Pope Benedict has written his first encyclical, the highest form of papal writing addressed to all members of the Roman Catholic Church.
The encyclical, which is expected to be published before the end of the year, deals with one's personal relationship with God.
The work is just under 50 pages long and will probably be published to coincide with the feast of the Immaculate Conception on 8 December.
The encyclical, written in the Pope's native German, is already in the hands of teams of translators.
Benedict, who was elected in April, told a Polish television interviewer earlier this month that he would write much less than his predecessor John Paul, who wrote 14 encyclicals and dozens of other major documents.
John Paul's encyclicals were divided into two main categories, strictly religious issues and social issues.
