Pope Francis’ long journey to a united religious world is steady on coarse with his new encyclical that now calls for a Universal brotherhood to help overcome historic religious differences. The new Encyclical “Fratelli Tutti” (All Brothers) was signed on October 3, 2020 in Assisi, Italy.
In the 300 page document, Pope Francis breaks down what he sees as wrong with global politics and the current economic system. He repeats his frequent criticisms of populism, liberalism, and free-market capitalism, voicing support for multilateral efforts and policies that prioritize the most vulnerable, including migrants and refugees.
Humankind, Pope Francis says, is in the midst of a worrying regression. People are intensely polarized. Their debates, absent real listening, seem to have devolved into a “permanent state of disagreement and confrontation.”
His solution is the creation of a Universal brotherhood.
Paragraph #8. “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.”
Paragraph #287. “He wanted to be, in the end, “the universal brother” … May God inspire that dream in each one of us. Amen.”
Paragraph #95. “Love also impels us towards universal communion. No one can mature or find fulfillment by withdrawing from others. By its very nature, love calls for growth in openness and the ability to accept others as part of a continuing adventure that makes every periphery converge in a greater sense of mutual belonging. As Jesus told us: “You are all brothers” (Mt 23:8).
Paragraph #34. “If everything is connected, it is hard to imagine that this global disaster is unrelated to our way of approaching reality … the harm we do to nature is itself the punishment for our offences. The world is itself crying out in rebellion.”
The encyclical, his third in an eight year period of his papacy is a culmination of a lot of shuttle diplomacy that has seen the Pope meet and sign agreements with leaders of various religious organizations.
He also issues a lengthy and searing critique throughout the text of today’s hyper-polarized and trigger-happy social media culture, suggesting universal fraternity as a remedy to the toxicity that dominates so much of modern social interaction.
He includes a critique of consumerism, “empty individualism,” and the free market. Even the right to private property, he says, should be secondary to the common good.
The Bible clearly says that we are not all brothers because not all of us have received Christ. Only those who believe in the name of Christ are the children of God. So it seems that this “universal brotherhood” of Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Roman Catholics, Protestants and even pantheistic indigenous religions is a non-biblical concept. It contradicts the holy word of God.
But to solve the contradiction, the pope in the encyclical continues to pass a false gospel that irrespective of your religious faith, we all pray to a ‘common God’.
Paragraph #272. “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. We are certain that “only with this awareness that we are not orphans, but children, can we live in peace with one another”. For “reason, by itself, is capable of grasping the equality between men and of giving stability to their civic coexistence, but it cannot establish fraternity”.
Paragraph #46. We should also recognize that destructive forms of fanaticism are at times found among religious believers, including Christians; they too “can be caught up in networks of verbal violence through the internet and the various forums of digital communication. Even in Catholic media, limits can be overstepped, defamation and slander can become commonplace, and all ethical standards and respect for the good name of others can be abandoned”. How can this contribute to the fraternity that our common Father asks of us?
This message is similar to what he has been preaching, that we are all brothers and sisters. And thus, ‘forms of religious faniticism’, he describes as slander that cannot contribute to universal fraternity.
Paragraph #254. “I ask God to prepare our hearts to encounter our brothers and sisters, so that we may overcome our differences rooted in political thinking, language, culture and religion. Let us ask him to anoint our whole being with the balm of his mercy, which heals the injuries caused by mistakes, misunderstandings and disputes. And let us ask him for the grace to send us forth, in humility and meekness, seeking peace.”
Paragraph #281. “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. Even if they are atheists, his love is the same. When the last day comes, and there is sufficient light to see things as they really are, we are going to find ourselves quite surprised.”
This is the biggest yet, proof that the Revelations that John saw are coming true.
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
Revelation 13
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