[115] Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christus Vivit (25 March 2019), 93. Jesus concludes the parable by saying: “Go and do likewise” (Lk 10:37). Latino culture is “a ferment of values and possibilities that can greatly enrich the United States”, for “intense immigration always ends up influencing and transforming the culture of a place… In Argentina, intense immigration from Italy has left a mark on the culture of the society, and the presence of some 200,000 Jews has a great effect on the cultural ‘style’ of Buenos Aires. [118] Latinoamérica. In this craven exchange of charges and counter-charges, debate degenerates into a permanent state of disagreement and confrontation. Summa Theologiae, I-II, qq. The biggest issue is employment. Even when they take such essential steps, states are not able, on their own, to implement adequate solutions, “since the consequences of the decisions made by each inevitably have repercussions on the entire international community”. That is why I have urged indigenous peoples to cherish their roots and their ancestral cultures. Digital campaigns of hatred and destruction, for their part, are not – as some would have us believe – a positive form of mutual support, but simply an association of individuals united against a perceived common enemy. [149] Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ (24 May 2015), 175: AAS 107 (2015), 916-917. In the New Testament, Hillel’s precept was expressed in positive terms: “In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets” (Mt 7:12). Attempts can be made to justify or excuse it when it tends to serve one’s own economic or ideological interests, but sooner or later it turns against those very interests. The truth is that “never has humanity had such power over itself, yet nothing ensures that it will be used wisely”. BAC, Madrid, 1962, 192-196. This school is an online school of political thought, with its headquarters in the San Calisto palace of Vatican City. [21] A perversion that exceeds all limits when it subjugates women and then forces them to abort. If one does not acknowledge transcendent truth, then the force of power takes over, and each person tends to make full use of the means at his disposal in order to impose his own interests or his own opinion, with no regard for the rights of others… The root of modern totalitarianism is to be found in the denial of the transcendent dignity of the human person who, as the visible image of the invisible God, is therefore by his very nature the subject of rights that no one may violate – no individual, group, class, nation or state. Conversations revolve only around the latest data; they become merely horizontal and cumulative. It should be acknowledged that “among the most important causes of the crises of the modern world are a desensitized human conscience, a distancing from religious values and the prevailing individualism accompanied by materialistic philosophies that deify the human person and introduce worldly and material values in place of supreme and transcendental principles”. Nor would a mere consensus between different nations, itself equally open to manipulation, suffice to protect them. 190. They result from a political manipulation of religions and from interpretations made by religious groups who, in the course of history, have taken advantage of the power of religious sentiment in the hearts of men and women… God, the Almighty, has no need to be defended by anyone and does not want his name to be used to terrorize people”. 159. “Popular” leaders, those capable of interpreting the feelings and cultural dynamics of a people, and significant trends in society, do exist. Rom 12:21) and by cultivating those virtues which foster reconciliation, solidarity and peace”. The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the stranger as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Lev 19:33-34). Poverty must always be understood and gauged in the context of the actual opportunities available in each concrete historical period. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. Then too, “in some host countries, migration causes fear and alarm, often fomented and exploited for political purposes. Solidarity is a word that is not always well received; in certain situations, it has become a dirty word, a word that dare not be said. Nowadays, what do certain words like democracy, freedom, justice or unity really mean? FRATELLI TUTTI. Politics too must make room for a tender love of others. Yet beyond this, those who love, and who no longer view politics merely as a quest for power, “may be sure that none of our acts of love will be lost, nor any of our acts of sincere concern for others. 143. [217], 232. Intermediaries seek to give everyone a discount, ultimately in order to gain something for themselves. 102. Yet every now and then, miraculously, a kind person appears and is willing to set everything else aside in order to show interest, to give the gift of a smile, to speak a word of encouragement, to listen amid general indifference. 74. [43] Europe, for example, seriously risks taking this path. Easy. At the same time, a recent argument over the decision to use the atomic bomb in Japan seventy-five years ago has . But this has to be done without evasion or uprooting. [255] This has made all the more dangerous the growing practice in some countries of resorting to preventive custody, imprisonment without trial and especially the death penalty. [195] Message for the 2019 World Day of Peace (8 December 2018), 5: L’Osservatore Romano, 19 December 2018, p. 8. [93] Regula Pastoralis, III, 21: PL 77, 87. [203] As Christians, we also believe that God grants us his grace to enable us to act as brothers and sisters. [11] CARDINAL RAÚL SILVA HENRÍQUEZ, Homily at the Te Deum, Santiago de Chile (18 September 1974). And at the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, Pope Francis prayed for the salvation of all people in his extraordinary "Urbi et Orbi" address in an empty St. Peter's Square. I can welcome others who are different, and value the unique contribution they have to make, only if I am firmly rooted in my own people and culture. [28], The encyclical ends with two prayers: one to the Creator that addresses God as Father, and an ecumenical Christian prayer that addresses God as the Holy Trinity. ; Saint Augustine, In Iohannis Evangelium, 6, 25: PL 35, 1436ff. We cannot be indifferent to suffering; we cannot allow anyone to go through life as an outcast. [85] Address to the European Parliament, Strasbourg (25 November 2014): AAS 106 (2014), 997. That freedom proclaims that we can “build harmony and understanding