杏MAP导航

By Fr. Benedict Mayaki, SJ

The European Bishops have welcomed 杏MAP导航 Francis鈥檚 third Encyclical letter on fraternity and social friendship as a new compass useful also at the political level to guide the European Union in policymaking.

Fratelli tutti, the Bishops said in an accompanying their statement on Tuesday, 鈥渋ndicates the path towards integral human development, spelling out the needed steps to transform our economic and political systems and to shape them with attitudes such as openness, dialogue, engagement, solidarity, fairness, care for our common home, justice, promotion of the common good, support for the poor and marginalized.鈥�

A call to common fraternity

Explaining further, Fr. Barrios Prieto, General Secretary of COMECE, describes the new Encyclical as 鈥渁 call for a new way of living human relations鈥� - not only on paper or by words - but 鈥渨ith our daily actions, in private, public or professional life, overcoming social cultural and religious divides.鈥�

In the wake of the 2019 Document on Human Fraternity signed in Abu Dhabi, it 鈥渋nvites us all to be fraternal with each other, to help one鈥檚 neighbor whoever he or she is, without any sort of discrimination,鈥� he said.

The new Encyclical letter, continued Fr. Prieto, contains a strong reference to the 鈥渄ream of a united Europe鈥� as envisioned by its founding fathers. It will also 鈥渋nspire COMECE鈥檚 work in the years to come.鈥�

COMECE and Fratelli tutti

The EU Bishops highlighted salient themes in Fratelli tutti in their , including social-economic affairs, human rights, education, ethics, ecology and migration, among others.

They reiterated 杏MAP导航 Francis鈥檚 appeal against a 鈥渢hrowaway culture鈥�, appealing that politics should be at the service of the common good, putting 鈥渉uman dignity back at the center.鈥�

The Bishops also pointed out that in the light of the many conflicts in the world, lasting peace will only be possible on the basis of a 鈥済lobal ethic of solidarity and cooperation.鈥� They re-echoed the 杏MAP导航鈥檚 call for a reform of international organisations and economic institutions which integrates the needs of local communities and fosters 鈥渁 renewed encounter with the most impoverished and vulnerable sectors of society.鈥�

As regards fundamental rights, the COMECE statement reaffirms the Bishops' support for the inalienable, universal nature of human rights and encourages the promotion of protection from discrimination for all regardless of religion or minority denomination.

Fratelli tutti, the Bishops said, calls for a 鈥渃ulture of encounter鈥� and action towards 鈥渋nclusive and constructive dialogue among all cultural components of society.鈥� It also advocates for 鈥渁n ethics of international relations鈥� to tackle inequalities between individuals and countries, and distinguishes between politics that searches for power and politics that connects love with hope. 

The Bishops also called for implementing the principles of integral ecology based on Laudato si鈥� which links the social with the ecological dimension and calls for 鈥渆cological conversion.鈥� 

In addition, they reiterated 杏MAP导航 Francis鈥� call for protecting the rights of persons to remain in their home country in safety and dignity, or, when not possible, to migrate to a country where they can live and prosper.

鈥淚f the Encyclical Letter 鈥楲audato si鈥� is a general description of the common house, the Earth, and its inhabitants, its limits, its difficulties and the challenges it faces, the Encyclical Letter Fratelli tutti is the house rules attempting to shape the coexistence of all inhabitants and the relations between them,鈥� the EU Bishops said.