On the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the Papal Encyclical All brothersArchbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the United States Catholic Bishop Conference (USCCB), directed a clear exhortation to the faithful saying: “I beg you to see Christ in each person, even in those whose policy you reject.”
The 2020 encyclical letter of Pope Francis on fraternity and social friendship was inspired by the call of San Francisco de Asís to a “love that transcends the barriers of geography and distance.” On the anniversary of the Chart encouraged Americans to reflect on the value of all human life.
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The pastoral invitation of Mons. Broglio arrives after “shocking acts of political violence” throughout the country, the result of “hostility and division,” wrote in a USCCB statement. “Places previously considered safe shelters to grow and learn – our schools, universities and churches – have become scenarios of heartbreaking tragedies and bloodshed.”
“Pope Francis described the steps that our world must give to rebuild a sense of communion after what he called ‘dreams that break in pieces.’ As the encyclical points out prophetically, people are being manipulated ‘to serve as an instrument of domination, as empty content titles that can serve to justify any action,” Broglio said.
“We have seen the manifestation of this notion in the perverse idea that one can serve the common good becoming an instrument of violence,” he added. “This happens when we refuse to see Christ’s face in the other and we only see an enemy that must be dominated or destroyed.”
Pope Francis wrote: “The path to a better coexistence always implies recognizing the possibility that the other contribution a legitimate perspective, at least in part, something that may be rescued, even when he was wrong or acted badly.”
Therefore, building peace in our nation “requires that we place at the center of all political, social and economic action, the human person, their very high dignity, and respect for the common good.”
To follow the call of Pope Francis, Mons. Broglio urged each one to “examine our hearts, our thoughts and our actions, and ask ourselves how we contribute to the polarization and animosity that afflict our nation.”
To “begin to heal the divisions between us,” Archbishop Broglio invited to carry out body mercy works, such as feeding the hungry, giving the homeless and visiting the sick and imprisoned. He also encouraged to fast from social networks and spend time praying for enemies.
In his encyclical, Pope Francis said that “true reconciliation does not escape the conflict but is achieved in the conflict, surpassing it through dialogue and transparent, sincere and patient negotiation.”
Mons. Broglio concluded: “Listen and talk to those who do not agree – especially within their own family. They discrete, debate with respect, defend their rights, but always remember in your heart that we are all children of God and deserve dignity and life.”
“On this fifth anniversary of the Fratelli Tutti Encyclical Charter of Pope Francis, let’s pray ‘so that we discover again that all are important, that all are necessary, that are different faces of the same humanity that you love. Amen.”
Translated and adapted by ACI Press. Originally published in CNA.
Tessa Gervasini
Tesa Gervasini is a intern of Catholic News Agency and member of College Fix. Recently he graduated from the Texas Christian University with a degree in strategic communication.