa must examine ourselves and find out whether there are any people in our country who feel excluded at present from our Father's home." [Excerpt]
Directory on Ecumenism for Southern Africa (Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference)
- cached copy of an early draft
One Bread, One Body (1998 Catholic bishops' conferences of England & Wales, Scotland, & Ireland)
- cached copy
- Catechetical material (cached)
- Suggestions for presentation and study in parishes and small groups (cached)
Te Kahu-O-Te-Ora: A Consistent Ethic of Life (New Zealand Catholic Bishops' Conference, April 18, 1997)
Toward a More Just and Brotherly World (pastoral letter of the Hungarian Bishops' Conference)