“Fratelli Tutti” and the Culture of Encounter: A Conversation with Dr. Marcus Mescher

Our sincere thanks to Dr. Marcus Mescher for an informative, engaging discussion of Fratelli Tutti and its messages of compassion, mercy, and solidarity on October 6. Marcus helped us unpack various aspects of the document, from its historical and social context, to its use of the parable of the Good Samaritan as an interpretative key, to practical ways we can begin building the “culture of encounter” Pope Francis envisions. We’re pleased to share a video recording for those who were unable to attend or who may wish to revisit the discussion. Links to books, articles, and other references of interest are below.

• Complete text of Fratelli Tutti
• The Ethics of Encounter by Marcus Mescher
• The Study Guide to Fratelli Tutti by Marcus Mescher
• “A year after ‘Fratelli Tutti,’ it’s time for the church to move from dreaming to doing” (National Catholic Reporter, October 4, 2021)
• The New Rhetoric: A Treatise on Argumentation by Chaïm Perelman and Lucie Olbrechts-Tyteca (on the “rhetorical notion of presence“)
• “Joseph Prabhu’s Anatomy of Wisdom” (Profile by Ruth Broyde Sharone, The Interfaith Observer, December 15, 2016); TAC essays by Dr. Prabhu here and here