In Fratelli Tutti Pope Francis promotes a universal aspiration toward fraternity and social friendship. The beginning of this encyclical reveals the link between Laudato Sí and Fratelli Tutti: “Francis felt himself a brother to the sun, the sea and the wind, yet he knew that he was even closer to those of his own flesh. Wherever he went, he sowed seeds of peace and walked alongside the poor, the abandoned, the infirm and the outcast, the least of his brothers and sisters” (FT 2). The basic principle that undergirds the encyclical is the belief that all of us are called to be neighbors to others and to overcome prejudices, selfish interests, and historical and cultural barriers that exist in today’s world. He writes:
Let us take an active part in renewing and supporting our troubled societies.
Today we have a great opportunity to express our innate sense of fraternity,
to be Good Samaritans who bear the pain of other people’s
troubles rather than fomenting greater hatred and resentment.
Like the chance traveler in the parable, we need only have a pure and simple desire to be a people,
a community, constant and tireless in the effort to include, integrate and lift up the fallen. (FT 77)
—from the book Franciscan Field Guide: People, Places, Practices, and Prayers
by Rosemary Stets, OSF
