Global Dialogues

The years since Fratelli Tutti have moved us further from human fraternity. Political polarization, economic and social inequality, brutal wars, and climate crisis have surged worldwide. The conviction that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights” and “should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood”–set down in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights–may even appear quixotic today. Instead of fraternity we increasingly see rival national, ideological, religious, racial, and other groups, each convinced of the justice of their cause and invested in fervent narratives about their suffering and the threats posed by others.

How can we reimagine and pursue human equality and fraternity in such a rancorously divided world, where so many people live in a state of constant bewilderment and fear? Is it possible to fully acknowledge the injustices of the past, to oppose all forms of oppression in the present, and to also recognize the fellow humanity of all, even our adversaries?

Writers bring valuable and underappreciated perspectives to these questions. With their unique capacity to describe complex states of consciousness at different times and places, they can deepen our understanding of human existence and broaden our horizons. “By opening up to the reader a broader view of the grandeur and misery of human experience,” Francis emphasized in a 2024 letter, “literature teaches us patience in trying to understand others, humility in approaching complex situations, meekness in our judgement of individuals and sensitivity to our human condition." 

Of course, bringing writers and thinkers from around the world to Rome to talk to one another is hardly a short-term fix for a broken world. But then there are no short-term fixes. Moral appeals to political leaders are of diminishing utility. Traditional modes of reportage and commentary are failing. And social protest and mass mobilization, though very important, are not enough. A more foundational effort is called for. The cultivation of global humanity as a frame of reference–the “spirit of brotherhood” of the Universal Declaration and the human fraternity of Fratelli Tutti–will be a long process; and yet those who value such ideals must go through the arduous and even harrowing experience of seeking them. 

Recognizing this imperative, the dialogues in Rome will focus on the moral and spiritual preoccupations of the literature of our time. How does literature help us to see the persistence of cruelty, the pervasiveness of suffering, and the possibilities for solidarity across deep divides? In what sense can it be said to expand the human capacity for compassionate understanding and point to possibilities of self-transcendence, social solidarity, and productive encounter? Going forward, how might we look to literature to encourage greater awareness of our shared human frailty as a vital constraint on grand human schemes of power, control, and conquest?