Redemptor Hominis

Pope John Paul II's 1979 first encyclical — Christ the Redeemer of Man, the inaugural programmatic statement of his pontificate

Tradition: Roman Catholic teaching / personalist-Thomist Catholic theology

John Paul II's 1979 first encyclical 'Redemptor Hominis' — Christ the Redeemer as the centre of Christian anthropology

Promulgated 4 March 1979 (months after John Paul II's October 1978 election — he had succeeded John Paul I, who had been Pope for only 33 days), 'Redemptor Hominis' (The Redeemer of Man) is the first encyclical of his pontificate and its inaugural programmatic statement. Centred on Christ the Redeemer as the key to Christian anthropology — 'Christ is the Redeemer of man, the centre of the universe and of history' (RH 1, the encyclical's opening) — the encyclical defines John Paul II's lifelong personalist-Thomist programme. Major themes: (1) Christ as the centre of cosmic and human history — the Christological focus that would shape the entire pontificate; (2) The dignity of the human person — Karol Wojtyła had developed personalist philosophical anthropology in his pre-pontifical philosophical work ('Acting Person', 1969; 'Love and Responsibility', 1960); the encyclical brings this philosophical framework into magisterial Catholic teaching; (3) The unity of the human race in Christ — the universal-Catholic claim, but also the dialogue-with-other-religions framework that would shape John Paul II's interfaith engagement (the 1986 Assisi Day of Prayer with leaders of many world religions descends from this framework); (4) Religious freedom — Vatican II's 'Dignitatis Humanae' (1965) had affirmed religious freedom; John Paul II makes it central to his social teaching; (5) The social-ethical responsibilities of the modern Church — the bridge to his subsequent social-teaching encyclicals (Laborem Exercens 1981, Sollicitudo Rei Socialis 1987, Centesimus Annus 1991). The encyclical is the most concentrated single statement of John Paul II's papal programme.