Rome (Italy). On 4 February 2022, the Second International Day of Human Fraternity is celebrated, established by the United Nations to promote intercultural and interreligious dialogue. On the third anniversary of the signing of the Document on human brotherhood for world peace and common coexistence, which took place on 4 February 2019 in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, at the hands of the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyib and Pope Francis, the theme of this day is: “Under the same sky”.
A video presents the theme, taken from the words of the Holy Father’s Address at the Plain of Ur, on 6 March 2021, during the Apostolic Journey to Iraq, in which he said:
“God asked Abraham to look up to heaven and to count the stars there (cf. Gen 15: 5). In those stars he saw the promise of his offspring, he saw us. And today we, Jews, Christians, and Muslims, together with our brothers and sisters of other religions, honor Father Abraham by doing as he did: we look at the sky and walk on earth.”
“Heaven gives us a message of unity: God invites us to never separate from the brother/sister who is close to us”, states the video.
At the end of the audience on 2 February 2022, Pope Francis recalled the anniversary of the Second International Day of Human Fraternity:
“It is a source of satisfaction that the nations of the whole world unite in this celebration (…). Fraternity means reaching out to others, respecting them, and listening to them with an open heart. I hope that concrete steps will be taken, together with believers of other religions and people of good will, to affirm that today is the time for fraternity, avoiding fueling clashes, divisions, and closures. Let us pray and commit ourselves every day so that we can all live in peace as brothers and sisters”.
To celebrate the Day, on 4 February in Dubai, in the context of the Expo, the celebratory event “Human Fraternity and Global Tolerance Alliance Roundtable” will take place at the Sustainability Pavilion, a round table jointly organized by the Ministry for Tolerance and the Coexistence of the United Arab Emirates and the High Committee for Human Fraternity, with the support of the Holy See and the University of Al-Azhar, which will be attended by Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. During the event, Pope Francis will commemorate the day with a video message.
In a statement, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue invites everyone to join in the celebration, according to the modalities that each one deems appropriate, “responding to the exhortation addressed by Pope Francis and the Great Imam Al-Tayyeb to work together to overcome the challenges that humanity is facing, hoping to be able to promote, support and encourage communities and people around the world to be true messengers of unity, solidarity, and fraternity together”.
More resources: www.humanfraternityday.com
“Let us dream, then, as a single human family, as fellow travelers sharing the same flesh, as children of the same earth which is our common home, each of us bringing the richness of his or her beliefs and convictions, each of us with his or her own voice, brothers and sisters all!” (Fratelli Tutti, 8).