between different cultures and religions. [60] Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (24 November 2013), 235: AAS 105 (2013), 1115. [190], 194. [189] Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, Abu Dhabi (4 February 2019): L’Osservatore Romano, 4-5 February 2019, p. 6. [113] Address to the Diplomatic Corps Accredited to the Holy See, 11 January 2016: AAS 108 (2016), 124. Although this has always been true, never has it been more evident than in our own day, when the world is interconnected by globalization. Although I have written it from the Christian convictions that inspire and sustain me, I have sought to make this reflection an invitation to dialogue among all people of good will. Ein Gang durch den Festkreis, Herderbücherei 901, Freiburg, 1981, 30. A country that moves forward while remaining solidly grounded in its original cultural substratum is a treasure for the whole of humanity. Fratelli Tutti is Pope Francis' "cry from the heart" to all people of the earth to see beyond their differences—indeed to work with their differences—and begin to grow together to build a new and peaceful world. [63] Gabriel Marcel, Du refus à l’invocation, ed. Having received this universal motherhood at the foot of the cross (cf. Let us take an active part in renewing and supporting our troubled societies. [228] PIUS XI, Encyclical Letter Quadragesimo Anno (15 May 1931): AAS 23 (1931), 213. It has to do with our daily efforts to expand our circle of friends, to reach those who, even though they are close to me, I do not naturally consider a part of my circle of interests. Some crimes are so horrendous and cruel that the punishment of those who perpetrated them does not serve to repair the harm done. Subtitle: 50. If we wish to maintain that society is more than a mere aggregate of individuals, the term “people” proves necessary. Destroying self-esteem is an easy way to dominate others. That journey, undertaken at the time of the Crusades, further demonstrated the breadth and grandeur of his love, which sought to embrace everyone. This is something truly good, a gift from God”. [15][21], The notion of "neighbour" elaborated in the document is partly inspired by the interpretation of Paul Ricoeur, whom the pope quotes twice in the encyclical; the pope also quotes one of Ricoeur's thought leaders, Christian existentialist philosopher Gabriel Marcel. Here we can see a concrete application of the principle of subsidiarity, which justifies the participation and activity of communities and organizations on lower levels as a means of integrating and complementing the activity of the state. Reflecting on the election, she referred to the Good Samaritan parable central to encyclical, comparing the Belarusian people to the robbed and wounded traveller. St Francis of Assisi used to say: "All brothers and sisters". A journey of peace is possible between religions. [188] Address to Participants in the World Meeting of Popular Movements (28 October 2014): AAS 106 (2014), 853. Fratelli Tutti is a papal encyclical drafted by Pope Francis that speaks to the the realities of the time of great connectedness, but ever increasing loneliness and lack of love of neighbor.The encyclical's themes are on topics such as fraternity, political engagement, and the importance of Catholic Social Teaching in everything that we do are key to the Christian experience and encounter of . These documents prepared by the Vatican provide a helpful introduction to Pope Francis' third encyclical, Fratelli Tutti: On Fraternity and Social Friendship. Hacer un hogar distinto para los hombres, donde el amor se extienda a toda . 269. Processo all'enciclica «Fratelli tutti» - 2. Nor will it trouble us to be deemed naive for choosing peace. Liberty, equality and fraternity can remain lofty ideals unless they apply to everyone. 2267 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church on the Death Penalty (1 August 2018): L’Osservatore Romano, 3 August 2018, p. 8. I am speaking of Blessed Charles de Foucauld. There is a reason why Jesus told us: “When you give alms, do not let your right hand know what your left hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret” (Mt 6:3-4). When our house stops being a home and starts to become an enclosure, a cell, then the global comes to our rescue, like a “final cause” that draws us towards our fulfilment. The limits and borders of individual states cannot stand in the way of this", and adds: "Each country also belongs to the foreigner inasmuch as a territory's goods must not be denied to a needy person coming from elsewhere. In some countries and regions, attempts at reconciliation and rapprochement proved fruitful, while others showed great promise. No one is useless and no one is expendable. [181] Catholic moral doctrine, following the teaching of Saint Thomas Aquinas, distinguishes between “elicited” and “commanded” acts; cf. Yet it also respects the development of the sciences and their essential contribution to finding the surest and most practical means of achieving the desired results. [50] Address to Authorities, Civil Society and the Diplomatic Corps, Tallinn, Estonia (25 September 2018): L’Osservatore Romano, 27 September 2018, p. 7. This is even more the case in times of crisis, catastrophe and hardship, when we are tempted to think in terms of the old saying, “every man for himself”. 149. 93. We are reminded of the well-known verse of the poet Virgil that evokes the “tears of things”, the misfortunes of life and history.[33]. Families are the first place where the values of love and fraternity, togetherness and sharing, concern and care for others are lived out and handed on. 108. My criticism of the technocratic paradigm involves more than simply thinking that if we control its excesses everything will be fine. Our love for others, for who they are, moves us to seek the best for their lives. Business abilities, which are a gift from God, should always be clearly directed to the development of others and to eliminating poverty, especially through the creation of diversified work opportunities. This culture unifies the world, but divides persons and nations, for “as society becomes ever more globalized, it makes us neighbours, but does not make us brothers”. Our world is encountering growing difficulties on the slow path to peace upon which it had embarked and which had already begun to bear good fruit. It presents Francis has a stereotypical 1960's hippie, preaching peace and love. Never again war![242]. Other persons come to be viewed simply as obstacles to our own serene existence; we end up treating them as annoyances and we become increasingly aggressive. [96] Saint John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Laborem Exercens (14 September 1981), 19: AAS 73 (1981), 626. [29] Technology is constantly advancing, yet “how wonderful it would be if the growth of scientific and technological innovation could come with more equality and social inclusion. [231] As I think of it, I cannot help but repeat this prayer: “Lord, remember us in your mercy. Shortly after its account of the creation of the world and of man, the Bible takes up the issue of human relationships. She has a high regard for their manner of life and conduct, their precepts and doctrines which… often reflect a ray of that truth which enlightens all men and women”. We say one thing with words, but our decisions and reality tell another story. "[20], Francis warns against selfishness in the economy, and against financial speculation which "continues to wreak havoc." ©2023 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. 