In the current state of the world, it’s no surprise that the Holy Father is calling on the whole of humanity for an end to the culture of ‘ME’ in the world. This is a culture which makes the individual (the self) the centre and purpose of everything.

In Fratelli Tutti Pope Francis challenges us to ideally replace individualism with fraternity, or at the very least, social friendship.

His Holiness is asking us to change our reason and purpose for living; to make living the Gospel our way of thinking, speaking and acting; making the principle of ‘Fraternity’ our guiding light.

We cannot talk ‘social cohesion’, and yet continue to sow the seeds of exclusion, racial distancing and factional exclusivity.

In the Book of Genesis, God commissioned Adam and Eve to ‘be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and take care of it.’ That ‘it’ contains everything – human progeny, animals, plants, and resources. That commission passes on to us in relation to every stranger on the roadside, not just at home, but also beyond our
own borders.

Pope Francis is not one who only ‘talks the talk’, he also ‘walks the walk’, shown by his dialogue with leaders of the Muslim world with the aim of fraternity between Christians and Muslims.

What gives me joy and great hope is your fraternity and inclusiveness by supporting your brothers and sisters in Africa. There are good people, like you, who are already living out Fratelli Tutti. Thank you.