Thread by @FrMatthewLC

I'm reading #FratelliTutti (FT below) today and I will post some good lines here, then a blog post with a summary / key quotes. Hopefully, this is helpful

"It is my desire that, in this our time, by acknowledging the dignity of each human person, we can contribute to the rebirth of a universal aspiration to fraternity. Fraternity between all men and women." -@Pontifex, Fratelli Tutti 8

"For decades, it seemed that the world had learned a lesson from its many wars and disasters, and was slowly moving towards various forms of integration." Fratelli Tutti 10

This introduces a repeated theme in Chapter 1: the need to see others as brothers & sisters over enemies.

"It is not possible to settle for what was achieved in the past & complacently enjoy it, as if we could somehow disregard the fact that many of our brothers & sisters still endure situations that cry out for our attention." FT 11
This reminds us that we can improve the world.

In Fratelli Tutti 11, @Pontifex rightly critiques a kind of cultural homogenization that promotes an individualistic culture with a lack of care for others.

"There is a growing loss of the sense of history, which leads to even further breakup. A kind of 'deconstructionism,' whereby human freedom claims to create everything starting from zero, is making headway in today’s culture." -@Pontifex, Fratelli Tutti 13

"The best way to dominate and gain control over people is to spread despair and discouragement, even under the guise of defending certain values." FT 15

I, unfortunately, see this kind of political polarization by those in both major US political parties. We can do better.

"Some parts of our human family, it appears, can be readily sacrificed for the sake of others considered worthy of a carefree existence." Fratelli Tutti18

@Pontifex emphasizes how we devalue the elderly, poor, unborn, & disabled in Western culture.

"A decline in the birthrate, which leads to the aging of the population, together with the relegation of the elderly to a sad & lonely existence, is a subtle way of stating that it is all about us, that our individual concerns are the only thing that matters." Fratelli Tutti 19

"Poverty must always be understood and gauged in the context of the actual opportunities available in each concrete historical period." 21 For example, today lack of clean water & electricity is rightly considered poverty while these wee lacking through much of history.

"While one part of humanity lives in opulence, another part sees its own dignity denied, scorned or trampled upon, and its fundamental rights discarded or violated. What does this tell us about the equality of rights grounded in innate human dignity?" @Pontifex Fratelli Tutti 22

"War, terrorist attacks, racial or religious persecution, & many other affronts to human dignity are judged differently, depending on how convenient it proves for certain, primarily economic, interests." FT 25

Ex: China's treatment of the Uighurs.

"All too quickly, however, we forget the lessons of history." -@Pontifex, Fratelli Tutti 35

(Best one-liner so far.)

"No one will ever openly deny that they [immigrants] are human beings, yet in practice, by our decisions and the way we treat them, we can show that we consider them less worthy, less important, less human." Fratelli Tutti 39

"Oddly enough, while closed and intolerant attitudes towards others are on the rise, distances are otherwise shrinking or disappearing to the point that the right to privacy scarcely exists." FT 42

This is the strongest affirmation of the "right to privacy" by a Pope ever.

Today's world is too self-focused: "The ability to sit down and listen to others, typical of interpersonal encounters, is paradigmatic of the welcoming attitude shown by those who transcend narcissism and accept others, caring for them and welcoming them into their lives." FT 48

"God continues to sow abundant seeds of goodness in our human family." Fratelli Tutti 54. We need to constantly have hope like Pope Francis.

The common rights of mankind are not just abstract legal principles: "The Book of Job sees our origin in the one Creator as the basis of certain common rights: 'Did not he who made me in the womb also make him? And did not the same one fashion us in the womb?' (Job 31:15)." FT 54

Old testament often limited concerned to co-nationalists. The New Testament makes this universal, "embracing everyone on the basis of our shared humanity, since the heavenly Father 'makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good' (Matthew 5:45)." 60

"Jesus tells the story of a man assaulted by thieves and lying injured on the wayside. Several persons passed him by, but failed to stop. These were people holding important social positions, yet lacking in real concern for the common good." -@Pontifex, Fratelli Tutti 63

"Let us admit that, for all the progress we have made, we are still 'illiterate' when it comes to accompanying, caring for & supporting the most frail and vulnerable members of our developed societies. We have become accustomed to looking the other way, passing by..." FT 64

"[The parable of the Good Samaritan] speaks to us of an essential and often forgotten aspect of our common humanity: we were created for a fulfilment that can only be found in love. We cannot be indifferent to suffering." -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 68

"We were created for a fulfilment that can only be found in love." Fratelli Tutti 68

(great one-liner.)