217. Fratelli Tutti is the latest encyclical of Pope Francis.Fratelli Tutti draws its name from the "Admonitions" of St. Francis of Assisi who reminded his friars that all men are brothers in being created by the same Creator. There is also a need for peacemakers, men and women prepared to work boldly and creatively to initiate processes of healing and renewed encounter. There is yet another way to eliminate others, one aimed not at countries but at individuals. [48] How can this contribute to the fraternity that our common Father asks of us? [163] PORTUGUESE BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE, Pastoral Letter Responsabilidade Solidária pelo Bem Comum (15 September 2003), 20; cf. Message for the 2018 World Day of Migrants and Refugees (14 January 2018): AAS 109 (2017), 918-923. and "what real bonds did I create? To tend those in need takes strength and tenderness, effort and generosity in the midst of a functionalistic and privatized mindset that inexorably leads to a ‘throwaway culture’… It involves taking responsibility for the present with its situations of utter marginalization and anguish, and being capable of bestowing dignity upon it”. For example, there was the dream of a united Europe, capable of acknowledging its shared roots and rejoicing in its rich diversity. Human beings are so made that they cannot live, develop and find fulfilment except “in the sincere gift of self to others”. [149] When we talk about the possibility of some form of world authority regulated by law,[150] we need not necessarily think of a personal authority. [58], On 21 October 2021, the Fratelli tutti foundation was created. Instead, we should feel indignant, challenged to emerge from our comfortable isolation and to be changed by our contact with human suffering. This means that “everyone has a fundamental role to play in a single great creative project: to write a new page of history, a page full of hope, peace and reconciliation”. The Samaritans lived in a region where pagan rites were practised. [94] Saint John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus (1 May 1991), 31: AAS 83 (1991), 831. [8] Meeting with Authorities, Civil Society and the Diplomatic Corps, Santiago, Chile (16 January 2018): AAS 110 (2018), 256. This is a far cry from the false universalism of those who constantly travel abroad because they cannot tolerate or love their own people. [58] Paradoxically, those who claim to be unbelievers can sometimes put God’s will into practice better than believers. 82. Queasy listening! ENCYCLICAL LETTER FRATELLI TUTTI OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS ON FRATERNITY AND SOCIAL FRIENDSHIP. 137. As a result, there is a growing loss of the sense of history, which leads to even further breakup. [79] Address to Young People, Tokyo, Japan (25 November 2019): L’Osservatore Romano, 25-26 November 2019, 10. December 2, 2020. Here is the third Encyclical of Pope Francis. [37] Those who emigrate “experience separation from their place of origin, and often a cultural and religious uprooting as well. 122. For a healthy relationship between love of one’s native land and a sound sense of belonging to our larger human family, it is helpful to keep in mind that global society is not the sum total of different countries, but rather the communion that exists among them. We can also point to “major political crises, situations of injustice and the lack of an equitable distribution of natural resources… In the face of such crises that result in the deaths of millions of children – emaciated from poverty and hunger – there is an unacceptable silence on the international level”. We received life freely; we paid nothing for it. It could be said that, here and now, anyone who is neither a robber nor a passer-by is either injured himself or bearing an injured person on his shoulders. 152. How would it affect those who organize themselves in a way that prevents any foreign presence that might threaten their identity and their closed and self-referential structures? [12] Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ (24 May 2015), 57: AAS 107 (2015), 869. [81] This is a basic principle of social life that tends to be ignored in a variety of ways by those who sense that it does not fit into their worldview or serve their purposes. 58. In recent years, the words “populism” and “populist” have invaded the communications media and everyday conversation. 13. [98]Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio (26 March 1967): AAS 59 (1967), 268. [221] FIFTH GENERAL CONFERENCE OF THE LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN BISHOPS, Aparecida Document (29 June 2007), 398. [167] Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (24 November 2013), 205: AAS 105 (2013), 1106. [76] Cf. Grant us the love reflected in the actions of Jesus, in his family of Nazareth, and in the early Christian community. Although reality is one, it can be approached from various angles and with different methodologies. [30] Video Message to the TED Conference in Vancouver (26 April 2017): L’Osservatore Romano, 27 April 2017, p. 7. [36] He denounces the "dogma" of neoliberalism that the market by itself can resolve any problem, a dogma which repeatedly "resort[s] to the magic theories of 'spillover' or 'trickle'" to solve any societal problem. [19] Message to Participants in the International Conference “Human Rights in the Contemporary World: Achievements, Omissions, Negations” (10 December 2018): L’Osservatore Romano, 10-11 December 2018, p. 8. No one can possess the whole truth or satisfy his or her every desire, since that pretension would lead to nullifying others by denying their rights. What we call “truth” is not only the reporting of facts and events, such as we find in the daily papers. Such a covenant also demands the realization that some things may have to be renounced for the common good. And let us ask him for the grace to send us forth, in humility and meekness, along the demanding but enriching path of seeking peace”.