Finding Fraternity in Modern Times: On Pope Francis’ Fratelli Tutti

Pope Francis signing new encyclical "Fratelli Tutti" on St Francis's tomb in Assisi

This winter, I had the pleasure of participating in the Fratelli Tutti reading group. As one new to Catholic social teaching, I sought to contextualize what I was reading in my previous knowledge and experience. This proved easy to do because I observed that many of Pope Francis’ points in the encyclical, while vitally important and prescient, are not at all new ones. For example, he calls for us to respect the rights of women, refugees, and people with disabilities.

We can all remember the rebellious streak that we had as young children. Even the smartest and best-behaved children sometimes frustrate their parents and teachers by not complying with their repeatedly-given instructions. Later, they grow up and become even more independent-minded and rebellious. 

Accordingly, I could not help but wonder if the Pope felt some frustration at having to repeat the above-mentioned exhortations to the world. He is holy, but he is human, and as the head of the Catholic Church and bearer of some nondenominational, universal messages of human rights in this encyclical, he has a herculean task. It is a tall order to be responsible for guiding and promoting the welfare of humanity, of 7.8 billion people who continue to struggle to heed his words, instead choosing far too frequently to exacerbate and inflame divisions along every axis of difference. 

“He is holy, but he is human, and as the head of the Catholic Church and bearer of some nondenominational, universal messages of human rights in this encyclical, he has a herculean task.”

The Pope’s situation here called to my mind a particular image. In this encyclical, he seems to be playing the role of a benevolent but harried kindergarten teacher with a class of 7.8 billion students, an unfortunate number of whom have serious behavioral problems. I picture him standing there in his large globe-classroom, doing his best to morally bestride the world that is broad in number of mistakes but narrow in type of mistake- for humans make the same mistakes repeatedly, all over the world. He must be understandably troubled and exhausted by the repetition in instruction that his class requires. In my mind’s eye, our teacher Mr. Pontifex, wise and resplendent in his papal robes, watches our fighting and polarization with the deepest concern. He holds his very caffeinated coffee, rubs his furrowed brow as if he can feel a headache coming on, and considers taking ibuprofen because he can tell that while his school day of toil has been long, it will continue longer still. He calls God the Father and principal in prayer for heavenly aid and continues to minister patiently to his unruly and divided class. 

Fratelli Tutti strikes me as a call to action. We should approach it as honest, eager, and thoughtful students: where have we erred, and what instructions have we failed to heed? These are questions we must answer before we can move forward together as a more united world.