Rorate Caeli

On the 50th anniversary of Pacem in Terris


[I]t must not be forgotten that the Church has the right and duty not only to safeguard her teaching on faith and morals, but also to exercise her authority over her children by intervening in their external affairs whenever a judgment has to be made concerning the practical application of this teaching.
John XXIII
Pacem in Terris
April 11, 1963