"Once confronted by the painful sight of the poor man on the roadside. The distinctions between Judean & Samaritan, priest & merchant, fade into insignificance. Now there are only 2 kinds of people: those who care for someone who is hurting & those who pass by." #FratelliTutti 70

"Each day offers us a new opportunity, a new possibility." #FratelliTutti 77

So we should grow in holiness and charity each and every day.

We are all called to change the world. "We should not expect everything from those who govern us, for that would be childish. We have the space we need for co-responsibility... Let us take an active part in renewing and supporting our troubled societies." #FratelliTutti 77

"He [Jesus] asks us not to decide who is close enough to be our neighbour, but rather that we ourselves become neighbours to all." 79 Christian charity does not restrict itself to one kind of person.

"In the depths of every heart, love creates bonds and expands existence, for it draws people out of themselves and towards others." -@Pontifex #FratelliTutti 88

"Since we were made for love, in each one of us 'a law of ekstasis' seems to operate: 'the lover "goes outside" the self to find a fuller existence in another.' For this reason, 'man always has to take up the challenge of moving beyond himself.'" 88

Moral virtues need to be infused with charity. "If the acts of the various moral virtues are to be rightly directed, one needs to take into account the extent to which they foster openness and union with others. That is made possible by the charity that God infuses." FT 91

"Without charity, we may perhaps possess only apparent virtues, incapable of sustaining life in common." -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 91

"Love... is more than just a series of benevolent actions. Those actions have their source in a union increasingly directed towards others, considering them of value... Our love for others, for who they are, moves us to seek the best for their lives." Fratelli Tutti 94

"Love... impels us towards universal communion." -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 95

"Many persons w/ disabilities 'feel that they exist w/o belonging & w/o participating.' Much still prevents them from being fully enfranchised. Our concern should be not only to care for them but to ensure their 'active participation in the civil and ecclesial community.'" FT 98

Mere respect is insufficient: "Fraternity is born not only of a climate of respect for individual liberties, or even of a certain administratively guaranteed equality. Fraternity necessarily calls for something greater, which in turn enhances freedom and equality." FT 103

"Social friendship and universal fraternity necessarily call for an acknowledgement of the worth of every human person, always & everywhere. [Someone's birthplace or circumstances] does not justify the fact that they are living w/ less dignity.'" 106

"Every human being has the right to live w/ dignity... People have this right even if they are unproductive, or were born w/ or developed limitations. This doesn't detract from their great dignity as human persons, a dignity based... on the intrinsic worth of their being." FT 107

"We have had enough of immorality and the mockery of ethics, goodness, faith & honesty. It is time to acknowledge that light-hearted superficiality has done us no good. Once the foundations of social life are corroded, what ensues are battles over conflicting interests." FT 113

Virtue starts at home: "Families are the first place where the values of love and fraternity, togetherness and sharing, concern and care for others are lived out and handed on." -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 114

"The world exists for everyone, because all of us were born with the same dignity. Differences of colour, religion, talent, place of birth or residence, and so many others, cannot be used to justify the privileges of some over the rights of all." -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 118

“Not to share our wealth with the poor is to rob them and take away their livelihood. The riches we possess are not our own, but theirs as well.” -St. John Chrysostom (@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 119)

“When we provide the needy with their basic needs, we are giving them what belongs to them, not to us.” -St. Gregory the Great (@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 119)

The Church affirms private property but doesn't make it absolute. “The Christian tradition has never recognized the right to private property as absolute or inviolable, and has stressed the social purpose of all forms of private property.” Fratelli Tutti 120

