Apostolic exhortation
An apostolic exhortation is a type of communication from the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. It encourages a community of people to undertake a particular activity but does not define Church doctrine. It is considered lower in formal authority than a papal encyclical, but higher than other ecclesiastical letters, Apostolic Letters and Other Papal Writings.
Apostolic exhortations are commonly issued in response to a synod of bishops, in which case they are known as post-synodal apostolic exhortations.
Notable exhortations
- Africae munus (On the Church in Africa in Service to Reconciliation, Justice and Peace)[1]
- Christifideles laici (Christ’s Faithful People, 1988, Pope John Paul II)
- Ecclesia in America (The Church in America, 1999, Pope John Paul II)
- Ecclesia in Asia (The Church in Asia, 1999, Pope John Paul II)
- Ecclesia in Europa (The Church in Europe)
- Evangelii gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel, 2013, Pope Francis)
- Evangelii nuntiandi (On Evangelization in the Modern Age, 1975, Pope Paul VI)
- Familiaris consortio (On the Christian Family in the Modern World, 1981, Pope John Paul II)
- Pastores gregis (For the Hope of the World)
- Pastores dabo vobis (Shepherds After My Own Heart, 1992, Pope John Paul II)
- Reconciliatio et paenitentia (On Reconciliation and Penance)
- Redemptoris custos (Guardian of the Redeemer, 1989, Pope John Paul II)
- Sacramentum caritatis (On the Sacrament of Love, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI)
- Verbum Domini (On the Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI)
- Vita consecrata (On Consecrated Life)