Last summer, St. Peter's Square was full of Nobel Prize winners, artists and performers from around the world who came to sign a document on human fraternity.
The initiative was inspired by Pope Francis' encyclical, Fratelli Tutti. The document on human fraternity takes into acount the situation of the world today—wars, natural disasters and division—and aims at making society more united.
This May 10-11, the Vatican's Fratelli Tutti Foundation will build on this first World Meeting on Human Fraternity and hold the second event with the title, Be Human.
CARD. MAURO GAMBETTI
Archpriest, St. Peter's Papal Basilica
What is at our heart and also what moved us at the end of the day, what we are trying to bring back to the world's attention are those dynamics, attitudes, sensitivities and mindsets that speak of the human in a world that seem to be dissolving from the very point of view of the ability to be human, to recognize as human.
The 2024 meeting will welcome numerous guests from different parts of the world and fields of expertise. For example, the mayor of New York City, the head of NASA and Nelson Mandela's wife are all scheduled to attend.
12 round table discussions will be held focused on topics, such as sports, education and social media. Pope Francis will join the meeting and hold a special discussion with children on fraternity.
The Foundation says one of the goals of this event is to prepare for another gathering as part of the Jubilee of 2025, next September.
KG
