Encyclical Letter of His Holiness Leo XIV: Magnifica Humanitas

INTRODUCTION

1. Humanity, created by God in all its grandeur, is today facing a pivotal choice: either to construct a new Tower of Babel or to build the city in which God and humanity dwell together. Each generation inherits the task of shaping its own era, of guiding history to become a place where the dignity of every person is safeguarded, justice is promoted and fraternity is made possible. Yet every era also runs the risk of creating an inhumane and more unjust world. Whenever humanity is in danger of marring its true identity, we Christians lift our eyes to the Incarnate God, knowing that it is “only in the mystery of the Word made flesh that the mystery of humanity truly becomes clear.” [1] In Jesus Christ, this humanity in its grandeur becomes the Way, the Truth and the Life, opening the path for each of us to grow toward fullness.

人类，作为上帝所造之物，其伟大之处在于今日正面临一个关键的选择：是建造一座新的巴别塔，还是建立一个上帝与人类共存的城市。每一代人都肩负着塑造自身时代的使命，引导历史成为一个保障每个人尊严、促进正义并使博爱成为可能的地方。然而，每个时代也都面临着创造一个非人道且更不公正世界的风险。每当人类面临损害其真实身份的危险时，我们基督徒便会仰望道成肉身的上帝，因为我们深知：“唯有在道成肉身的奥迹中，人类的奥迹才真正变得清晰。”[1] 在耶稣基督内，这种伟大的人性成为了道路、真理和生命，为我们每个人通向圆满开启了路径。

2. Founded on Christ, the living stone, we experience the powerful and mysterious action of the Holy Spirit, and we believe that every authentic human effort to cooperate with him for the good will be blessed by our heavenly Father, in whom we place our hope. For this reason, we can diligently contribute to every initiative that builds a more just world, and we can call others to collaborate in promoting the integral development of every human being. We wish to engage in dialogue with all men and women of our time, with whom we share in the events, questions and aspirations of humanity. [2] Together with them, we seek to identify new paths for the common good and for promoting a dignified life for all. Indeed, openness to dialogue is an integral part of the Church’s vocation because, constituted in Christ as “a sacrament… of communion with God and of the unity of the entire human race,” [3] she recognizes history as the place where the Gospel challenges and directs human experience.

我们以基督这块活石为根基，体验着圣灵强大而奥秘的作为，并相信每一个为善而与他合作的真实人类努力，都将得到我们寄予希望的天父的祝福。因此，我们可以勤勉地为每一项建设更公正世界的倡议做出贡献，并呼吁他人共同促进每个人的全面发展。我们愿与当代所有男女进行对话，与他们共同分享人类的事件、问题和愿望。[2] 我们与他们一道，寻求为共同利益和促进所有人的尊严生活寻找新的路径。事实上，对对话的开放是教会使命中不可或缺的一部分，因为教会作为基督内“与上帝共融及全人类合一的圣事”[3]，她认识到历史正是福音挑战并引导人类经验的场所。

3. In this spirit, Pope Leo XIII published his Encyclical Rerum Novarum in 1891, the 135th anniversary of which we celebrate with deep gratitude this year. With that document, my beloved predecessor gave impetus to the reflection on society, the economy and politics, which is now known as the “Social Doctrine of the Church.” When some objected that the Church should not waste energy on worldly matters, but instead focus on communicating the message of eternal life, Leo XIII responded with realism and wisdom, saying that the proclamation of the Gospel cannot overlook the concrete lives of people. [4] Many decades have passed since then, and the Magisterium, pastors, theologians and faithful have continued to reflect on social issues in the light of the Gospel. Today, the Social Doctrine of the Church is a legacy of wisdom, where we find principles for thought, criteria for discernment and judgment, and concrete guidelines for action. Founded on Sacred Scripture and Tradition, and in engagement with the sciences, it helps us clearly interpret the challenges of the present and identify appropriate ways for living out a clear Christian witness.

本着这种精神，教宗利奥十三世于1891年颁布了《新事》通谕，今年我们怀着深切的感激之情庆祝该通谕颁布135周年。通过那份文件，我敬爱的先辈推动了对社会、经济和政治的思考，这便是如今所知的“教会社会训导”。当有人反对说教会不应在世俗事务上浪费精力，而应专注于传播永生的信息时，利奥十三世以现实主义和智慧回应道，福音的宣讲不能忽视人们的具体生活。[4] 自那时起，几十载岁月流逝，教会训导当局、牧者、神学家和信徒们继续在福音的光照下反思社会问题。今天，教会的社会训导是一份智慧的遗产，我们在其中找到了思考的原则、辨别与判断的标准，以及行动的具体指南。它建立在圣经和圣传之上，并与科学相结合，帮助我们清晰地解读当下的挑战，并确定活出明确基督见证的适当方式。