| Fratelli tutti Italian for 'All Brothers' Encyclical ofPopeFrancis | |
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| Signature date | 3 October 2020 (2020-10-03) |
| Subject | On fraternity and social friendship |
| Number | 3 of 4 of the pontificate |
| Text | |
| AAS | 112 (11): 969-1074 |
| Part ofa series on |
| Catholic social teaching |
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| Overview |
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Fratelli tutti (All Brothers) is the thirdencyclical ofPope Francis, subtitled "onfraternity and social friendship"; it was released in 2020. In the document, Francis states that the way theCOVID-19 pandemic was managed by world countries has shown a failure in global cooperation. The encyclical calls for more human fraternity and solidarity, and is a plea to reject wars.
The document was signed on 3 October 2020, on the occasion of Pope Francis's visit to the tomb of his namesake,Francis of Assisi, and was published the following day on the saint'sfeast day.
Fratelli tutti is Pope Francis' thirdencyclical letter, afterLumen fidei andLaudato si'.[1] The document was first announced on 5 September 2020.[2]
The encyclical's title is taken fromFrancis of Assisi'sAdmonitions. Pope Francis had alluded to the same quotation on 14 May 2020, when he celebratedMass at theDomus Sanctae Marthae in Vatican City:[2][3]
St Francis of Assisi used to say: "All brothers and sisters". And so, men and women of every religious confession are uniting themselves today in prayer and penance to ask for the grace of healing fromthis pandemic.
On 4 February 2019, Pope Francis signed theDocument on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together while on an apostolic journey to theUnited Arab Emirates. Co-signing the document was thegrand imam of Al-Azhar,Ahmad Al-Tayyeb.[4]
Before the publication of the encyclical its title was criticized by FatherThomas J. ReeseSJ, who found it to be discriminatory toward women, because theliteral translation of the title is "Brothers all". However, theItalian phrase has the common connotation of "all of humanity" and is, by default, inclusive.[5] TheCatholic 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 thatdoes not recognize female priesthood.Phyllis Zagano also criticized the title, saying: "Too much is at stake. Too many women are being insulted. Too many female lives are at risk".[6]
Pope Francis signedFratelli tutti on 3 October 2020 inAssisi, at the tomb of Francis of Assisi inthe eponymous basilica. After celebratingMass in front of said tomb,[7] Francis put the text of the encyclical "on the altar under the tomb of St. Francis and signed it".[8] This signature marked the first time a papal encyclical was signed outsideRome.[9][10] Francis's trip to Assisi was his first outside Rome since the beginning ofCOVID-19 pandemic,[11][12] and his fourth visit to the city as pope.[2][12] The conservative Spanish Catholic websiteInfoVaticana hadleaked the original Spanish version of the encyclical on the same day despite thenews embargo.[13]
The text of the encyclical was officially published by the Vatican on 4 October 2020,[14][15][16] thefeast day of Francis of Assisi.[17][18] The publication of the encyclical was preceded by apress conference the same day.[19][20]
In the encyclical, Pope Francis states that his February 2019 meeting inAbu Dhabi withAhmad al-Tayyeb,Grand Imam of al-Azhar, during which they signed theDocument on Human Fraternity, was an inspiration for the document.[17][21] Besides Francis of Assisi, he also states that he has been inspired by numerous non-Catholics, includingMartin Luther King,Desmond Tutu, andMahatma Gandhi.[15][21]
The notion of "neighbour" elaborated in the document is partly inspired by the interpretation ofPaul Ricoeur, whom the pope quotes twice in the encyclical; the pope also quotes one of Ricoeur's thought leaders,Christian existentialist philosopherGabriel Marcel.[22]
ArchbishopVíctor Manuel Fernández participated in the encyclical's redaction.[23] Francis was also assisted by theDicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development in the drafting of the encyclical.[22]
The encyclical was written originally inSpanish,[24][25] although the title is inItalian.[26]
The encyclical calls for more human fraternity and solidarity, and is aplea to reject wars.[18] It focuses on contemporary social and economic problems, and proposes an ideal world of fraternity in which all countries can be part of a "larger human family".[20] The encyclical is roughly 43,000 words long,[27] divided into 8 chapters and 287 paragraphs,[15] and contains 288 footnotes.[27][15] Most of the encyclical contains what the Pope has already said, and can be considered as a systematic, comprehensive rearrangement of the work Francis has produced during his seven-year papacy. "By incorporating past sayings fromhomilies, speeches and statements into anencyclical, one of the highest levels of teaching in the church, he raises their authority".[27]
The encyclical asserts that "[r]acism is avirus that quicklymutates and, instead of disappearing, goes into hiding, and lurks in waiting". It also condemns believers who continue to "support varieties of narrow and violentnationalism,xenophobia and contempt, and even the mistreatment of those who are different".[28]
If every human being possesses an inalienable dignity, if all people are my brothers and sisters, and if the world truly belongs to everyone, then it matters little whether my neighbour was born in my country or elsewhere.
