Saeculo Exeunte

With the encyclical Saeculo Exeunte Octavo, dated 2 June 1940 honors Pope Pius XII. the 800 - year celebration of Portugal. This Apostolic circulars he turns to the Portuguese episcopate and emphasizes the need for missionary work.

About the importance of missionary work

This is not a complete mission encyclical and yet goes Pius XII. on which, in his opinion, highly praiseworthy missionary activity of the Portuguese clergy a:

About the charity

God expect great achievements of its employees and that it was of high rank, the missionary work, as it would be carried out by the local clergy to continue. He refers to his predecessor Pius XI. in his encyclical " Rerum Ecclesiae " is spoken by the charity.

Evangelization

In the next sections he takes turn back to the previous encyclical and stressed that missionary work should be considered a companion and helper on the way to evangelize. In the dioceses of the core work should take place and if needed there to help, then they should be connected with missionary work.

About Mission and Doctrine

Ultimately refers Pius XII. taking account of the Apostolic Exhortation "Maximum illud " by Pope Benedict XV. (see also Main article encyclical, Section Missionsenzykliken ) again on the special value of missionary work out, he expresses that priests and laity in the missionary work by example in faith and teachings need to exemplify the divinely ordained path.