[236]. We looked for quick and safe results, only to find ourselves overwhelmed by impatience and anxiety. These tragic realities are the consequence of a deviation from religious teachings. The path to social unity always entails acknowledging the possibility that others have, at least in part, a legitimate point of view, something worthwhile to contribute, even if they were in error or acted badly. Saint Paul VI used these words in praising his commitment: Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio (26 March 1967): AAS 59 (1967), 263. This parable has to do with an age-old problem. Unable to deal with problems, they opt for an apparent peace. Taller de Oración 19:00. Yet it must never be forgotten that “loving the most insignificant of human beings as a brother, as if there were no one else in the world but him, cannot be considered a waste of time”. Furthermore, he states that isolationism, nationalism, a global economy that "promotes individual interests," a "loss of the sense of history," limitless consumption, wastefulness, the lack of concern for the environment, and a throwaway culture are hindering this end. This means working to create a many-faceted polyhedron whose different sides form a variegated unity, in which “the whole is greater than the part”. To Francis, politics is not about "how many people endorsed me?" God willing, after all this, we will think no longer in terms of “them” and “those”, but only “us”. Pròximament es publicarà a la revista Documents d'Església. It has also shown that, in addition to recovering a sound political life that is not subject to the dictates of finance, “we must put human dignity back at the centre and on that pillar build the alternative social structures we need”. There are social phenomena that create majorities, as well as megatrends and communitarian aspirations. [86] Let us return to promoting the good, for ourselves and for the whole human family, and thus advance together towards an authentic and integral growth. [214] CATHOLIC BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE OF KOREA, Appeal of the Catholic Church in Korea for Peace on the Korean Peninsula (15 August 2017). He chose Francis as his papal name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. The parable begins with the robbers. [92] De Lazaro Concio, II, 6: PG 48, 992D. Pope Benefict XVI 1927-2022 tribute page and access to resources here. Of those who have endured much unjust and cruel suffering, a sort of “social forgiveness” must not be demanded. It also testifies to the fact that, since the important things we share are so many, it is possible to find a means of serene, ordered and peaceful coexistence, accepting our differences and rejoicing that, as children of the one God, we are all brothers and sisters”. 97. He defines good politics as politics that attempt to build communities and hear all opinions. CATHOLIC BISHOPS OF MEXICO AND THE UNITED STATES, A Pastoral Letter Concerning Migration: “Strangers No Longer Together on the Journey of Hope” (January 2003). Closed populist groups distort the word “people”, since they are not talking about a true people. 109. [45], José Horacio Gómez, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, says the encyclical proposes a challenge "to overcome the individualism in our culture and to serve our neighbors in love". 205. [124] Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (24 November 2013), 234: AAS 105 (2013), 1115. For when the good of others is at stake, good intentions are not enough. At times, in thinking of the future, we do well to ask ourselves, “Why I am doing this?”, “What is my real aim?” For as time goes on, reflecting on the past, the questions will not be: “How many people endorsed me?”, “How many voted for me?”, “How many had a positive image of me?” The real, and potentially painful, questions will be, “How much love did I put into my work?” “What did I do for the progress of our people?” “What mark did I leave on the life of society?” “What real bonds did I create?” “What positive forces did I unleash?” “How much social peace did I sow?” “What good did I achieve in the position that was entrusted to me?”. [92] In the words of Saint Gregory the Great, “When we provide the needy with their basic needs, we are giving them what belongs to them, not to us”.[93]. Often nowadays we find neither the time nor the energy to stop and be kind to others, to say “excuse me”, “pardon me”, “thank you”. In the power of the risen Lord, she wants to give birth to a new world, where all of us are brothers and sisters, where there is room for all those whom our societies discard, where justice and peace are resplendent. Hence there is an aspect of universal openness in love that is existential rather than geographical. Yet let us not do this alone, as individuals. 240. [244] Message to the United Nations Conference to Negotiate a Legally Binding Instrument to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons (23 March 2017): AAS 109 (2017), 394-396. [57] Video Message to the TED Conference in Vancouver (26 April 2017):L’Osservatore Romano, 27 April 2017, p. 7. Plunging people into despair closes a perfectly perverse circle: such is the agenda of the invisible dictatorship of hidden interests that have gained mastery over both resources and the possibility of thinking and expressing opinions. [132] ANTONIO SPADARO, S.J., Le orme di un pastore. According to him, however, dialogue does not involve reducing or hiding one's deepest convictions, and sincere and humble adoration of God promotes the sanctity of life. [161] We cannot expect economics to do this, nor can we allow economics to take over the real power of the state. [234] The victims themselves – individuals, social groups or nations – need to do so, lest they succumb to the mindset that leads to justifying reprisals and every kind of violence in the name of the great evil endured. [20] The encyclical is roughly 43,000 words long,[27] divided into 8 chapters and 287 paragraphs,[15] and contains 288 footnotes. Nor is our authentic identity preserved by an impoverished isolation”. 178. The joys and sorrows of each of its members are felt by all. [128] Cf. [5] The Catholic Women's Council wrote an open letter to the pope "expressing concern" that the title gives the impression that the encyclical is addressed only to men, which created frustrations in a Church that does not recognize female priesthood. 