— Fratelli tutti, §125
Francis supports the cause ofimmigrants, saying: "No one, then, can remain excluded because of his or her place of birth, much less because of privileges enjoyed by others who were born in lands of greater opportunity. The limits and borders of individual states cannot stand in the way of this". He 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".[28] He says that migrants should also benefit from love, and quoted theUSCCB's 2018 pastoral letter against racism, saying that there aresome rights that "precede any society because they flow from the dignity granted to each person as created byGod".[1]
The Pope also calls for the establishment of the concept of "full citizenship" and the rejection of the discriminatory use of the expression "minorities". The pope insists that differences among people are a gift, and that the whole is more than the total of its single parts. He furthermore states that other cultures "are not 'enemies' from which we need to protect ourselves".[20]
The encyclical is inspired by theAbu Dhabi declaration.[28] In the encyclical, Pope Francis states the Abu Dhabi declaration "was no mere diplomatic gesture, but a reflection born ofdialogue and common commitment".[15]Fratelli tutti says: "we, the believers of thedifferent religions, know that our witness to God benefits our societies" and "We Christians ask that, in those countries where we are a minority, we beguaranteed freedom, even as we ourselves promote that freedom for non-Christians in places where they are a minority".[28]
Francis considers interreligious dialogue as a way to bring "friendship, peace and harmony", adding that without "openness to theFather of all", fraternity cannot be achieved. He adds that the foundation of moderntotalitarianism is the "denial of thetranscendent dignity of the human person" and that violence "has no basis in religious convictions, but rather in their deformities". According to him, however, dialogue does not involve reducing or hiding one's deepest convictions, and sincere and humble adoration of God promotes thesanctity of life.[20]
Pope Francis reflects upon theparable of the Good Samaritan, which is thetheological core of the encyclical.[30][31] Pope Francis says this parable is an "ever new" call fromJesus to "rediscover our vocation as citizens of our respective nations and of the entire world, builders of a new social bond". It invites the reader to introspect their inner struggle between one's ownsecurity and personal sacrifices required bycharity. The parable "speaks to us of an essential and often forgotten aspect of our common humanity: we were created for a fulfilment that can only be found in love". Pope Francis adds: "All of us have a responsibility for the wounded" and "We should not expect everything from those who govern us, for that would be childish. We have the space we need for co-responsibility in creating and putting into place new processes and changes".[30] The Pope also urges people to "be Good Samaritans who bear the pain of other people's troubles rather than fomenting greater hatred and resentment".[31]
In the same section, Pope Francis also criticises those who believe that worshipping God is enough and are untrue towhat their faith demands of them. Also, Francis points at those who "manipulate and cheat society" and "live off"welfare. He also emphasizes the importance of recognising Jesus Christ in those who are abandoned or excluded and adds he "sometimes wonder[s] why it took so long for the Churchunequivocally to condemn slavery and various forms of violence".[20]
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. Fraternity between all men and women. [...] 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.
— Fratelli tutti, §8
In the encyclical, Francis writes that the sense of global kinship is disappearing, and that the quest for justice and peace is being replaced by a "globalized indifference".[20]
InFratelli tutti, Francis states that universal brotherhood is possible, but requires "a decisive commitment to devising effective means to this end" (§ 180). Furthermore, he states thatisolationism,nationalism, a global economy that "promotes individual interests", a "loss of thesense of history", limitless consumption,wastefulness, the lack ofconcern for the environment, and athrowaway culture are hindering this end.[17] Among other things,abortion,euthanasia, neglect of the elderly,discrimination against women, andslavery are included as part of this throwaway culture;[32] the word "abortion" is not present in the encyclical, but its condemnation is alluded.[20] In the encyclical, Pope Francis says: "Social friendship and universal fraternity necessarily call for an acknowledgement of the worth of every human person, always and everywhere"; Francis warns that if the human dignity ofdisabled people, ofpoor people, or of those who do not have access to education is menaced, then fraternity will be but a "vagueideal".[31] Francis states thatindividualism "does not make us more free, more equal, more fraternal", and that what is needed is a "universal love" which promotes the dignity of every human being.[1] He also says that individualistconsumerism can possibly "rapidly degenerate into a free-for-all" which would be "worse than anypandemic".[20]
