Opening Prayer by Jen Parker
Twenty four people joined with Sr. Rosemarie Abate, HMV in the spacious lower level meeting room at Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Detroit on Saturday, April 30,2022, for the fourth group reflection on Fratelli Tutti, the encyclical issued by Pope Francis in 2020. This reflection focused on Chapter 7 of Fratelli Tutti.
BEING ARTISTS AND ARCHITECTS OF PIECE: “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.” Pope Francis. Chpt 7 # 254:
Fratelli Tutti speaks to the modern world. It helps us see the Spirit of Christ in our daily encounters calling us to loving relationships with all our brothers and sisters – all persons – on topics covering justice, mercy, politics and religion. It sets forth Love as the path to building better, more just and peaceful societies worldwide. Chapter 7 focuses on Peace, Justice and Mercy in the lives of both nation states and in the lives of individual children of God.
Mr. Timothy Kane
Mr. Timothy Kane of FORC – Friends Of Returning Citizens – was the opening speaker. FORC is a program of the Detroit Catholic Pastoral Alliance, founded by Craig Whilby and Jamil Allen-Bey. FORC advocates for criminal justice reform and works to provide assistance to persons in or returning from criminal justice proceedings. Mr. Kane highlighted the innumerable needs and challenges encountered by these people. FORC works to help them in a variety of ways. FORC fundamentally believes in the upliftment of humanity with a wide-range social consciousness. For more information or to volunteer or donate to FORC, email FriendsOfReturningCitizensFORC@gmail.com
Table discussions followed on component topics in Fratelli Tutti Chapter 7: attitudes on war, prisons, death penalty, life imprisonment, working for peace, nuclear armament, efforts to change laws and society. Discussions were candid and enjoyable. All agreed that the issues are extremely complicated. There exists no single answer or silver bullet solution. We are called to constancy; to prayer, to persistence and to insistence. We are called to build a beloved community based on a culture of encounter –working to overcome inequality and for the integral human development of all our brothers and sisters.
Closing prayer: Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope. Where there is darkness, light. Where there is sadness, joy.
View Fratelli Tutti Chapter 6 Reflection here … 1-29-2022.
View Fratelli Tutti Chapter 3 Reflection here … 10-10-2021.
View Fratelli Tutti overview and resources … CLICK HERE