How to Cite a Papal Encyclical

When writing papers and essays, sometimes you may find yourself needing to cite a papal encyclical. An encyclical is a letter written by the pope to a particular audience of bishops; as such, it cannot be cited the same way as you would cite a magazine or even a speech. Knowing how to properly cite an encyclical can be the key to presenting your research correctly.

Instructions

1. Identify the encyclical passage you need to cite. You will require the following information at a bare minimum: name of the pope who wrote the encyclical, title of the encyclical, date the encyclical was published and (for endnotes or in-text citations) paragraph or section number.

2. Identify the style you are citing in: American Psychological Association, Chicago Manual of Style or Modern Language Association.

3. Arrange the information you gathered in the order prescribed by the style you are citing in. Note that honorific titles such as "Pope" are not added to the name while citing, so Pope John Paul II would be cited as just "John Paul II." Treat sources (website or paper version of the encyclical) as you normally would.

   Example of APA style: "Benedict XVI. Encyclical Letter. Caritas in veritate. 29 Jun. 2009."

   Example of Chicago style: "Benedict XVI. Caritas in Veritate. Encyclical letter on integral human development in charity and truth. June 29, 2009."

   Example of MLA style: "Benedict XVI. Encyclical Letter, Caritas in Veritate: On Integral Human Development in Charity and Truth. 2009."

References

• Papal Encyclicals Online: What is an Encyclical?
• University of St. Thomas, Minnesota: How to Do A Bibliography: Citing Sources
• University of St. Thomas, Texas: Citing Theological Materials (Chicago Style)
• University of St. Thomas, Texas: Citing Theological Materials (APA Style)