5 October 2020
On the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, Pope Francis launched the third encyclical of his pontificate entitled Fratelli Tutti (On fraternity and social friendship).
The Holy Father drew inspiration from “the poor man of Assisi” in writing the encyclical to encourage humanity, during this particularly challenging time in the world, to not lose sight of the dignity of all persons and the need for the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be ever more proclaimed and lived.
The document is being described as a “social encyclical” which places Christian theology and doctrine in both a personal and social context which are inseparable from the Gospel and together constitute the love of God.
Pope Francis writes early in the encyclical: “It is my desire that, in this our time, by acknowledging the dignity of each human person, we can contribute to the rebirth of a universal aspiration to fraternity.
“Let us dream, then, as a single human family, as fellow travellers sharing the same flesh, as children of the same earth which is our common home, each of us bringing the richness of his or her beliefs and convictions, each of us with his or her own voice, brothers and sisters all.”
The Pope started work on the encyclical before COVID-19 struck. But he says that the need for local, national and international solidarity has become even more important now. The pandemic has created in many people a sense of the interdependence of communities and the fragility of human beings left to themselves.
The encyclical begins with a dramatic image of shadows gathering over a closed world, a gathering shadow that neglects and discards people and plunges humanity into confusion, loneliness and despair. The response, Pope Francis maintains is to stop and help the injured stranger on the road. He calls for a more open world in which “there are no ‘others’, no ‘them’, there is only ‘us’”.
The Holy Father suggests a number of remedies to the threat and ills of our time that leave people isolated and alone and unaware of their identity as children of God. In a series of chapters dedicated to these, Pope Francis explains how an open world, an open heart, a better kind of politics, dialogue, social friendship and paths of re-encounter can heal the wounds of a hurting world and rebuild a culture worthy of the human family.
Pope Francis also dedicates time to inter-religious dialogue and harmony and explains that religions are called to service of fraternity in the world. Such friendship and fraternity between all peoples can help us recognise our universal condition as brothers and sisters.
Whilst the literal translation of “fratelli tutti” is “brothers all”, Pope Francis explains that the phrase is taken from a quotation of St Francis of Assisi who “addressed his brothers and sisters and proposed to them a way of life marked by the flavour of the Gospel.”
Read Fratelli Tutti and access other material at: www.catholic.org.au/fratellitutti
