In the pre-conciliar era, Pope Benedict XV condemned the tenets of Communism in 1920 with Bonum Sane.

In 1937, Bl. Pius XI explicitly condemned Communism with Divini Redemptoris.

In 1949, under Ven. Pius XII, a dubia was issued on Communism. There were four questions. Three of them rejected the notion of supporting or joining the Communist party and would not be given the sacraments. The fourth question would allow excommunication who engage in such acts that promote Communism.

St. John XXIII condemned the Communist ideology but engaged in dialogue with the Soviet Union to help the Eastern European Catholics. Most notably, he helped to end the Cuban Missile Crisis. The 1959 dubia gave more specifics from the 1949 dubia. It allowed Catholic communists to fulfill religious obligations as long as they do not abandon the faith. However, they could not vote for political parties that support the Communists. Also, it applied to only atheist communist parties. In addition, the 1959 dubia did not prohibit those that enter into the Communist party.

St. Paul VI condemned the Communist ideology in Ecclesiam Suam, sections 101-103, and he continued the policy under his predecessor.

St. John Paul II condemned Communism and witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall and the fall of the Soviet Union. In 1979, he told the Polish people to "be not afraid" in the face of Communist oppression.

In 2012, Pope Benedict XVI condemned the Marxist ideology. He said, "it is evident that Marxist ideology as it was conceived no longer responds to reality." Communism falls under the Marxist ideology.

Pope Francis also condemned Communism for not concerning the poor as a central tenet. Rather, he centered on the Gospel. He supported various Catholics for the fight against Communism like Cardinal Simoni. He condemned the Ortega regime in Nicaragua and compared them to "Communists." He condemned Marxism as an ideology, but he loved the people. Love the sinners but hate the sins was his view.

Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 2425 explicitly condemned Communism. It states, "The Church has rejected the totalitarian and atheistic ideologies associated in modem times with "communism" or "socialism." She has likewise refused to accept, in the practice of "capitalism," individualism and the absolute primacy of the law of the marketplace over human labor. Regulating the economy solely by centralized planning perverts the basis of social bonds; regulating it solely by the law of the marketplace fails social justice, for "there are many human needs which cannot be satisfied by the market." Reasonable regulation of the marketplace and economic initiatives, in keeping with a just hierarchy of values and a view to the common good, is to be commended."