Salvifici_doloris
Salvifici doloris
Apostolic letter by Pope John Paul II
Salvifici doloris ("redemptive suffering") is a February 1984 Apostolic letter by Pope John Paul II. Its theme was suffering in general in the light of the cross and salvific or redemptive suffering in particular. It was issued in connection with the 1983 Holy Jubilee Year of Redemption.
Its foundational Bible text was taken from the words of the Apostle Paul where he said: "In my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the Church".[1] The meditation flows from Pope John Paul II's own experience of bereavement, illness and pain including his recovery from the assassination attempt of 1981.[2]
The theme of redemptive suffering or "partnership in suffering" is included in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.[3]