Mater et Magistra

encyclical by John XXIII

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June 30, 2026

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Mater et Magistra ("Mother and Teacher") is a social encyclical published by Pope John XXIII in 1961. It is considered the first social encyclical to address specific and current moral issues, laying the groundwork for modern Roman Catholic social teaching. The encyclical focuses on social justice, particularly in the context of economic challenges arising from the Industrial Revolution. It was one of the important social encyclicals issued during John XXIII's papacy, alongside Pacem in terris.12

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Roman Catholicism
The Second Vatican Council
Of special interest is Mater et magistra (“Mother and Teacher”), published on May 15, 1961, the 70th anniversary of Rerum novarum. It explicitly aligned itself with Rerum novarum’s call for justice and the common good as the norms of social conduct. Two years later, in Pacem in terris (April…
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Of special interest is Mater et magistra (“Mother and Teacher”), published on May 15, 1961, the 70th anniversary of Rerum novarum. It explicitly aligned itself with Rerum novarum’s call for justice and the common good as the norms of social conduct. Two years later, in Pacem in terris (April…
Read More