For the years 1978 to 2005, Pope John Paul II was the man of the moment. From his first appearance on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica to his death on the eve of Divine Mercy Sunday, this son of Poland assumed a towering role on the stage of history as the third-longest-reigning servus servorum dei. In the course of his papacy, the Church and the world both were witness to epoch-defining events, radical changes in society and religion, and revolutions in the economic and political orders. In all of this, Pope John Paul II wielded the teaching office of the papacy, preaching and writing prolifically in an effort to clarify and communicate the treasure entrusted by God to the Church: the saving message of Jesus Christ.

Instrumental in this work were his papal letters, of which Selected Encyclicals pre