In the encyclical Francis uses the expression "liberty, equality, and fraternity" without explicitly referencingthe French motto.[22][21] He explains that "[f]raternity is born not only of a climate of respect forindividual liberties, or even of a certain administratively guaranteed equality. Fraternity necessarily calls for something greater, which in turn enhancesfreedom and equality".[22][33] He adds that liberty and equality are nothing without fraternity. Moreover, the Pope criticizes theDeclaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen and theUniversal Declaration of Human Rights for being abstract in essence, stating that equality cannot be attained by "an abstract proclamation that 'all men and women are equal'. Instead, it is the result of the conscious and careful cultivation of fraternity".[22]
In the encyclical, Pope Francis strives to ensure the situation of women globally is taken more into account; he also stated: "The organization of societies worldwide is still far from reflecting clearly that women possess the same dignity and identical rights as men".[28]
Pope Francisrepeats that thedeath penalty is "inadmissible" and that "there can be no stepping back from this position".[20] He adds that theCatholic 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".[15] He also expresses opposition tolife imprisonment, which he calls a "secret death penalty".[34]
In the encyclical, Pope Francis states the way theCOVID-19 pandemic was managed by world countries has shown a failure in global cooperation.[35] In the encyclical, he calls for the development of a mid- to long-term "form ofglobal 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".[15]
Francis also calls for a reform of theUnited Nations to prevent it from being "delegitimized".[15]
Francis criticizes "certainpopulist political regimes" thatprevent migrants from entering their countries at all costs, and lead to "axenophobic mentality". He defines good politics as politics that attempt to build communities and hear all opinions. To Francis, politics is not about "how many people endorsed me?" or "how many voted for me?", but rather about "how much love did I put into my work?" and "what real bonds did I create?"[20]
Francis warns against selfishness in the economy, and againstfinancial speculation which "continues to wreak havoc". For the Pope, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that "not everything can be resolved bymarket freedom" and that human dignity must be put "back at the center".[20] The Pope considers that a goodeconomic policy is one which creates jobs, not one which removes them.[36] He denounces the "dogma" ofneoliberalism that themarket by itselfcan resolve any problem, a dogma which repeatedly "resort[s] to the magic theories of 'spillover' or 'trickle'" to solve any societal problem.[36][37]
Fratelli tutti accepts theright to property, but states that this right "can only be considered a secondarynatural right" when compared tohuman dignity. Francis attempts to reorient the right to property as a responsibility for the care of the whole planet: "All this brings out the positive meaning of the right to property: I care for and cultivate something that I possess, in such a way that it can contribute to thegood of all".[28] He also urges that the "right to private property" be accompanied by the "prior principle" of "subordination of all private property to theuniversal destination of the earth's goods, and thus the right of all to their use".[20]
With the money spent on weapons and other military expenditures, let us establish a global fund that can finally put an end to hunger and favour development in the most impoverished countries, so that their citizens will not resort to violent or illusory solutions, or have to leave their countries in order to seek a more dignified life.
— Fratelli tutti, §262
Francis says that wars can no longer be considered justifiable, as the risks of war exceed any supposed benefits.[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 thatAugustine 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'".[15] Francis speaks of the right to defense by means of military force as a "potential right".[21]War,nuclear weapons andterrorism are all denounced as misguided substitutes for dialogue and as means to primarily furthernational agendas.[28]
The encyclical ends with twoprayers: one to theCreator that addressesGod asFather, and anecumenical Christian prayer that addresses God as theHoly Trinity.[15]
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, aBelarusian politician exiled after the2020 presidential election, responded to the encyclical with a letter,Fraternal Society: A Vision For a New Belarus. In the letter, Tsikhanouskaya noted that "a new political community" was born in Belarus out of "the desire for unity and solidarity" as a reaction to disenfranchising citizens during the post-Soviet decades of authoritarianpresidency. Reflecting on the election, she referred to the Good Samaritan parable central to encyclical, comparing the Belarusian people to the robbed and wounded traveller. She praised thelaity andclergy of Belarusian churches who answered with "prayer, mercy, and the raising of their voices against violence and lawlessness". In her conclusion, Tsikhanouskaya challenged the Pope for guidance for the peaceful protesters facing continuous violence from the government.[38]
Our Sunday Visitor describes the encyclical as "a papalplea to care for our fellow man", in the same way as the previous encyclicalLaudato si' is "a papal plea tocare for our common home".[17]
John L. Allen Jr. ofCrux comparesFratelli tutti toPius XI's 1931 encyclicalQuadragesimo anno based on similarities he sees between the political and economic contexts in which both encyclicals were released and the solutions they provided.[39]
According to Eduardo Campos Lima ofCrux, manyBrazilians were surprised and delighted by the use of Pope Francis of a quote from the songSamba da Benção ofVinicius de Moraes in the encyclical.[40]
