Creating a culture for solving our problems
We continue to explore Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis’ 2020 encyclical on fraternity and social friendship. This document provides us with powerful tools to address many of our current social problems, including our environmental crises. (My introduction is found here.)
We’ve come to the section that is the heart and soul of Fratelli Tutti. It provides a roadmap for overcoming divisiveness and conflict in society that is clear and masterfully written. The focus is on dialogue as a means to form a healthy culture. “Unlike disagreement and conflict, persistent and courageous dialogue does not make headlines, but quietly helps the world to live much better than we imagine.” (198)
Dialogue is a middle way between apathy and protest. Dialogue spans cultural boundaries and raises awareness. Dialogue is not the same thing as the “parallel monologues” (200) that frequently occur on social media, with people talking past each other. Dialogue requires an open mind and heart. Its purpose is not to “discredit or insult opponents.” (201) Public dialogue in the media is frequently tainted by the powerful attempting to influence public opinion, even at the expense of the truth. Dialogue is intended to understand other’s points of view. Even if we don’t agree with them, we are respectful. The goal is to find common ground to work toward common goals. In dialogue, “we grow in our ability to grasp the significance of what others say and do, even if we cannot accept it as our own conviction. In this way, it becomes possible to be frank and open about our beliefs, while continuing to discuss, to seek points of contact, and above all, to work and struggle together.” (203)
This may sound trivial – having a conversation sounds like such a simple thing. Imagine that you are conversing with someone you know who doesn’t share all of your views. Is it difficult to bring up sensitive subjects? In postmodern culture, people tend to associate their ideas with their self. I think, therefore I am. My thoughts are me. My ideas and my personhood are the same thing. If you disagree with my idea, then you don’t like me as a person. If someone doesn’t like you, then you naturally don’t want to talk to them, or be around them. This mindset tends to shut down dialogue immediately when disagreements inevitably surface. It reinforces isolation.
This mindset is, of course, different from the Catholic understanding of the human person in several ways, but it is very common today even among Catholics and other Christians. We are embodied souls, mind, body and spirit, with intellect and will. We have minds, but there’s a lot more to us than our thoughts. Our minds are not even essential to our dignity: a person in a coma still has the same human dignity as if they were awake.
This is why the Pope talks so much about dialogue: it’s difficult to accomplish in modern times and becoming more so. We have to work at it. It’s a lost art. But it’s the required tool to accomplish what the Pope is really after: a culture of encounter. He wants us to create a better culture, because division, selfish individualism and consumerism are built into the culture we have now. What is a culture of encounter?
The word “culture” points to something deeply embedded within a people, its most cherished convictions and its way of life. A people’s “culture” is more than an abstract idea. It has to do with their desires, their interests and ultimately the way they live their lives. To speak of a “culture of encounter” means that we, as a people, should be passionate about meeting others, seeking points of contact, building bridges, planning a project that includes everyone. This becomes an aspiration and a style of life. (216)
Encounter means being “passionate about meeting others.” As a people, we are glad to meet others. We seek out meetings with other people, whether they are similar to us or not. Our goal is to build bridges and work together with them. Consider this for a moment: are you normally interested in meeting and talking to random people? People that may not look like you, scary people, poor people, rich people? What social groups are you afraid or mistrustful of? An environmental activist talking to a coal miner? A culture of encounter would have us understand each other. This is a radical departure from the culture we find ourselves in today.
Everything the Pope has written in Fratelli Tutti builds to the goal of a culture of encounter: human dignity, the common good, solidarity, fraternity, friendship, dialogue. It all leads here. A culture of encounter fosters these things. It is possible to solve our most difficult social problems in a culture of encounter, because we can finally work together. This is what we all need.
Obviously, there are a lot of ways a culture of encounter can get derailed. The Pope addresses some of them. His first point is that consensus must be built on the truth. He quotes from Laudato Si’:
The solution is not relativism. Under the guise of tolerance, relativism ultimately leaves the interpretation of moral values to those in power, to be defined as they see fit. “In the absence of objective truths or sound principles other than the satisfaction of our own desires and immediate needs… we should not think that political efforts or the force of law will be sufficient… When the culture itself is corrupt, and objective truth and universally valid principles are no longer upheld, then laws can only be seen as arbitrary impositions or obstacles to be avoided”. (206)
Objective truth does exist, dialogue helps us to find it, and our consensus on direction must be based on it. Having someone make up the “truth” is not going to work. Today the “truth” is manipulated by the powerful to serve their interests. We must look beyond that to find the objective truth and agree on it.
Even basic human rights depend on objective truth:
Otherwise, is it not conceivable that those fundamental human rights which we now consider unassailable will be denied by those in power, once they have gained the “consensus” of an apathetic or intimidated population? … Relativism always brings the risk that some or other alleged truth will be imposed by the powerful or the clever. (209)
Relativism is a hallmark of postmodern culture. The Pope correctly calls it out as an obstacle. Dialogue is the path to move beyond it to find the objective truth. Even basic rights depend on this.
Another way the culture of encounter gets derailed is through powerful interests exploiting the weak. Encounter requires respect and a sense of equality. It is dialogue between peers. This dialogue must also respect the cultures of all involved. Imagine dialogue between a mining company and indigenous people that live on the land. Respecting everyone’s needs and opinions results in compromise and a consensus that creates a lasting peace.
For Catholics, the culture of encounter is more than a way to solve social problems. It is the new culture of the Church. Drawn from the doctrine and spirit of the Vatican II Ecumenical Council, it is the primary means for the Church to engage with the modern world. It is an essential part of the Pope’s effort to bring Vatican II to fruition. It is how we, as Catholics, are to approach our mission of evangelization in these times. Jesus lived, suffered his Passion and death and was resurrected to save a people, not a bunch of scattered individuals. Everyone is invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb. The purpose and mission of the Church is to lead God’s people to his salvation. Today, this starts with dialogue and encounter.
A culture of encounter is not a culture of moralizing, or a culture of judgment, or a culture of superiority, or a culture of anti-abortion. It is not about telling people up front how they are supposed to behave, or how bad they are for doing what they are doing. Morality is important; it’s just not the first topic of conversation. Until there is a trusting relationship, with us or with Jesus, how can we engage with people on any topic? This is the purpose of a culture of encounter for the Church in modern times.
This section of Fratelli Tutti is what makes it such an important document. It describes, in simple terms, what we must do to move forward as a society. There are many roadblocks, and the culture we have today is broken in many ways. Everyone is looking for a path forward that will actually work, and Pope Francis has given us one.