Hard work is often part of a vocation. "Business activity is essentially 'a noble vocation, directed to producing wealth and improving our world.' God encourages us to develop the talents he gave us, and he has made our universe one of immense potential." #FratelliTutti 123

"The right to private property is always accompanied by the primary and prior principle of the subordination of all private property to the universal destination of the earth’s goods, and thus the right of all to their use." -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 123

We should seek for all to have necessities. "If we accept the great principle that there are rights born of our inalienable human dignity, we can rise to the challenge of envisaging a new humanity. We can aspire to a world that provides land, housing & work for all." FT 127

"Ideally, unnecessary migration ought to be avoided; this entails creating in countries of origin the conditions needed for a dignified life and integral development." -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 129 (1/2)

Yet, "We are obliged to respect the right of all individuals to find a place that meets their basic needs and those of their families, & where they can find personal fulfilment. Our response [immigrants] can be summarized by: welcome, protect, promote & integrate." FT 129 (2/2)

Immigration enriches us: "The arrival of those who are different, coming from other ways of life and cultures, can be a gift, for... migrants bring an opportunity for enrichment and the integral human development of all." -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 133

We are all interconnected: "We need to develop the awareness that nowadays we are either all saved together or no one is saved. Poverty, decadence & suffering in 1 part of the earth are a silent breeding ground for problems that will end up affecting the entire planet." FT 137

Begin with our own culture. "Just as there can be no dialogue with 'others' without a sense of our own identity, so there can be no openness between peoples except on the basis of love for one’s own land, one’s own people, one’s own cultural roots." @Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 143

"A living culture, enriched by elements from other places, does not import a mere carbon copy of those new elements, but integrates them in its own unique way. The result is a new synthesis that is ultimately beneficial to all." -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 148

"It is helpful to keep in mind that global society is not the sum total of different countries, but rather the communion that exists among them." -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 149

"The development of a global community of fraternity based on the practice of social friendship... calls for a better kind of politics, one truly at the service of the common good. Sadly, politics today often takes forms that hinder progress towards a different world." FT 154

"Nowadays it has become impossible for someone to express a view on any subject without being categorized one way or the other, either to be unfairly discredited or to be praised to the skies." -@Pontifex #FratelliTutti 155

How often do I see this in Catholic discussion online?

Populism is intrinsically neither good nor bad but it "can degenerate into an unhealthy “populism” when individuals are able to exploit politically a people’s culture, under whatever ideological banner, for their own personal advantage or continuing grip on power. [Etc.]" FT 159

Employment "is the finest help we can give the poor, the best path to a life of dignity. 'Helping the poor financially must always be a provisional solution in the face of pressing needs. The broader objective should always be to allow them a dignified life through work.'" FT 162

"Love of neighbour is concrete and squanders none of the resources needed to bring about historical change that can benefit the poor and disadvantaged." -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 165

Politics should not just work for the powerful. "Everything... depends on our ability to see the need for a change of heart, attitudes & lifestyles. Otherwise, [everything can be directed] at the service of those who already enjoy too much power." -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 166

"The marketplace, by itself, cannot resolve every problem, however much we are asked to believe this dogma of neoliberal faith." -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 168

This is not to say that the marketplace cannot solve many problems but that is not a cure-all for societal issues.

Justice means nobody is absolute: "To give to each his own – to cite the classic definition of justice – means that no human individual or group can consider itself absolute, entitled to bypass the dignity and the rights of other individuals or their social groupings." FT 171

The international community is similar to a community of persons. “The international community is a juridical community founded on the sovereignty of each member state, without bonds of subordination that deny or limit its independence.” -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 173

Efficiency or money are means not goals in society. “Politics must not be subject to the economy, nor should the economy be subject to the dictates of an efficiency-driven paradigm of technocracy.” -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 177

Friendship as a form of charity: "Seeking forms of social friendship that include everyone, is not merely utopian. It demands a decisive commitment to devising effective means to this end. Any effort along these lines becomes a noble exercise of charity." #FratelliTutti 180

"Charity, with its impulse to universality, is capable of building a new world." -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 183

Imagine if this was how political discussions began.😮

Truth & Charity: "Charity needs the light of the truth that we constantly seek. 'That light is both the light of reason and the light of faith.'" -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 185

"Charity, which is the spiritual heart of politics, is always a preferential love shown to those in greatest need; it undergirds everything we do on their behalf." -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 187

Let's be moved by justice AND charity!

