POPE FRANCIS TRAVELLED to Assisi on October 3, the eve of the feast of St. Francis, to sign his new encyclical, Fratelli Tutti: On Fraternity and Social Friendship, at the tomb of the saint of Assisi. Explaining the title in the opening paragraphs, the pope says St. Francis inspired him to reflect on a love that transcends the barriers of geography and distance, as the saint declared those who love their brothers and sisters as blessed.
The encyclical contains 287 paragraphs, in eight chapters and concludes with a prayer to the Creator and another ecumenical Christian prayer. Pope Francis’ third encyclical, as is in the case of Laudato Si’, is also ecumenical in its character. The text opens by recalling the visit of St. Francis to Sultan Malik-el-Kamil in Egypt, showing his openness of heart which transcended differences of origin, nationality, colour or religion.
The pope recalls his own visit to Abu Dhabi and his meeting with the Grand Imam Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, where together, they declared that “God has created all human beings equal in rights, duties and dignity, and has called them to live together as brothers and sisters”.
Presenting Fratelli Tutti, he says, “I have sought to make this reflection an invitation to dialogue among all people of good will.”
The first chapter, Dark Clouds Over a Closed World, is a critical evaluation of the challenges that threaten fraternity and friendship today. Examples drawn from around the world are a reality-check on the huge divide between the rich and the poor. The pope explains extremism and polarisation used as political strategy, and decries discrimination and rejection of people of colour, refugees and asylum seekers. The throwaway culture has led the world to cast away people—those who are no longer deemed “useful” and are regarded “a burden.” People are gradually losing the sense of belonging to a single human family.
Pope Francis challenges the world to rediscover once and for all that we need one another, where our human family can experience a rebirth, with all its faces, all its hands and all its voices, beyond the walls that we have erected.
Chapter two provides an exegesis of the parable of the Good Samaritan under the title, Stranger on the Road. Applying the parable to the present, the pope challenges us again: We have become accustomed to taking pictures or televising tragedies, but then look the other way, pass by and ignore situations until they affect us directly.
Pope Francis delineates charity as an antidote for every evil in society. Addressing the issue of racism that ravaged society, particularly in the recent past, the pope says, “Racism is a virus that quickly mutates and, instead of disappearing, goes into hiding and lurks in waiting.”
He reminds us of the urgency to attend the needs of persons with disabilities and the elderly and says we need to have “the courage to give a voice to those who are discriminated against due to their disability, because sadly, in some countries even today, people find it hard to acknowledge them as persons of equal dignity.”
The document delves deeper into two of Pope Francis’ favoured topics: a political participation rooted in gospel values and dialogue as a means to promoting cultures, fostering forgiveness and nurturing love. An initial reading of the text gives a feeling that the whole document evolves around one question: would you care to stop, bend down and touch the wounded stranger on the wayside? Jose
