Pope Francis traveled recently to Assisi, Italy, to sign and promulgate his encyclical, Fratelli, tutti. "Brothers (and sisters) All." These are the words St. Francis used in addressing his followers in religious life. In his letter, the pope speaks not only to Catholics, but to the world, inviting all of us on this planet to a new sense of relatedness — the planet — beset by every imaginable division. "On the brink," one bishop said. Here is the prayer Pope Francis prayed at Assisi and which is included in his encyclical.
Lord, Father of our human family,
you created all human beings equal in dignity,
pour forth into our hearts a fraternal spirit
and inspire in us a dream of renewed encounter,
dialogue, justice and peace.
Move us to create healthier societies
and a more dignified world,
a world without hunger, poverty, violence and war.
May our hearts be open
to all the peoples and nations of the earth.
Maybe we recognize the goodness and beauty
that you have sown in each of us,
and thus forge bonds of unity, common projects,
and shared dreams. Amen.
