Le dossier Humani generis du Saint-Office

Abstract

The Holy Office’s file on the drafting of the encyclical Humani generis allows to understand how a simple instruction against French Jesuits’ theological tendencies, became a text of universal scope. In the course of its five successive versions, and following the indications of the Pope, the text in preparation thus gave birth to the Humani generis encyclical, naming no authors and finally published without the syllabus of erroneous propositions which had already been prepared. Jesuits who were close to the Pope or to the Superior General Janssens played a decisive role in its drafting, along with the Italian prelate Mgr Parente.