127. [36] Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christus Vivit (25 March 2019), 91. It would be easier to keep freedoms and differences in check with cleverness and a few resources. Its point of departure must be God’s way of seeing things. Yet today’s world presents us with many false rights and – at the same time – broad sectors which are vulnerable, victims of power badly exercised”.[148]. We began to realize that our lives are interwoven with and sustained by ordinary people valiantly shaping the decisive events of our shared history: doctors, nurses, pharmacists, storekeepers and supermarket workers, cleaning personnel, caretakers, transport workers, men and women working to provide essential services and public safety, volunteers, priests and religious… They understood that no one is saved alone.[51]. Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (24 November 2013), 220-221: AAS 105 (2013), 1110-1111. We no longer have use for empty diplomacy, dissimulation, double-speak, hidden agendas and good manners that mask reality. October 6, 2020 "We're on the Brink": Cardinal says Fratelli Tutti is Needed Now for a World in Crisis Patheos. 86. "Fratelli Tutti" speaks to the chaos, fear and loss that pervade 2020 while sounding a timeless call to become better citizens of our communities, our nations and the globe. He made of them a way of life. Saint Paul, recognizing the temptation of the earliest Christian communities to form closed and isolated groups, urged his disciples to abound in love “for one another and for all” (1 Thess 3:12). The values of freedom, mutual respect and solidarity can be handed on from a tender age… Communicators also have a responsibility for education and formation, especially nowadays, when the means of information and communication are so widespread”. [133] Eliminating inequality requires an economic growth that can help to tap each region’s potential and thus guarantee a sustainable equality. One detail about the passers-by does stand out: they were religious, devoted to the worship of God: a priest and a Levite. Jn 19:26), she cares not only for Jesus but also for “the rest of her children” (cf. The needy generally “practise the special solidarity that exists among those who are poor and suffering, and which our civilization seems to have forgotten or would prefer in fact to forget. [82] Investments in assistance to the vulnerable could prove unprofitable; they might make things less efficient. Individualism does not make us more free, more equal, more fraternal. Even killing the criminal would not be enough, nor could any form of torture prove commensurate with the sufferings inflicted on the victim. Mt 18:23-35). Its misuse paves the way for hostility and discord; it undoes any successes and takes away the religious and civil rights of some citizens who are thus discriminated against”. Indeed, when we open our hearts to those who are different, this enables them, while continuing to be themselves, to develop in new ways. [229] All of us know that “when we, as individuals and communities, learn to look beyond ourselves and our particular interests, then understanding and mutual commitment bear fruit… in a setting where conflicts, tensions and even groups once considered inimical can attain a multifaceted unity that gives rise to new life”.[230]. Global society is suffering from grave structural deficiencies that cannot be resolved by piecemeal solutions or quick fixes. "[28] He also urges that the "right to private property" be accompanied by the "prior principle" of "subordination of all private property to the universal destination of the earth's goods, and thus the right of all to their use".[20]. At the same time, tons of food are thrown away. Yet the same rule clearly does not apply to a disabled person, to someone born in dire poverty, to those lacking a good education and with little access to adequate health care. These concerns are even greater when we consider the catastrophic humanitarian and environmental consequences that would follow from any use of nuclear weapons, with devastating, indiscriminate and uncontainable effects, over time and space… We need also to ask ourselves how sustainable is a stability based on fear, when it actually increases fear and undermines relationships of trust between peoples. [266] BENEDICT XVI, Encyclical Letter Deus Caritas Est (25 December 2005), 28: AAS 98 (2006), 240. Gen 11:1-9). Relativism always brings the risk that some or other alleged truth will be imposed by the powerful or the clever. Saint Basil, Homilia XXI, Quod rebus mundanis adhaerendum non sit, 3.5: PG 31, 545-549; Regulae brevius tractatae, 92: PG 31, 1145-1148; Saint peter chrysologus, Sermo 123: PL 52, 536-540; Saint Ambrose, De Nabuthe, 27.52: PL 14, 738ff. Political life no longer has to do with healthy debates about long-term plans to improve people’s lives and to advance the common good, but only with slick marketing techniques primarily aimed at discrediting others. Abstract. [151] Needless to say, this calls for clear legal limits to avoid power being co-opted only by a few countries and to prevent cultural impositions or a restriction of the basic freedoms of weaker nations on the basis of ideological differences. 36. Nor should we naively refuse to recognize that “obsession with a consumerist lifestyle, above all when few people are capable of maintaining it, can only lead to violence and mutual destruction”. Indeed, “when financial speculation manipulates the price of food, treating it as just another commodity, millions of people suffer and die from hunger. [20] He believes that "it is very difficult nowadays to invoke the rational criteria elaborated in earlier centuries to speak of the possibility of a 'just war'";[15][20] Francis adds that Augustine of Hippo, "who forged a concept of 'just war' that we no longer uphold in our own day, also said that 'it is a higher glory still to stay war itself with a word, than to slay men with the sword, and to procure or maintain peace by peace, not by war'". I shall offer a personal reading of Fratelli Tutti, the latest encyclical from Pope Francis. Aeneid 1, 462: “Sunt lacrimae rerum et mentem mortalia tangunt”. [6] Let us dream, then, as a single human family, as fellow travelers 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. [277] Common Declaration of Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Jerusalem (25 May 2014), 5: L’Osservatore Romano, 26-27 May 2014, p. 6. [252] Pope Nicholas I urged that efforts be made “to free from the punishment of death not only each of the innocent, but all the guilty as well”. 66. 