The head of the Jesuit Institute School of Spirituality in South Africa, Catholic laywoman Dr. Annemarie Paulin-Campbell,[41][42] criticizes the content of the encyclical, its title which she believes made it difficult for woman to feel included (although, she says,"'Fratelli' is meant to communicate brothers and sisters or siblings"), and its frequent use of the word "fraternity" which she says "carries strongly masculine connotations". She stated that the encyclical addressed many social issues, but did not address problems which particularly concern women, such as "gender-based violence" and she said that the Catholic Church "does not accord women the same dignity and identical rights as men". Nevertheless, she said that despite her "critique of 'Fratelli Tutti' in relation to women, it is well worth reading because it gives a sense of the many areas in which we are struggling in contemporary society".[43]
Fr.James J. MartinSJ praises the encyclical, for he says the encyclical "ratifies a change inchurch teaching" because it declares the death penalty "inadmissible" and states that Catholics should work to abolish it.[44]
Thomas Petri, dean of thePontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception, considers that the2018 change of the Catechism andFratelli 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". Petri believes that if a pope was to deny the admissibility in itself of death penalty, it would constitute a "rupture" with the previous teachings of the Catholic Church.[45]
BishopJosé Horacio Gómez, president of theU.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".Simone Campbell says the encyclical's message is: "We must move beyond continuous divisiveness and come together to build a world worthy of all God’s children".[46]
On 1 December 2020, theDicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (DPIHD), with the help of theDicastery for Communication, has released a section of the DPIHD's website dedicated to the encyclical.[47]
Grand Imam of Al-AzharAhmad al-Tayyeb says the encyclical "is an extension of theDocument on Human Fraternity, and reveals a global reality in which the vulnerable and marginalized pay the price for unstable positions and decisions. It is a message that is directed to people of good will, whose consciences are alive and restores to humanity consciousness".[48][49][50]
Through its communication organEl Oriente, theGrand Lodge of Spain [es] praises the encyclical, saying that it shows "how far the current Catholic Church is fromits former position. In 'Fratelli Tutti', the Pope embraces Universal Fraternity, the great principle of modernMasonry". Thelodge also praises the fact that Francis addresses "the disintegrating role of the digital world, whose operation favorsclosed circuits of people who think the same way and facilitate the spread offake news that encourage prejudice and hatred".[51][52][53]
TheGrand Orient of Italy wrote in its official magazineErasmo to praise the encyclical, saying the "idea of universal brotherhood as a bond that unites all human beings, regardless of their faith, ideology, color, skin, social background, language, culture and nation" expressed in theFratelli tutti are "close to the ideals that have been the very foundations ofFreemasonry from the very beginning".[54][55]
Pope Francis participated in a virtual observance of theInternational Day of Human Fraternity on 4 February 2021 along withGrand Imam of Al-AzharAhmad al-Tayyeb,[56] a new celebration founded on 21 December 2020 by theUnited Nations and which may have been influenced byFratelli tutti.[4][57]
On 20 May 2021, theFratelli Tutti Political School was created. This school is anonline school of political thought, with its headquarters in theSan Calisto palace of Vatican City. The school is managed byJuan Ignacio Maquieyra and will dispenseonline courses which will last 12 to 18 months each. Young people from all around the world can enrol for free in the school, but the enrolment is subject to a selection process.[58]
On 21 October 2021, the Fratelli tutti foundation was created. The foundation aims to promote justice, solidarity and the common good.[59]
In July 2022,Taiwan organised an art exhibition titled "Friendly Taiwan meets Fratelli tutti" to celebrate the 80 years ofdiplomatic relationship between Taiwan and theHoly See.[60][61]
As I was writing this letter, the Covid-19 pandemic unexpectedly erupted, exposing our false securities. Aside from the different ways that various countries responded to the crisis, their inability to work together became quite evident.
Nella sua ultima enciclica "Fratelli tutti", pubblicata il 3 ottobre, Papa Francesco ha espresso apertis verbis in chiave assolutamente inedita un'idea di fratellanza universale, come legame che unisce tutti gli esseri umani, al di là della loro fede, ideologia, colore della pelle, estrazione sociale, lingua, cultura e nazione. Si tratta di un pensiero che è vicino agli ideali che costituiscono fin dalle origini le fondamenta stesse della Massoneria. Da oltre 300 anni il principio di Fratellanza è scritto in maniera indelebile nel trinomio massonico posto all'Oriente nei templi insieme a quelli di Libertà e Uguaglianza. E la realizzazione di una Fratellanza universale, è dalle origini la grande missione e il grande sogno della Libera Muratoria. E lo hanno sottolineato nei loro commenti alcuni filosofi, giornalisti e anche qualche alto prelato di Santa Roma Chiesa, esprimendosi senza riserve nei confronti del messaggio venuto fuori dall'Enciclica Bergogliana
