Fratelli Tutti encounter seeks to build bridges of unity and solidarity

By Christopher Wells

“At this moment in our history,” Cardinal Jaime Spengler said on Friday, “we must rally the best forces of our society – from both North and South – to collaborate, share, and work together so that, ultimately, a better life becomes possible, not merely for a select few, but for a ‘magnificent humanity’ that responsibly addresses the socio-environmental crisis, and above all, the plight of the poor.”

The chair of the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM) as speaking at a press conference presenting the Fratelli Tutti Synodal Meeting, the fourth in a series of encounters bringing together ecclesial and academic networks; representatives of labour, business, and finance; social activists; organized communities and more from North and South America aimed at doing just that.

In his remarks to journalists, Cardinal Spengler emphasised that the Meeting is taking place precisely in the context of the Church’s synodal journey. “I believe the synodal path we are undertaking can assist us,” he said, adding, “The synodal process must drive and promote a specific methodology – a spirit inherent to the process itself – that is always participatory and grounded in the spirit of communion, with a view towards the Church’s own mission.”

Giving voice to the voiceless

Also taking part in Friday’s press conference was Bishop Daniel Flores, represent the US Bishops’ Conference, which he serves as vice president. “This particular conference,” he said, “allows us to compare how it is that we walk together, and seek to give voice to the voiceless and to create spaces where persons who may have disagreements or different agendas can speak together calmly and hear each other, and also come to some greater, deeper understanding.”

Bishop Flores continued, “In the Americas it is particularly important that we have this sense of creating a space where these kinds of conversations can happen. It is so important. It was [important] to Pope Francis. And it is of course to Pope Leo, that we create spaces where dialogue can happen with respect and with hope for progress.” He insisted that finding “different ways to resolve problems that do not end in conflict” is one of the great challenges of our time.”

In the context of the American continent, north and south, Bishop Flores said the US Bishops’ Conference, along with their confreres in Canada and Latin America, “want to find ways to walk together in helping to promote this sense of dialogue that opens up spaces that can make peaceful resolution and hopeful progress, especially for the voiceless and those who have little power in this world.”

A humanism grounded in Christian ethics and a Christian perspective

Noting that the current Fratelli Tutti gathering is part of an ongoing process, Monsignor Reginald Andrietta, coordinator of the Organized Labour Network of CELAM, noted that although the meetings currently are focused on the Americas, “we are open to – and motivated by this gathering – to expand these values of integration further.”

While Pope Francis spoke of integration as “a dream yet to be realized,” Msgr Andrietta noted that “it is a central part of our Latin American culture, even amidst resistance that exists in this regard.” The dialogue with North America, and with the Americas as a whole, he said, are genuine steps forward.

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“We are building bridges of unity, a value of global significance,” he said. “We live in a globalized world facing global challenges, and we are called to overcome the culture of indifference, as well as the culture of individualistic and exclusively technocratic confrontation.”

Monsignor Andrietta continued, saying that through the meetings and processes being undertaken, “we are building a humanism grounded in Christian ethics and a Christian perspective – fostering the ‘culture of encounter’ that our contemporary pontiffs champion and wish for us to develop.”