238. [175] Charity, when accompanied by a commitment to the truth, is much more than personal feeling, and consequently need not “fall prey to contingent subjective emotions and opinions”. [140] Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ (24 May 2015), 129: AAS 107 (2015), 899. Some parts of our human family, it appears, can be readily sacrificed for the sake of others considered worthy of a carefree existence. Together, the two prevent us from falling into one of two extremes. It means thinking and acting in terms of community. BENEDICT XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate (29 June 2009), 67: AAS 101 (2009), 700-701. [143] This, however, must happen in a way that will not betray their distinctive way of acting as “sowers of change, promoters of a process involving millions of actions, great and small, creatively intertwined like words in a poem”. The riches we possess are not our own, but theirs as well”. Join us for a two hour live conference hosted by the contributors to Where Peter Is for a first look at Pope Francis's upcoming encyclical on human fraternity, Fratelli Tutti.. We will be having two live panel discussions, covering major themes of Francis' pontificate and his approach to human fraternity: economic justice and interreligious dialogue. In both cases, it becomes difficult to envisage an open world that makes room for everyone, including the most vulnerable, and shows respect for different cultures. The dignity of others is to be respected in all circumstances, not because that dignity is something we have invented or imagined, but because human beings possess an intrinsic worth superior to that of material objects and contingent situations. In this regard, I wish to cite the following memorable statement: “If there is no transcendent truth, in obedience to which man achieves his full identity, then there is no sure principle for guaranteeing just relations between people. It is a memory that ensures and encourages the building of a more fair and fraternal future”. [117], 135. [102] Cf. On the other hand, if we accept the great principle that there are rights born of our inalienable human dignity, we can rise to the challenge of envisaging a new humanity. [248] Cf. [52] Let us continue, then, to advance along the paths of hope. [35] In the encyclical, he calls for the development of a mid- to long-term "form of global governance" which would have the means to provide "effective assistance for integrating migrants in their receiving countries, while also promoting the development of their countries of origin through policies inspired by solidarity, yet not linking assistance to ideological strategies and practices alien or contrary to the cultures of the peoples being assisted. Forgiveness does not entail allowing oppressors to keep trampling on their own dignity and that of others, or letting criminals continue their wrongdoing. [139] PAUL RICOEUR, Histoire et Verité, ed. 75. “Robbers” usually find secret allies in those who “pass by and look the other way”. He became one of the poor and sought to live in harmony with all. Instead, they choose not to yield to the same destructive force that caused them so much suffering. Yet the processes of change that lead to lasting peace are crafted above all by peoples; each individual can act as an effective leaven by the way he or she lives each day. One fundamental human right must not be forgotten in the journey towards fraternity and peace. A false notion of tolerance has to give way to a dialogic realism on the part of men and women who remain faithful to their own principles while recognizing that others also have the right to do likewise. Rate the pronunciation difficulty of fratelli tutti. [44], Thomas Petri, dean of the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception, considers that the 2018 change of the Catechism and Fratelli tutti which both declare capital punishment "inadmissible" means that the death penalty is in itself admissible since the Pope did not qualify death penalty as "intrinsically evil". It has to do with their desires, their interests and ultimately the way they live their lives. The Samaritan who stopped along the way departed without expecting any recognition or gratitude. [191] Amid the daily concerns of political life, “the smallest, the weakest, the poorest should touch our hearts: indeed, they have a ‘right’ to appeal to our heart and soul. For this reason, they feel it is better to keep things as they are, maintaining a balance of power between differing groups. [270], 277. The truth is that “no family, no group of neighbours, no ethnic group, much less a nation, has a future if the force that unites them, brings them together and resolves their differences is vengeance and hatred. 28 . Links: Tutti Fratelli gaat scheep tijdens een repetitie van De Störm. [72] Summa Theologiae II-II, q. As a result, new walls are erected for self-preservation, the outside world ceases to exist and leaves only “my” world, to the point that others, no longer considered human beings possessed of an inalienable dignity, become only “them”. At the same time, those cultures should be encouraged to be open to new experiences through their encounter with other realities, for the risk of succumbing to cultural sclerosis is always present. Aside from the different ways that . 287. [98] The right to private property can only be considered a secondary natural right, derived from the principle of the universal destination of created goods. All too quickly, however, we forget the lessons of history, “the teacher of life”. A new lifestyle is emerging, where we create only what we want and exclude all that we cannot control or know instantly and superficially. Not only by providing for their basic needs, but by enabling them to give the best of themselves, even though their performance may be less than optimum, their pace slow or their efficiency limited. Trafficking in persons and other contemporary forms of enslavement are a worldwide problem that needs to be taken seriously by humanity as a whole: “since criminal organizations employ global networks to achieve their goals, efforts to eliminate this phenomenon also demand a common and, indeed, a global effort on the part of various sectors of society”. Liberty becomes nothing more than a condition for living as we will, completely free to choose to whom or what we will belong, or simply to possess or exploit. An abomination that goes to the length of kidnapping persons for the sake of selling their organs. Each day we have to decide whether to be Good Samaritans or indifferent bystanders. Dreams, on the other hand, are built together”. [22][21] He