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papal document “All Brothers” must be translated and understood in such a way
that all Christians, women and men throughout the world, may feel involved.

Indeed, it is significant that the signing of the encyclical took place precisely in
“Assisi where the young Francis stripped himself of everything to choose God
as the guiding star of his life, made himself poor with the poor and became a
universal brother. His choice of poverty also gave rise to a vision of the economy

that remains very current” (Pope Francis, Message to the Ambrosetti Forum in
Cernobbio, 4 September 2020).

In the small church of San Damiano, the crucified Lord told him three times: “Go,
Francis, and repair my Church”. This simple recommendation hides a profound
symbolism: as the ruinous state of that building is the symbol of the disturbing
situation of the Church of that time, so with a superficial faith that could not
transform life and with a love that could not warm hearts. Love for Christ and
love for neighbor opens Francis to a universal brotherhood and love for creation.

And the latter inspired him to write the famous Canticle of Creatures.

It is also interesting to note that the title of the encyclical evokes an important term
of our Marellian spirituality. In fact, “living together as brothers” - affrattellarsi -
(Letter 107), with a gaze on the Family of St. Joseph of Nazareth, constitutes our
program and way of life to which we commit ourselves from the moment we
enter the Institute. And when this is achieved, dialogue, proximity, hospitality,
service, co-responsibility and joy are made visible.

Therefore, if the pandemic has highlighted our interdependence even more, the
Pope is now telling us that, in order to get out of the crisis better, we must “row
together” because we need each other and everyone has something precious

to offer to the other.

To help the human family and heal the world from various and serious spiritual,
social and economic diseases, Pope Francis re-proposes some principles of
the Church’s social doctrine: the principle of the dignity of the person, the
principle of solidarity and the principle of the preferential option for poor. All
these principles reflect, in different ways, the virtues of faith, hope and charity.
Moreover, solidarity and fraternity are the way to the post-pandemic era.

I hope that a careful reading of the encyclical will spur us all to work together,
as disciples of Jesus and spiritual children of St. Joseph of Nazareth, to build a
“civilization of love” in the places where we are and where we work. This is not