Fratelli tutti: Mgr. Batzing (German Bishops), “a wake-up call, a warning and a hope”

The President of the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK), Mgr. Georg Bätzing, introduced Pope Francis’ new encyclical “Fratelli tutti” (“All Brothers”) to the German press in Limburg yesterday, saying it is a “urgent call for global solidarity and international cooperation”. According to Mgr. Bätzing, Pope Francis contests, in particular, national isolation and calls on people to consider an “ethics of international relations” where Christians have responsibility to avoid building new walls and work to remove existing obstacles. The DBK President stressed that, for Pope Francis, fraternity is “love that transcends all political and geographical barriers” and respects both people who are far from us and those who are near, because it is a matter of human dignity, based on the image of God. “The Encyclical is a wake-up call, a warning and a hope: a wake-up call so that we may find ourselves. A reminder for us not to ignore our neighbour. And a call for hope that invites us to break down walls and strengthen solidarity”, Mgr. Bätzing said. According to the prelate, although the Pope sometimes gives a harsh analysis of the world, he points to hope.
Valentina Bombelli