Pope Francis released his third encyclical, “Fratelli Tutti, On Fraternity and Social Friendship” on Saturday, October 3, 2020, in Assisi, Italy. An “encyclical” is a letter that is a teaching document by the Holy Father. This letter is addressed to all people who will accept it and reflect on the invitation to dialogue. Click here to read.

Pope Francis seeks to put forth a new vision for social relationships and is encouraging us to dream as a single human family.

Fratelli Tutti has eight chapters that are titled: Dark Clouds Over a Closed World, A Stranger on the Road, Envisaging and Engendering an Open World, A Heart Open to the Whole World, A Better Kind of Politics, Dialogue and Friendship in Society and Paths of Renewed Encounter.

Fratelli Tutti, which means, “Brothers and Sisters All”, is an expression of St. Francis of Assisi. The saint used the expression to propose a way of life marked by the flavor of the Gospel. St. Francis and now Pope Francis, invite men and women to love openly in a way that transcends the barriers of geography and distance.

Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued a statement today welcoming Pope Francis’ new encyclical, Fratelli Tutti: On Fraternity and Social Friendship.

 Archbishop Gomez’s full statement follows:

 “On behalf of the Catholic Church in the United States, I welcome the Holy Father’s new encyclical letter on human fraternity. Like Laudato Si’ before it, Fratelli Tutti is an important contribution to the Church’s rich tradition of social doctrine.

 “Pope Francis’ teaching here is profound and beautiful: God our Father has created every human being with equal sanctity and dignity, equal rights and duties, and our Creator calls us to form a single human family in which we live as brothers and sisters. 

 “God’s plan for humanity, the Pope reminds us, has implications for every aspect of our lives — from how we treat one another in our personal relationships, to how we organize and operate our societies and economies.

 “In analyzing conditions in the world today, the Holy Father provides us with a powerful and urgent vision for the moral renewal of politics and political and economic institutions from the local level to the global level, calling us to build a common future that truly serves the good of the human person.

 “For the Church, the Pope is challenging us to overcome the individualism in our culture and to serve our neighbors in love, seeing Jesus Christ in every person, and seeking a society of justice and mercy, compassion and mutual concern.

 “I pray that Catholics and all people of good will reflect on our Holy Father’s words here and enter into a new commitment to seek the unity of the human family.”