Arguing online is not dialogue: "Dialogue is often confused with something quite different: the feverish exchange of opinions on social networks... These exchanges are merely parallel monologues. They may attract some attention by their sharp and aggressive tone." FT 200

Often the media hinders dialogue: "The media’s noisy potpourri of facts and opinions is often an obstacle to dialogue, since it lets everyone cling stubbornly to his or her own ideas, interests & choices, with the excuse that everyone else is wrong." @Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 201

"Authentic social dialogue involves the ability to respect the other’s point of view and to admit that it may include legitimate convictions and concerns." -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 203

"When individuals or groups are consistent in their thinking, defend their values & convictions, and develop their arguments, this surely benefits society. Yet, this can only occur to the extent that there is genuine dialogue and openness to others." -@Pontifex #FratelliTutti 203

Truth can be hard to find but is worth the effort: "We need to learn how to unmask the various ways that the truth is manipulated, distorted and concealed in public and private discourse." -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 208

Public ethics should be based on objective moral values: "Acknowledging the existence of certain enduring values, however demanding it may be to discern them, makes for a robust and solid social ethics." -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 211

A reminder about natural law at the societal level: "The fact that certain rules are indispensable for the very life of society is a sign that they are good in and of themselves." -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 212

"It would be easier to keep freedoms & differences in check with cleverness & a few resources. But such a peace would be superficial & fragile... Integrating differences is a much more difficult & slow process, yet it is the guarantee of a genuine & lasting peace." FT 217

"Kindness frees us from the cruelty that at times infects human relationships, from the anxiety that prevents us from thinking of others, from the frantic flurry of activity that forgets that others also have a right to be happy." -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 224

"There is... a need for peacemakers, men and women prepared to work boldly and creatively to initiate processes of healing and renewed encounter." -@Pontifex, #fridaymorning 225

"Truth, in fact, is an inseparable companion of justice and mercy. All three together are essential to building peace." -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 227

Peace leaves a society with a wide variety of individuals co-existing: "The path to peace does not mean making society blandly uniform, but getting people to work together, side-by-side, in pursuing goals that benefit everyone." -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 228

A sense of belonging: "Working to overcome our divisions without losing our identity as individuals presumes that a basic sense of belonging is present in everyone. Indeed, 'society benefits when each person and social group feels truly at home.'" -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 230

Peace takes effort to maintain: "There is no end to the building of a country’s social peace; rather, it is 'an open-ended endeavour, a never-ending task that demands the commitment of everyone and challenges us to work tirelessly to build the unity of the nation.'" FT 232

"Often, the more vulnerable members of society are the victims of unfair generalizations. If at times the poor & dispossessed react w/ attitudes that appear antisocial, we should realize that in many cases those reactions are born of a history of scorn & social exclusion." FT 234

How to love our enemies: "We are called to love everyone, without exception; at the same time, loving an oppressor does not mean allowing him to keep oppressing us, or letting him think that what he does is acceptable." -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 241

Anger does not lead to justice: "The important thing is not to fuel anger, which is unhealthy for our own soul & the soul of our people, or to become obsessed with taking revenge & destroying the other. No one achieves inner peace or returns to a normal life in that way." FT 242

Something to remember about the sacrament of confession: "Reconciliation is a personal act, and no one can impose it upon an entire society, however great the need to foster it." -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 246

The relationship between forgiving and forgetting: "Forgiving does not mean forgetting. Or better, in the face of a reality that can in no way be denied, relativized or concealed, forgiveness is still possible." -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 250

Forgiveness is always possible!

