Pope Francis is to release a new encyclical which is expected to focus on what the world should look like following the Covid-19 pandemic. The 83-year-old Roman Pontiff will travel to Assisi to sign the document, in what will be his first trip outside of Rome since the Coronavirus struck Italy.
His visit to the small Umbrian town is highly symbolic as it is taking place on the feast of his namesake, St Francis of Assisi, the saint of poverty, peace and care for creation. The Vatican said on 5 September that the encyclical will be titled Fratelli tutti, or Brothers all, and will be on “fraternity and social friendship”. The Pope will sign it after saying Mass at the tomb of St Francis, but due to the virus, he will celebrate the liturgy privately, and without anyone present.
Although the encyclical will offer a framework for a more just post-pandemic world, The Tablet understands it has been in preparation since before the emergence of Covid-19.
The encyclical is expected to build on the themes of human fraternity found in the joint declaration signed in Abu Dhabi by the Pope and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, which calls on religions to work more closely together.
The Pope has made dialogue with other religions a hallmark of his pontificate and has sought to build up relations within the Muslim world.
By travelling to the United Arab Emirates in 2019, he became the first Pope to visit the Arabian Peninsula and has made efforts to channel the spirit of St Francis, who 800 years ago sought to broker a peace with the Sultan of Egypt during the Crusades.
The encyclical, the highest form of papal writing, is likely to cover a broad canvas of issues such as war, globalisation, populism and economics. At a time of growing polarisation in politics, the document could well examine how to tackle fragmentation and inequality.