Catholic documents
The Catholic Documents fonds is a miscellany of documents from Catholic sources, including the popes, Vatican dicasteries, episcopal conferences, dioceses, mission organisations and movements, and individual Catholics. The documents are collected here to provide context for the principal archival collection. This is a work-in-progress. If you have items to propose for the fonds, please contact the editor.
NOTE: The following list includes all documents in our Catholic documents fonds, sorted by category and date. Documents may belong to several fonds, in differing categories depending on their place within that collection.
Declarations & instructions
- Canones de sacramento ordinis (Canons on the Sacrament of Orders)
Council of Trent ~ 15 July 1563 ~ ARCIC 82B
- Ineffabilis Deus (Apostolic Constitution on the Immaculate Conception)
Pius IX ~ 8 Dec. 1854 ~ ARCIC-II 470/00
- Dei Filius (Dogmatic Constitution on the Catholic Faith)
First Vatican Council ~ 24 Apr. 1870
- Pastor Aeternus (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church of Christ)
First Vatican Council ~ 18 July 1870
- Apostolicae Curae (Apostolic letter on the Nullity of Anglican Orders)
Leo XIII ~ 13 Sept. 1896
- Munificentissimus Deus (Apostolic Constitution on the Dogma of the Assumption)
Pius XII ~ 1 Nov. 1950 ~ ARCIC-II 469/00
- Sacrosanctum Concilium (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy)
Second Vatican Council ~ 4 Dec. 1963
- Inter Mirifica (Decree on the Media of Social Communications)
Second Vatican Council ~ 4 Dec. 1963
- Nota explicativa praevia (Preliminary Note of Explanation)
Second Vatican Council ~ 16 Nov. 1964
- Lumen Gentium (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church)
Second Vatican Council ~ 21 Nov. 1964
- Unitatis Redintegratio (Decree on Ecumenism)
Second Vatican Council ~ 21 Nov. 1964
- Orientalium Ecclesiarum (Decree on the Catholic Churches of the Eastern Rite)
Second Vatican Council ~ 21 Nov. 1964
- Excerpts from Lumen Gentium (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church)
Second Vatican Council ~ 21 Nov. 1964 ~ ARCIC-II 521/02
- Gravissimum Educationis (Declaration on Christian Education)
Second Vatican Council ~ 28 Oct. 1965
- Nostra Aetate (Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions)
Second Vatican Council ~ 28 Oct. 1965
- Optatam Totius (Decree on Priestly Training)
Second Vatican Council ~ 28 Oct. 1965
- Perfectae Caritatis (Decree on the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life)
Second Vatican Council ~ 28 Oct. 1965
- Christus Dominus (Decree Concerning the Pastoral Office of Bishops in the Church)
Second Vatican Council ~ 28 Oct. 1965
- Dei Verbum (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation)
Second Vatican Council ~ 18 Nov. 1965
- Apostolicam Actuositatem (Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity)
Second Vatican Council ~ 18 Nov. 1965
- Gaudium et Spes (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World)
Second Vatican Council ~ 7 Dec. 1965
- Dignitatis Humanae (Declaration on Religious Freedom)
Second Vatican Council ~ 7 Dec. 1965
- Ad Gentes (Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church)
Second Vatican Council ~ 7 Dec. 1965
- Presbyterorum Ordinis (Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests)
Second Vatican Council ~ 7 Dec. 1965
- Common Declaration of Pope Paul VI and Dr. Michael Ramsey, Archbishop of Canterbury
Michael Ramsey; Paul VI ~ Rome, 24 Mar. 1966 ~ ARCIC-II 206/66
- Ad Totam Ecclesiam (Directory Concerning Ecumenical Matters, Part 1)
SPCU ~ 14 May 1967
- The Ministerial Priesthood
Synod of Bishops ~ Canterbury, 30 Nov. 1971 ~ ARCIC 76-4
- Instructio Pro Solutione Matrimonii in Favorem Fidei (Instruction on the dissolution of marriage in favour of the faith)
CDF ~ Dublin, 6 Dec. 1973 ~ ARCCM 30
- Marialis Cultus (Apostolic Exhortation on Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary)
Paul VI ~ 2 Feb. 1974 ~ ARCIC 213
- Inter Insigniores (Declaration on the Ordination of Women)
CDF ~ 15 Oct. 1976
- Common Declaration of Pope Paul VI and Dr. Donald Coggan, Archbishop of Canterbury
Paul VI; Donald Coggan ~ Rome, 29 Apr. 1977
- Declaration on behalf of some clergy and laity formerly or actually belonging to the Episcopal (Anglican) Church for full communion with the Catholic Church
CDF ~ 31 Mar. 1981
- Common Declaration of Pope John Paul II and Dr. Robert Runcie, Archbishop of Canterbury
John Paul II; Robert Runcie ~ Canterbury, 29 May 1982 ~ ARCIC-II 207/82
- Common Declaration of Pope John Paul II and Dr. Robert Runcie, Archbishop of Canterbury
John Paul II; Robert Runcie ~ Rome, 2 Oct. 1989 ~ Doc 23/89
- Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on Some Aspects of the Church Understood as Communion
CDF ~ 28 May 1992 ~ ARCIC-II 209/92
- Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism
PCPCU ~ 25 Mar. 1993
- The Ecumenical Dimension in the Formation of those Engaged in Pastoral Work
PCPCU ~ 25 Mar. 1993
