Three Necessary Societies Under One Roof

In his 1929 encyclical *Divini Illius Magistri*, Pope Pius XI described the relationship between the family, civil society, and the Church as three necessary societies.

The Pope identified the family and civil society as belonging to the natural order, while the Church belongs to the supernatural order. He stated that these three societies are distinct from one another but are harmoniously combined by God.

Dr. Ken Craycraft notes that the Pope's use of the word "necessary" differs from the common English usage of the term as a contingency for a specific goal. Instead, the encyclical presents these societies as essential structures within the order of human and divine life.