An urgent call to recognize each other as brothers and sisters
As Daughters of Jesus and Mother Candida Family, we join with joy and hope in the celebration of the International Day of Human Fraternity, which takes place every February 4. This date is not only an ephemeris in the calendar, but a deep and current call to recognize that we are all brothers and sisters, called to build together a world of peace, justice and coexistence.
This day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2020, and has its origin in a profoundly prophetic gesture that occurred seven years ago, on February 4, 2019, when Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, signed in Abu Dhabi the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Common Coexistence . A courageous gesture that reminds us that religions should never be a source of division, hatred or violence, but rather sources of dignity, encounter and fraternal love.
A gesture that needs to be realized every day to advance the path of World Peace at this moment in history when the world faces a record number of armed conflicts, with estimates ranging from 56 high-intensity conflicts, according to the Global Peace Index, to more than 120-170 total active conflicts documented by other sources such as ICRC and ACLED. This figure represents the highest point since World War II, with a significant increase in the internationalization of wars.
Fratelli tutti: keys to our way forward
This call to fraternity finds a profound echo in the encyclical Fratelli tutti. Pope Francis invited us to change course and to commit ourselves to a social friendship that excludes no one. Some of his key points especially illuminate our path today:
- One “we”: the experience of the pandemic reminded us that we are in the same boat and that no one is saved alone. We are called to move from a throwaway culture to a consciousness of global community.
- Human dignity as a foundation: every person, without exception, possesses inviolable dignity, regardless of origin, culture or circumstance.
- Dialogue as a path: sincere encounter and respectful dialogue are indispensable tools for healing social wounds and strengthening human bonds.
- Justice and common good: there can be no universal fraternity without justice and without a “good policy” that is truly at the service of all.
Fraternity that becomes mission: light of GC XIX
The fraternity we celebrate is not only an ideal, but a vocation that springs from the heart of the Gospel. As the GC XIX Determination No. 8 :
“Jesus Christ is the inexhaustible source of this fraternity that defines us and impels us. We are urged, by vocation, to rebuild fraternity where bonds are broken and to build bridges of humanity. This gift is a hope for the world.”
From this deep conviction, we understand that fraternity is not an optional task, but an essential part of our identity as Daughters of Jesus. We are called to rebuild wounded bonds, to build bridges where there are walls, to be a reconciling presence in the midst of a fragmented world. In a time marked by polarization, exclusion and indifference, this gift truly becomes hope for humanity.
To be good news of fraternity in every relationship
The Determination of the GCXIX in its n. 9 expresses it to us with simplicity and force:
“To be good news of fraternity in every relationship.”
This is our concrete path: to make every encounter a space of humanity, every bond an opportunity for communion, every gesture a seed of peace. Fraternity is built in everyday life: in listening, in welcoming, in patience, in mutual care, in closeness to those who suffer most.
As Daughters of Jesus, we know that the source of this fraternity is Jesus Christ, and we walk confidently under the protection of Mary, our Mother, asking for the grace to be a living presence of fraternity, wherever we are, wherever we are sent.
