By: Karl-Olaf Bergmann
“Fratelli tutti”, wrote St. Francis of Assisi to address all his brothers and sisters and propose to them a way of life with a Gospel flavor”. Thus begins the new encyclical of Pope Francis. It is about brotherhood and social friendship in today's world. The Pope signed the encyclical on October 3, 2020, in Assisi.
The focus of the encyclical is presented as the “teaching on fraternal love” in its “universal dimension”, that is, in its openness to all people (cf. n. 6). “Fratelli tutti” follows in the tradition of papal social encyclicals. Pope Francis outlines a dream of brotherhood and social friendship for all humanity:
“Let us dream as one humanity, as walkers of the same human flesh, as children of this same earth that shelters us all, each one with the richness of his faith or his convictions, each one with his own voice, all brothers and sisters”.
In the text (the first chapter), he addresses issues and limits of the market economy, as well as the concerns and needs of the elderly who have to suffer especially from the consequences of the coronavirus, and the global refugee problem. It describes these and other connections to the background of human history, its developments and setbacks, our culture and our present lifestyle.
Where can the world and the human family find strength and hope again? What offers guidance and support? What are the foundations of peace, solidarity and progress? In the second chapter, the Pope begins with a comprehensive biblical interpretation and contextualization of the parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk 10:25-37) - “a story that repeats itself,” as he puts it.
In the third chapter, the Holy Father creates perspectives to be able to “think and create an open world.” “A human being is made in such a way that he or she is not fulfilled, does not develop and cannot find fulfillment «except in the sincere gift of self to others,» Pope Francis writes. The Christian understanding of love takes on a universal dimension and is introduced for the first time in completely new contexts: at the level of cities and countries, the global world, politics and economics. In a certain sense, Pope Francis” vision of things appears here as a direct counterattack on the prevailing ways of thinking and geo-strategies.
The Pope elaborates on these ideas in chapters four to seven (Chapter four: “A Heart Open to the Whole World”; chapter five: “The Best Politics”; chapter six: “Dialogue and Social Friendship”; chapter seven: “Paths of Reunion”), in the eighth and last chapter he returns to the special role of religion “at the service of fraternity in the world”. With this, his new encyclical also acquires an eminently universal-ecumenical significance, an aspect that in recent years must appear more than justified in the context of religiously motivated terrorism.
“It must be recognized that «among the most important causes of the crisis of the modern world are an anesthetized human conscience and a turning away from religious values, as well as the predominance of individualism and materialistic philosophies that deify man and put worldly and material values in the place of supreme and transcendent principles,» Pope Francis writes in the final chapter, making it clear that, from his point of view, the question of God and truth are central to that universal vision of love, solidarity and fraternity to which he wants to invite and encourage all humanity. For the Church, ultimately, this also means that, on the one hand, she respects the autonomy of politics, but on the other: “She does not relegate her own mission to the realm of the private.
The encyclical ends with a comprehensive appeal by Pope Francis for peace, justice and brotherhood and a prayer to the Creator.
With nearly 300 footnotes, the encyclical also attests to a deep involvement with previous pronouncements of the Apostolic See and the breadth of its own basis for reflection.
The Pope's encyclical can be read as follows here.
To download the encyclical in pdf format click here.
To learn more about the content and context of the encyclical, we invite you to participate on Thursday, October 8 at 18:00 hrs (CDMX time) in the conference given by the specialist in religion Mtro. Ricardo Morales in which he will explain this important document that responds to the crisis that we as humanity are living.
