Pope Francis’s pontificate has now lasted well over a decade. In that time, he has published three encyclicals and six apostolic exhortations, the most recent of which came out last month, on the feast of St Francis of Assisi. He has also issued dozens of apostolic letters and motu proprios. This is not especially unusual by modern standards. In his eight years, Benedict XVI also managed three encyclicals, though he was a little more restrained with the exhortations (four) and the motu proprios (18). St John Paul II wrote 14 encyclicals – roughly one every two years – and 15 apostolic exhortations. St Paul VI produced nine encyclicals in 15 years – one every 20 months – as well as overseeing the final documents of the Second Vatican Council. Going back a little further, popes were even more prolific, to the extent that since 1900 we have had an encyclical every year, on average. St John XXIII alone cranked out eight in only half a decade.