On the International Day of Human Fraternity, celebrated today (4), Pope Francis says that fraternity is the only possible path for humanity wounded by wars. “Either we are brothers or everything falls apart”.
He made the statement in a message sent to participants at a roundtable held at Expo Dubai 2020, with the participation of representatives of the Holy See and religious from Al-Azhar University in Cairo.
In the message, the pontiff greets Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayyeb, with which he signed the Document on Human Fraternity three years ago, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and two institutions: the High Committee for Human Fraternity and the General Assembly of the Organization of the United Nations (UN).
The International Day of Human Fraternity was established by the UN in December 2020, at the beginning of the global health crisis, generated by the covid-19 pandemic.
In the message, the Pope also says that the pandemic has demonstrated that no one can save themselves alone. “We are all different, but equal in dignity and regardless of where and how we live, skin color, religion, social class, sex, age, health and economic conditions.” The theme of the second edition of that date is “Under the same sky”.
Francis proposed to humanity to walk together. “Either we are brothers or everything falls apart. And this is not a merely literary expression of tragedy, no, it is the truth! We see in small wars, in this third world war in pieces, people are destroyed, children have nothing to eat, education diminishes. It is destruction”.
*With information from Vatican News.