Soon the Holy Father will take his first visit outside the confines of the Vatican, traveling to the city of his namesake, Saint Francis of Assisi, to sign his new encyclical letter “Fratelli Tutti,” meaning “All Brothers,” based on the words of Saint Francis himself. It will be a letter to all Christians and to all people of good will in the world, encouraging us to live more justly by establishing economic structures that care for everyone once the pandemic has ended.
Pope Francis will sign the encyclical, the third of his pontificate, at the tomb of Saint Francis, the day before his feast day, Oct. 3. Because of the pandemic, Pope Francis has decided to travel in what the Vatican described as a “private form, without participation of the faithful.” The pope will return to the Vatican immediately after the signing.
Pope Francis, a Jesuit, has embraced the spirit and charism of the founder of the Franciscan order, Francis of Assisi, in his simple style of living and concern for social justice, the environment, poverty, peace and social harmony. Shortly after being elected pope, he shared that the name Francis came to him after one of the cardinals whispered in his ear, “Don’t forget the poor.” Pope Francis said, “Those words came to me: the poor, the poor. Then, right away, thinking of the poor. I thought of Francis of Assisi. Then I thought of all the wars, as the votes were still being counted,” and he remembered that Saint Francis “is also a man of peace.” He added, “That is how the name came into my heart. For me, he is the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects creation, the poor man who wanted a poor church. How I would love a church that is poor and for the poor.”
Keeping true to this desire, Pope Francis has consistently called the church, her leadership and faithful, as well as all Christians and people of good will, to be champions of the poor, promoting equality and peace, and protecting God’s greatest gift to humanity, the Earth. These Franciscan ideals have been woven into his talks, letters, sermons and actions. This new encyclical comes at the end of a month-long “Season for Creation” which has been promoted by the Vatican’s office for Integral Human Development and within a wider year-long celebration of the fifth anniversary of the pope’s 2015 encyclical “Laudato Si,” “Praise Be to You.”
At a meeting with the Laudato Si Communities at his Sept. 12 audience, the pope addressed the mixed religion group before him, “Now I would like to ask God to bless each one of you, bless the heart of each one of you, whether believing or non-believing, whatever religious tradition it may be.”
Most experts believe that the new encyclical, “Fratelli Tutti,” will follow Pope Francis’ Franciscan trajectory and will include an interreligious, ecumenical, and worldwide call to human solidarity and fraternity. In a statement earlier this month, Father Enzo Fortunato, director of the Saint Francis Basilica in Assisi, said the upcoming visit “has great meaning because the pope will sign a document that is at the heart of the charisma of Saint Francis and of fraternity.” The Franciscan Order “tells us the importance of defending people and their dignity.”
Bishop Domenico Sorrentino of Assisi said that his diocese and city awaits the visit of the pope with “emotion and gratitude.”
He said, “While the world is suffering a pandemic that makes so many peoples’ lives difficult and makes us feel for brothers in pain, we cannot but feel the need to become above all brothers in love.”
The theme of human fraternity was already proposed in the ground-breaking document that Pope Francis co-signed with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, signed in Abu Dhabi on Feb. 4, 2019. However, the encyclical will emphasize the Christian perspective on issues of human solidarity.
Pope Francis recognizes the need for greater solidarity among all people once we come out of the pandemic. Those in the know at the Vatican say that the encyclical will cover a broad canvas of issues such as war, globalization, populism and economics in a post COVID-19 world. While his “Laudato Si” dealt with humans’ relationship with the natural world, “Fratelli Tutti” will focus on how the human family can restore right relationships with one another. And God knows our world could use more love and respect in our relations with one another.
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