By M. Derosiers
ROME-RUTHENIA 31 October 2025 (NRom)
Summary: In a powerful new encyclical, De Civitate Christiana, H.A.H. Prince-Bishop Radislav I, Roman-Ruthenian Pope outlines a call for spiritual renewal in modern society. He emphasizes that humanity's quest for peace stems from a divine yearning for communion with God, and true change begins in the heart, not through ideology or policy. The Church serves as a moral guide, advocating for justice and truth under the Cross of Christ. Radislav I critiques modern economic and political systems, urging a sacred economy rooted in service rather than profit. He envisions government as a ministry of justice that must align with God's eternal law to be legitimate. Ultimately, the encyclical champions the idea that transforming the world starts with the conversion of the soul, paving the way for a civilization centered on the sacred.
The full text of the encyclical is available at the Pontifical Chancery.
In a sweeping new encyclical released this week, De Civitate Christiana (On Christian Civilization, titled in Slavonic as О Гра́де Христия́нскомъ), H.A.H. Prince-Bishop Radislav I, Roman-Ruthenian Pope and Supreme Pontiff of the United Roman-Ruthenian Church, has issued a defining spiritual manifesto for the modern age.
At 19 pages in length, the document reflects the Prince-Bishop's characteristic blend of theological depth and pastoral urgency. It presents a forceful critique of contemporary civilization’s moral disarray and a passionate call for a renewal of hearts grounded in divine grace and charity.
The Restless Heart and the Divine Order
The encyclical opens with a meditation on humanity’s “restless heart,” echoing St. Augustine’s famous confession that “our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee.” According to Radislav I, the universal yearning for peace and meaning is not a mere psychological impulse but a sacred sign of the soul’s vocation to communion with God. All earthly systems, he warns, fail and fragment when they ignore this divine calling.
Renewal Begins in the Heart
Rejecting the notion that justice and social harmony can be engineered through ideology or policy alone, the Roman-Ruthenian Pope insists that true renewal begins in the human heart. Political or economic reform, he says, is sterile without conversion; it is grace, not governance, that restores the world.
The Church as Mother and Teacher
Reaffirming the Church’s timeless role in public life, Radislav I declares that the Church stands above all earthly powers, not as their rival, but as their conscience. Every society, he writes, must ultimately submit to the Cross of Christ, for only under the sign of redemption can justice, freedom, and truth be reconciled.
Man as Image and Steward
In a section rich with theological anthropology, De Civitate Christiana describes humanity as both part of creation and its priestly caretaker. The encyclical condemns moral indifference, calling for a spirituality of stewardship.
The False Idols of Modernity
Perhaps the encyclical’s most pointed critique comes in its treatment of modern economic and political ideologies. Radislav I denounces both collectivism that crushes the soul and capitalism that deifies gain, arguing that both systems reject God as the measure of man. The Church, he proposes, offers a living alternative grounded in divine law and charity.
The Sacred Economy
Expanding on traditional social teaching, the Roman-Ruthenian Pope discusses the concept of a sacred economy, one in which work, property, and wealth find meaning only when sanctified by service and thanksgiving. Economic life, he writes, must reflect the moral order of creation, not merely the logic of profit or production.
Authority Under God
In political terms, De Civitate Christiana calls for a renewed vision of government as a ministry of justice and peace, not a creator of moral law. The State, Radislav I emphasizes, must serve the eternal law of God if it to have any legitimacy.
A Vision for a Civilization of the Sacred
De Civitate Christiana is a charter for the re-evangelization of civilization. It continues the United Roman-Ruthenian Church’s growing engagement with global social and moral questions. It is a timeless message: the transformation of the world begins with the conversion of the soul. Only when man’s heart is ordered toward God, can the city of man become the city of Christ.
