Pope Francis releases is third encyclical on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi (October 4, 2020).
Five keys to understand “Fratelli Tutti,” Pope Francis’ new encyclical ROME REPORTS in English | October 4, 2020 (4:53)
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Pope Francis’s prophetic new encyclical speaks directly into the lives of men and women today! This greatly welcomed encyclical is a beautiful reflection on humanity’s path forward to a deeply desired and sought-after peace. Pope Francis addresses his renewed call to universal fraternity “to all people of good will, regardless of their religious convictions.”
Be convinced that you have a crucial part in securing peace! In his letter, the pope delves into the “art and architecture” that builds peace and universal fraternity. Pope Francis studies “the symptoms of an unhealthy society” in this encyclical and has an alternative proposal: “a way of life marked by the flavor of the Gospel.” Amid the “noisy potpourri of facts and opinions” present in today’s world, Pope Francis suggests respectful dialogue and proposes that we answer with “a new vision of fraternity and social friendship.” He assures us that “no single act of love for God will be lost” and reminds us that “everyone has a fundamental role to play” in writing “a new page of history, a page full of hope.”
Reflect on what makes for lasting peace! As he considers the “universal scope” of fraternal love, Pope Francis paints a picture of a social peace of “enduring stability” that draws its sustenance from a culture of encounter and respecting “the truth of our human dignity.” He rebukes “fundamentalist intolerance” and other forms of “shameless aggression” that get in the way of fraternal peace. Pope Francis asks, instead, that we recover kindness and forgiveness, so that we could arise as “stars shining in the midst of darkness.”
“Fratelli tutti:” short summary of Pope Francis’s Social Encyclical
… the Pope describes it as a “Social Encyclical” (6) which borrows the title of the “Admonitions” of Saint Francis of Assisi, who used these words to “address his brothers and sisters and proposed to them a way of life marked by the flavour of the Gospel” (Par 1). The Encyclical aims to promote a universal aspiration toward fraternity and social friendship. In the background of the Encyclical is the Covid-19 pandemic which, Francis reveals, “unexpectedly erupted” as he “was writing this letter”. But the global health emergency has helped demonstrate that “no one can face life in isolation” and that the time has truly come to “dream, then, as a single human family” in which we are “brothers and sisters all” (Par 8).
Chapter One: dark clouds cover the world
Chapter Two: strangers on the road
Chapter Three: vision of an open world
Chapter Four: heart open to the world
Chapter Five: better politics
Chapter Six: dialogue and friendship
Chapter Seven: renewed encounter
“Just War”
Death penalty
Chapter Eight: religion and fraternity
Fratelli Tutti: A prayer to the Creator
Lord, Father of our human family,
you created all human beings equal in dignity:
pour forth into our hearts a fraternal spirit
and inspire in us a dream of renewed encounter,
dialogue, justice and peace.
Move us to create healthier societies
and a more dignified world,
a world without hunger, poverty, violence and war.
May our hearts be open
to all the peoples and nations of the earth.
May we recognize the goodness and beauty
that you have sown in each of us,
and thus forge bonds of unity, common projects,
and shared dreams. Amen.
[ https://cafod.org.uk/Pray/Prayer-resources/A-prayer-to-the-Creator ]
Analysis: Like a Century Ago, a Papal Encyclical Tries to Shed Light on a Dark Time
The Tablet, October 5, 2020
Has Pope Pope Francis provided the Church with the resources to navigate another such great global struggle and come out the other side, alive and kicking? Only time will tell, but when that assessment eventually is drawn up, the conversation almost certainly will begin with “Fratelli Tutti.”
“Fratelli tutti”: a call to disrupt our lives and pay attention to the world
Political theologian, Professor Anna Rowlands, reflects on Pope Francis’ urgent call to look at the world differently and take concrete actions through a true encounter with reality.
In Fratelli Tutti, Rowlands said, Pope Francis calls for a concrete response from all people of goodwill, regardless of their religious belonging. He does so using the parable of the Good Samaritan, because it is “utterly concrete, utterly practical, utterly immediate and utterly devastating in terms of what it means for an individual.”
Fratelli Tutti’ shares practical wisdom, but lacks insights of women
by Meghan Clark (NCR)
“With this third encyclical, Francis has given us much wisdom. Yet, while recognizing “the organization of societies worldwide is still far from reflecting clearly that women possess the same dignity and identical rights as men. We say one thing with words, but our decisions and reality tell another story” (Paragraph 23), the lens still doesn’t quite get applied to the church itself.”
[Meghan Clark is an associate professor of theology and religious studies at St. John’s University in New York. She is the author of the 2014 volume The Vision of Catholic Social Thought: The Virtue of Solidarity and the Praxis of Human Rights.]
‘Fratelli Tutti’ is Ubuntu by any other name
by Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator (NCR)
View the full NCR series.