explains that "[f]raternity is born not only of a climate of respect for individual liberties, or even of a certain administratively guaranteed equality. “When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. In fact, a healthy openness never threatens one’s own identity. Nor must we forget the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. For “the international community is a juridical community founded on the sovereignty of each member state, without bonds of subordination that deny or limit its independence”. [25], 27. We see “outbreaks of tension and a buildup of arms and ammunition in a global context dominated by uncertainty, disillusionment, fear of the future, and controlled by narrow economic interests”. They have been bent and shaped to serve as tools for domination, as meaningless tags that can be used to justify any action. That is why “we need to communicate with each other, to discover the gifts of each person, to promote that which unites us, and to regard our differences as an opportunity to grow in mutual respect. 83. On their path to that destination, they therefore share common sufferings—their divisions, their wars, their environmental degradations . If only this may prove not to be just another tragedy of history from which we learned nothing. T'oferim l'àudio i el llibre electrònic de l'encíclica "Fratelli Tutti" del Papa Francesc, sobre la fraternitat i l'amistat social. [259] CATHOLIC BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE OF INDIA, Response of the Church in India to the Present-day Challenges (9 March 2016). These closed circuits facilitate the spread of fake news and false information, fomenting prejudice and hate”.[47]. A domestic hearth has no real warmth unless it is safeguarded by law, by a state of tranquillity founded on law, and enjoys a minimum of wellbeing ensured by the division of labour, commercial exchange, social justice and political citizenship”.[139]. In the first Christian centuries, a number of thinkers developed a universal vision in their reflections on the common destination of created goods. Christ’s words do not encourage us to seek conflict, but simply to endure it when it inevitably comes, lest deference to others, for the sake of supposed peace in our families or society, should detract from our own fidelity. To speak of a “culture of encounter” means that we, as a people, should be passionate about meeting others, seeking points of contact, building bridges, planning a project that includes everyone. Our response to the arrival of migrating persons can be summarized by four words: welcome, protect, promote and integrate. [168] This means acknowledging that “love, overflowing with small gestures of mutual care, is also civic and political, and it makes itself felt in every action that seeks to build a better world”. The way many platforms work often ends up favouring encounter between persons who think alike, shielding them from debate. A love capable of transcending borders is the basis of what in every city and country can be called “social friendship”. [219], 233. [235] CROATIAN BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE, Letter on the Fiftieth Anniversary of the End of the Second World War (1 May 1995). The arrival of those who are different, coming from other ways of life and cultures, can be a gift, for “the stories of migrants are always stories of an encounter between individuals and between cultures. [282], 284. The ability to sit down and listen to others, typical of interpersonal encounters, is paradigmatic of the welcoming attitude shown by those who transcend narcissism and accept others, caring for them and welcoming them into their lives. [225] In this way, “persons who nourish goodness in their heart find that such goodness leads to a peaceful conscience and to profound joy, even in the midst of difficulties and misunderstandings. Kindness frees us from the cruelty that at times infects human relationships, from the anxiety that prevents us from thinking of others, from the frantic flurry of activity that forgets that others also have a right to be happy. Employing a strategy of ridicule, suspicion and relentless criticism, in a variety of ways one denies the right of others to exist or to have an opinion. 14. [78] Address to the Meeting for Religious Liberty with the Hispanic Community and Immigrant Groups, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America (26 September 2015): AAS 107 (2015), 1050-1051. Amid the fray of conflicting interests, where victory consists in eliminating one’s opponents, how is it possible to raise our sights to recognize our neighbours or to help those who have fallen along the way? [264] Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, Abu Dhabi (4 February 2019): L’Osservatore Romano, 4-5 February 2019, p. 6. By William T. Cavanaugh. Consequently, all of us are able to give without expecting anything in return, to do good to others without demanding that they treat us well in return. 241. [56] Address to Those Assisted by the Charitable Works of the Church, Tallinn, Estonia (25 September 2018): L’Osservatore Romano, 27 September 2018, p. 8. 6. That is why it is so necessary to stop supporting terrorist movements fuelled by financing, the provision of weapons and strategy, and by attempts to justify these movements, even using the media. Sadly, politics today often takes forms that hinder progress towards a different world. What happens when fraternity is not consciously cultivated, when there is a lack of political will to promote it through education in fraternity, through dialogue and through the recognition of the values of reciprocity and mutual enrichment? The Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns has created a 6-page study guide for Fratelli Tutti. Thanks to regional exchanges, by which poorer countries become open to the wider world, universality does not necessarily water down their distinct features. Political charity is also expressed in a spirit of openness to everyone. This is today’s challenge, and we should not be afraid to face it. All these are signs of an approach to life that is spreading in various and subtle ways. Certain populist political regimes, as well as certain liberal economic approaches, maintain that an influx of migrants is to be prevented at all costs. [184] What are needed are new pathways of self-expression and participation in society. The solution is not an openness that spurns its own richness. 