Preface to “Supplementary Magisterial Documents “

Fifteen years ago, Catholics Committed to Support the Pope commenced publication of summaries of papal encyclicals and particular magisterial documents in the series, Précis of Official Catholic Teaching. Twelve volumes later, this series is now complete.

It is a great honor to write the preface for the concluding volume to this great work. The series provides a tremendous resource to priests, seminarians and lay people and this last volume is no exception, concentrating as it does on the Magisterium of Pope John Paul II.

This final volume is also unique in that it incorporates all of Pope John Paul II’s encyclicals issued since the publication of our Volume XI in 1997, together with many major documents dealing with nine of the volumes in the eleven volume series.

Included are the apostolic letters and exhortations by the Pope on: The Church in America; on the third millennium, on the person and mission of St. Joseph in the life of Christ and the Church, and important documents by the Pontifical Council for the Family dealing with the Sacrament of Marriage and the morality of conjugal life.

The two documents by the Congregation for the Clergy pertaining to the ministry of priests, along with many others, provide a rich fare of Catholic teaching for religious and laity, all coming at a notable time in the life of the Church.

The Church in the English-speaking world owes a great debt to the publisher and editors of this distinguished series and to their advisors. I commend their work to all believers and people of goodwill and thank them for the sacrifice and dedication to God and to the Church that has served as its foundation.

George Pell
Archbishop of Sydney, Australia