Philippine university dissects pope’s ‘Fratelli tutti’

Philippine university dissects pope’s ‘Fratelli tutti’

Two leading Catholic organizations in the Philippines connected to Jesuit-run Ateneo de Manila University hosted webinar on Nov. 7 about Fratelli tutti, Pope Francis’ social encyclical released on Oct. 3.

The online seminar, titled “Brothers All: Fraternity and social friendship,” provided online discussion and reflection on the pope’s third encyclical in the context of the Philippines.

Simbang Lingkod ng Bayan (SLB) and the John J. Carroll Institute on Church and Social Issues hosted the seminar.

The John J. Carroll Institute is an Ateneo-based organization and community of professional researchers and advocates, while the SLB is the sociopolitical apostolate of the Jesuits in the Philippines and also based at the university.

The webinar featured leading figures such as Philippine Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo, Jesuit anthropologist Father Albert Alejo and economics professor Cielito Habito.

Robredo said Fratellit tutti should teach statesmen the value of fraternity and social friendship in the field of politics.

“Fraternity and social friendship are the keys to the kind of world we envision to live in a world where justice and equality reign,” Robredo told the seminar.

She said the current coronavirus pandemic was a test that no one man can survive or surpass the pandemic like an island without the need for fellow human beings.

“The pope, in his new encyclical, inspires us to go outside oneself and widen our circles our compassion … In this time of pandemic, we are called to live these values,” Robredo added.

Jesuit Father Albert Alejo discussed the table of contents of Fratelli tutti that provided context of the encyclical to churchgoers.

“Fratelli tutti, meaning “brothers all,” is a social teaching of Pope Francis not to eliminate or ignore others. The pope hopes that we are capable of responding with a new vision of fraternity and social friendship that will not remain at the level of words,” Father Alejo said.

He said human rights violations and shaming were just two examples the pope gave which prevented universal friendship being achieved.

“We experience massive human rights violations in the Philippines. In practice, human rights are not equal for all … While one part of humanity lives in opulence, another part sees its own dignity denied,” he said.

Professor Cielito Habito also discussed the encyclical with regard to its economic impact in the Philippines and the global economy.

“The marketplace, by itself, cannot resolve every problem … without internal forms of solidarity and mutual trust, the market cannot fulfill its proper economic function,” he said.

He agreed with Pope Francis’ view that global economic problems should create a sense of unity, to be aware of the “other” in the business sector.

“We must have a new paradigm where collective outcomes come not from individuals pursuing individual greed, but from communities whose individual members work collectively for the common good,” Habito added.