107. I shall offer a personal reading of Fratelli Tutti, the latest encyclical from Pope Francis. If the music of the Gospel ceases to sound in our homes, our public squares, our workplaces, our political and financial life, then we will no longer hear the strains that challenge us to defend the dignity of every man and woman”. It demands a decisive commitment to devising effective means to this end. Una sfida al sistema in nome dell'umano. [219] BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE OF COLOMBIA, Por el bien de Colombia: diálogo, reconciliación y desarrollo integral (26 November 2019), 4. Once those fundamental values are acknowledged and adopted through dialogue and consensus, we realize that they rise above consensus; they transcend our concrete situations and remain non-negotiable. Introduction. This is an attitude that “wills the good” of others; it bespeaks a yearning for goodness, an inclination towards all that is fine and excellent, a desire to fill the lives of others with what is beautiful, sublime and edifying. "[20] He adds that the Catholic Church is committed to the worldwide abolition of the death penalty; he explains: "The firm rejection of the death penalty shows to what extent it is possible to recognize the inalienable dignity of every human being and to accept that he or she has a place in this universe. The Church has rightly called attention to several of these, such as the possibility of judicial error and the use made of such punishment by totalitarian and dictatorial regimes as a means of suppressing political dissidence or persecuting religious and cultural minorities, all victims whom the legislation of those regimes consider ‘delinquents’. There are also attempts to discredit politics, to replace it with economics or to twist it to one ideology or another. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. [40] Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christus Vivit (25 March 2019), 92. [181] It follows that “it is an equally indispensable act of love to strive to organize and structure society so that one’s neighbour will not find himself in poverty”. The flood of information at our fingertips does not make for greater wisdom. Here there can be no room for disguising false intentions or placing the partisan interests of one country or group above the global common good. For “man is a limited being who is himself limitless”.[130]. The previous chapter should not be read as a cool and detached description of today’s problems, for “the joys and hopes, the grief and anguish of the people of our time, especially of those who are poor or afflicted, are the joys and hopes, the grief and anguish of the followers of Christ as well. “Whoever loves a brother or sister lives in the light, and in such a person there is no cause for stumbling. The parable then asks us to take a closer look at the passers-by. [87] Message for the 2016 World Day of Peace (8 December 2015), 6: AAS 108 (2016), 57-58. [5] Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, Abu Dhabi (4 February 2019): L’Osservatore Romano, 4-5 February 2019, p. 6. A living culture, enriched by elements from other places, does not import a mere carbon copy of those new elements, but integrates them in its own unique way. Charity, on the other hand, unites both dimensions – the abstract and the institutional – since it calls for an effective process of historical change that embraces everything: institutions, law, technology, experience, professional expertise, scientific analysis, administrative procedures, and so forth. Jesus, himself a Jew, completely transforms this approach. Neoliberalism simply reproduces itself by resorting to the magic theories of “spillover” or “trickle” – without using the name – as the only solution to societal problems. [220], 234. [260] For “reason, by itself, is capable of grasping the equality between men and of giving stability to their civic coexistence, but it cannot establish fraternity”. Cultural, economic and political integration with neighbouring peoples should therefore be accompanied by a process of education that promotes the value of love for one’s neighbour, the first indispensable step towards attaining a healthy universal integration. [29] Humana Communitas. Solidarity means much more than engaging in sporadic acts of generosity. Encounter cannot take place only between the holders of economic, political or academic power. [264] It is wrong when the only voices to be heard in public debate are those of the powerful and “experts”. [12], 18. Such terrorism must be condemned in all its forms and expressions”. As Jesus told us: “You are all brothers” (Mt 23:8). There can be no racial, national, confessional or partisan differences”. In many instances, debt repayment not only fails to promote development but gravely limits and conditions it. It was felt that help should be given primarily to those of one’s own group and race. Ouvir: 8 pontos para entender a Fratelli Tutti, nova encíclica do Papa Francisco 0:00. At the same time, it warns us about the attitude of those who think only of themselves and fail to shoulder the inevitable responsibilities of life as it is. Fratelli Tutti and the Crisis of Liberalism 1. Even as individuals maintain their comfortable consumerist isolation, they can choose a form of constant and febrile bonding that encourages remarkable hostility, insults, abuse, defamation and verbal violence destructive of others, and this with a lack of restraint that could not exist in physical contact without tearing us all apart. [68] Hospitality was one specific way of rising to the challenge and the gift present in an encounter with those outside one’s own circle. [17] BENEDICT XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate (29 June 2009), 22: AAS 101 (2009), 657. [88] Solidity is etymologically related to “solidarity”. [75] Message for the 2014 World Day of Peace (8 December 2013), 1: AAS 106 (2014), 22. Whatever comes from there cannot be trusted, for it is unknown, unfamiliar, not part of the village. Will we bend down to touch and heal the wounds of others? The development of a global community of fraternity based on the practice of social friendship on the part of peoples and nations calls for a better kind of politics, one truly at the service of the common good. [145] They may be troublesome, and certain “theorists” may find it hard to classify them, yet we must find the courage to acknowledge that, without them, “democracy atrophies, turns into a mere word, a formality; it loses its representative character and becomes disembodied, since it leaves out the people in their daily struggle for dignity, in the building of their future”.[146]. In the preparation of Laudato Si’, I had a source of inspiration in my brother Bartholomew, the Orthodox Patriarch, who has spoken forcefully of our need to care for creation.