Pacem in Terris: A Re-Reading in the Context of Globalization

Abstract

Pacem in Terris is a pathbreaking social document of the Catholic Church which is having a great impact on the further social teachings of the Church and on the documents of the Second Vatican Council. This encyclical gets wider relevance in the context of the growing phenomenon of globalization. A critical analysis of the encyclical sheds light on the effects of this document on the Church which is passing through an era of globalization. A brief description of the social teachings of the Church is given to draw attention to the unique role played by Pacem in Terris in taking the Church to new vistas in her pilgrimage as the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Pacem in Terris reminds the Church the need to engage in dialogue with the contemporary world and the burning issues of the time. It is an important document in the efforts of the Church to be relevant in the context of globalization, a global phenomenon which the Church cannot ignore.