Reflecting on the Legacy of Pope Francis

What Fratelli Tutti reveals about us

Pope Francis’s reign as head of the Catholic Church ended last April. I’ve found that many people who only hear about him on the news or social media may believe things that have been sensationalized or meant to push a specific narrative. In memory of Pope Francis’s passing, I want to reflect on his most recent social encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, which he addressed to “all people of good will.”

Fratelli Tutti begins with a reflection on the failures of the modern world. Factors such as sensationalized media and a deteriorating “historical consensus” contribute to a “throwaway world” where humans are treated as if they don’t matter. This concept is very similar to Pope John Paul II’s idea of the “culture of death” where “persons are no longer seen as a paramount value to be cared for and respected, especially when they are poor and disabled, ‘not yet useful’—like the unborn, or ‘no longer needed’—like the elderly.”

Further contributing to this “throwaway world” is excessive social media use: “Digital relationships, which do not demand the slow and gradual cultivation of friendships, stable interaction, or the building of a consensus that matures over time, have the appearance of sociability. Yet they do not really build community.” “Persons or situations we find unpleasant or disagreeable are simply deleted in today’s virtual networks; a virtual circle is then created, isolating us from the real world in which we are living.”

He addresses how this social media use, increased globalization, and cross-cultural dialogue have led to a “sort of cynicism” where “in today’s world, the sense of belonging to a single human family is fading, and the dream of working together for justice and peace seems an outdated utopia. What reigns instead is a cool, comfortable, and globalized indifference, born of deep disillusionment concealed behind a deceptive illusion: thinking that we are all-powerful, while failing to realize that we are all in the same boat.” This disillusionment is in part due to “abstract universalism, devised or planned by a small group and presented as an ideal for the sake of levelling, dominating, and plundering.” He adds that “globalization destroys the rich gifts and uniqueness of each person and each people.”

Pope Francis identifies the origin of these problems as a lack of true fraternity in society. People are encouraged to isolate themselves, which leads to seeing others as subhuman and enemies: “New walls are erected for self-preservation, the outside world ceases to exist and leaves only ‘my’ world, to the point that others, no longer considered human beings possessed of an inalienable dignity, become only ‘them’.” This leads Pope Francis to propose a solution by looking at one of Jesus’s parables where a man was also discarded and not treated with the dignity he deserved: the parable of the Good Samaritan.

Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the law? What do you read there?’ He answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.’ And he said to him, ‘You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.’ But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’” (Lk 10:25-37)

Pope Francis points out that for those on the roadside, encountering the injured man is a “moment of truth” which many failed: “It is remarkable how the various characters in the story change, once confronted by the painful sight of the poor man on the roadside. The distinctions between Judean and Samaritan, priest and merchant, fade into insignificance. Now there are only two kinds of people: those who care for someone who is hurting and those who pass by; those who bend down to help and those who look the other way and hurry off. Here, all our distinctions, labels, and masks fall away: it is the moment of truth. Will we bend down to touch and heal the wounds of others? Will we bend down and help another to get up? This is today’s challenge, and we should not be afraid to face it.” He also draws a parallel immediately between those who refuse to help the wounded man and the response of Cain to God after he murdered Abel: “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

Pope Francis calls for a “better kind of politics” and explains that “a community can be rebuilt by men and women who identify with the vulnerability of others, who reject the creation of a society of exclusion, and act instead as neighbors, lifting up and rehabilitating the fallen for the sake of the common good.” He proposes a “political love” be promoted to combat the isolation, individualism, and hostility of modern political life. Such a policy would involve treating people as the Samaritan treated the injured man on the road, with respect for them as a person, not as an enemy, but as a person made in the image and likeness of God.

Pope Francis ends the encyclical by talking about how we can get there, focusing on the importance of forgiveness and fraternity in society.