- Ordinatio Sacerdotalis (Apostolic Letter on Ordination and Women)
John Paul II ~ 22 May 1994 ~ ARCIC-II 332/94
- Reply to the ‘Dubium’ concerning the teaching contained in the Apostolic Letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis
CDF ~ 1996 ~ ARCIC-II 367/96
- Common Declaration of Pope John Paul II and Dr. George Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury
John Paul II; George Carey ~ Rome, 5 Dec. 1996 ~ ARCIC-II 379/96
- One Bread, One Body: A Teaching Document on the Eucharist in the Life of the Church, and the Establishment of General Norms on Sacramental Sharing
CBCEW; Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference; Catholic Bishops' Conference of Scotland ~ 1998 ~ ARCIC-II 487/01
- Ad Tuendam Fidem (Moto Proprio on the Profession of Faith)
John Paul II ~ 18 May 1998 ~ ARCIC-II 410/98
- Apostolos Suos (Moto Proprio on the Theological and Juridical Nature of Episcopal Conferences)
John Paul II ~ 21 May 1998 ~ ARCIC-II 414/98
- Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy. Principles and Guidelines
CDW ~ Dec. 2001 ~ ARCIC-II 523/02
- Common Declaration of Pope Benedict XVI and Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury
Rowan Williams; Benedict XVI ~ Rome, 23 Nov. 2006
- A Covenant between the Archdiocese of Regina and the Diocese of Qu’Appelle
Daniel Bohan; Gregory Kerr-Wilson ~ 23 Jan. 2011
- Common Declaration of Pope Francis and Archbishop Justin Welby
Francis; Justin Welby ~ Rome, 5 Oct. 2016
- The LAURC Covenant
Bryan Bayda; Donald J. Bolen; Murray Chatlain; Mark Hagemoen; Adam Halkett; Robert Hardwick; Christopher Harper; Sid Haugen; Michael Hawkins; Albert Thévenot ~ 2 Apr. 2020
Addresses, greetings, & homilies
- Address of Pope Paul VI to the Archbishop of Canterbury
Paul VI ~ Rome, 22 Mar. 1966
- Address on the Canonization of the Uganda Martyrs
Paul VI ~ 2 Aug. 1969
- Address at Canonization of Forty Martyrs of England and Wales
Paul VI ~ 25 Oct. 1970
- Address at the Canonization of Elizabeth Seton
Paul VI ~ 15 Sept. 1975
- Address to the Anglican Delegation
Paul VI ~ Rome, 28 Apr. 1977
- Address to Archbishop Donald Coggan
Paul VI ~ Rome, 29 Apr. 1977
- Message to the Lambeth Conference
Paul VI ~ Lambeth, 18 July 1978
- Statement on the Ordination of Women
Cahal Daly; SPCU ~ Lambeth, 31 July 1978
- Pope John Paul II’s greeting to ARCIC
John Paul II ~ Venice, 4 Sept. 1980 ~ ARCIC 233A
- Homily in Canterbury Cathedral
John Paul II ~ Canterbury, 29 May 1982
- Homily given at solemn vespers at San Gregorio al Celio
John Paul II ~ Rome, 30 Sept. 1989 ~ Doc 1542/89
- Address to Archbishop of Canterbury
John Paul II ~ Rome, 30 Sept. 1989 ~ Doc 1543/89
- Greeting of Pope John Paul II to Archbishop of Canterbury
John Paul II ~ Rome, 3 Dec. 1996 ~ ARCIC-II 374/96
- Pope John Paul II’s address to Archbishop George Carey
John Paul II ~ Rome, 5 Dec. 1996 ~ ARCIC-II 376/96
- Homily given at solemn vespers at San Gregorio by Pope John Paul II
John Paul II ~ Rome, 5 Dec. 1996 ~ ARCIC-II 377/96
- Address by Pope John Paul II to the inaugural meeting of IARCCUM
John Paul II ~ Lambeth & Rome, 24 Nov. 2001
- Address of Pope John Paul II to Archbishop George Carey
John Paul II ~ Rome, 21 June 2002
- Address of Pope John Paul II to Archbishop Rowan Williams
John Paul II ~ Rome, 4 Oct. 2003
- Address to Archbishop Rowan Williams
Benedict XVI ~ Lambeth, 17 Sept. 2010
- Address of Pope Francis to Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury
Francis ~ Rome, 14 June 2013
- Address of Pope Francis to Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury
Francis ~ Rome, 16 June 2014
- Joint Pastoral Letter on the Renewal of Western New York
Richard Malone; R. William Franklin ~ 14 Dec. 2014
- Address to representatives of other churches and religions
Leo XIV ~ 19 May 2015
- Rebuild My House! (Haggai 1: 1-8): Sermon to the General Synod of the Church of England
Raniero Cantalamessa ~ 24 Nov. 2015
- Homily at Canterbury Cathedral on the occasion of the gathering of the International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission
Donald J. Bolen ~ Canterbury & Rome, 2 Oct. 2016
- Homily of Pope Francis at San Gregorio al Celio
Francis ~ Rome, 5 Oct. 2016
- Address of Pope Francis to Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury
Francis ~ Rome, 6 Oct. 2016
- Homily for Second Vespers of the Solemnity of the Conversion of Saint Paul
Francis ~ Rome & Canterbury, 25 Jan. 2024
- Address to the Assembly of Primates of the Anglican Communion
Francis ~ Rome, 2 May 2024
- Message of Pope Leo XIV on the Occasion of the Installation of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Leo XIV ~ 20 Mar. 2026
Letters & correspondence
Lectures & papers
Responses to Agreed Statements
Communiqués & Press Releases
Reports
Study papers
Working correspondence
Miscellaneous documents
Videos
We invite you to visit our Bluesky feed, a new social media platform that replaces Twitter/X. Bluesky has reintroduced content moderation and eliminated advertizing. Follow us now on Bluesky.
