is the encyclical "pacem et terris" by POPE John XXIII still relevance in the situation of the world today?

Question

Shortly before his death, Pope John XXIII issued his landmark encyclical Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth). It was a remarkable papal document for its time. It coincided with an era when the world was divided by an ideological ‘iron curtain’ which was augmented by a nuclear arsenal that threatened the worst possible holocaust on the planet. Times were extremely tense and the possibility of peace on earth seemed remote to many. John’s encyclical heralded hope in a world where lasting peace was, at best, a remote possibility. It also demonstrated to a skeptical world that the Catholic Church was willing to engage with the issues that affected humanity; that it was leaving behind the remoteness from the world that had characterized it for well over a century.
Significantly, as Pacem in Terris followed an earlier encyclical Mater et Magistra (Mother and Teacher) in 1961, Pope John XXIII’s

Answer 1

Yes.

The text of
Pacen in Terris
Encyclical of Pope John XXIII on Establishing Universal Peace in Truth, Justice, Charity, and Liberty
given at Rome, at St. Peter's, on Holy Thursday, the eleventh day of April, in the year 1963
can be found here: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_xxiii/encyclicals/documents/hf_j-xxiii_enc_11041963_pacem_en.html

The encyclical starts:

Peace on Earth which man throughout the ages has so longed for and sought after ...

This single thought (and the rest of the document) definitely has relevance today as all people of good will endeavor to bring about peace on Earth.

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

Pacem Et Terris

Answer 3

Papal encyclicals typically go beyond the time periods and political situations in which they are written. Pacem In Terris is no exception.

This encyclical speaks of the importance of countries resolving problems through negotiation rather than war.

It calls on all nations to respect one another's sovereignty and to respect the basic human rights of their citizens.

It also calls on Catholics to work together with non-Catholics (Christian or otherwise) in resolving political and social problems.

I'd say that all of this is relevant in our time, just as it was in the aftermath of the Cuban Missile Crisis -- which was when Pacem In Terris was published.

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Answer 4

Yes, I would say it is relevant. Thanks for the question.