"Justice is properly sought solely out of love of justice itself, out of respect for the victims, as a means of preventing new crimes and protecting the common good, not as an alleged outlet for personal anger." -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 252

"If we want true integral human development for all, we must work tirelessly to avoid war between nations and peoples. To this end, there is a need to ensure the uncontested rule of law and tireless recourse to negotiation, mediation & arbitration." -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 257

IN 258 of #FratelliTutti Francis notes that we should not use false reasoning to justify wars. Or put another way, criteria for just wars have often been interpreted too broadly. This is not a repudiation of just war theory, but a clarification of what bar should be met.

"In view of this [the development of nuclear, chemical & biological weapons], it is very difficult nowadays to invoke the rational criteria elaborated in earlier centuries to speak of the possibility of a 'just war.' Never again war!" 259

This isn't new:

https://twitter.com/FrMatthewLC/status/1312835226398269441

"Every war leaves our world worse than it was before. War is a failure of politics and of humanity, a shameful capitulation, a stinging defeat before the forces of evil." FT 261

Part of the definition of a just war is defending oneself & one's nations from serious evil.

"St. John Paul II stated clearly & firmly that the death penalty is inadequate from a moral standpoint & no longer necessary from that of penal justice... Today we state clearly that 'the death penalty is inadmissible' & the Church is firmly committed to... its abolition." FT 263

“There ought to be no exception at all; that it is always unlawful to put a man to death.” -Lactantius (Church Father) #FratelliTutti 265

Pope Nicholas I asked the government “to free from the punishment of death not only each of the innocent, but all the guilty as well.” #FratelliTutti 265

Punishment should not be vindictive. "Fear and resentment can easily lead to viewing punishment in a vindictive and even cruel way, rather than as part of a process of healing and reintegration into society." -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 266

There are always options besides the death penalty. "It is impossible to imagine that states today have no other means than capital punishment to protect the lives of other people from the unjust aggressor." -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 267

"All Christians and people of good will are today called to work not only for the abolition of the death penalty... in all its forms, but also to work for the improvement of prison conditions, out of respect for the human dignity of persons deprived of their freedom." FT 268

In FT 268, Francis also notes, "I would link this to life imprisonment… A life sentence is a secret death penalty."

Life sentences should generally be avoided, but this is not saying that they cannot be used in those rare cases that there is no other way to protect society.

"The different religions, based on their respect for each human person as a creature called to be a child of God, contribute significantly to building fraternity and defending justice in society." -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 271

True fraternity is based in all being children of the same Father: "As believers, we are convinced that, without an openness to the Father of all, there will be no solid and stable reasons for an appeal to fraternity." -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 272

Religion is not just private: "The Church, while respecting the autonomy of political life, does not restrict her mission to the private sphere. On the contrary, 'she cannot and must not remain on the sidelines' in the building of a better world." #FratelliTutti 276

Priests should remain active on issues but not partisan: "It is true that religious ministers must not engage in the party politics... but neither can they renounce the political dimension of life itself, which involves a constant attention to the common good." #FratelliTutti 276

Religious liberty both ways: "We Christians ask that, in those countries where we are a minority, we be guaranteed freedom, even as we ourselves promote that freedom for non-Christians in places where they are a minority." -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 279

"A journey of peace is possible between religions. Its point of departure must be God’s way of seeing things. “God does not see with his eyes, God sees with his heart. And God’s love is the same for everyone, regardless of religion." -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 281

Worship bears love not hatred: "Sincere and humble worship of God 'bears fruit not in discrimination, hatred and violence, but in respect for the sacredness of life, respect for the dignity and freedom of others, and loving commitment to the welfare of all.'" #FratelliTutti 283

We should bring peace: "Each one of us is called to be an artisan of peace, by uniting and not dividing, by extinguishing hatred and not holding on to it, by opening paths of dialogue and not by constructing new walls." -@Pontifex, #FratelliTutti 284

If you are still here by this point,I included all this and a few other points that were more nuanced in my two-part summary.

Part 1: patheos.com/blogs/throughc…

Part 2: patheos.com/blogs/throughc…