Pope Francis’ catechesis on brotherhood gives us a beautiful new page for meditation on family experience.
The family is the original context where brotherhood is experienced; there, the other is recognized as a brother. In the family, a person learns to live as a member of a common bond that is characterized by a project of love. The generous presence of the mother and the father teaches the brothers and sisters to recognize one another and to be open to others. The family is the first cradle, where children learn to coexist with differences: boys and girls discover that they have a common origin; and, in the relationship with their parents and through openness to otherness, they recognize themselves as the bearers of a promise of new fertility. In the family, brothers and sisters learn the invisible loyalties that bind together different generations by giving them gifts and tasks. If they can count on the reliable and unconditional love of their mother and father, they can in turn care for the brothers and sisters of elderly parents.
Pope Francis reminds us that the “bond of brotherhood is what is formed between the children in the family, and if this happens in a climate of an education open to others, it is the great school of freedom and peace.” We can, therefore, imagine that the great tree of the global society will produce good fruits of peace and coexistence between the sexes and generations, between peoples and cultures, only if it has its roots deeply secured in family life. The family “that brings brotherhood into the world” is called, at the same time, to ask itself what kind of space it makes available for brotherhood within the home. In this way, the family is led to discernment in the exercise of motherhood and fatherhood that is not only responsible but also generous. In the context that insists on the containment of fertility and the deferral of the generation of children, the family is called—within this culture and in favor of this society—to make prophetic choices of novelty and originality, thus making room for the gift of brotherhood for their children.
At the meeting of numerous families, held a few weeks ago on the tenth anniversary of the creation of this association in Italy, Francis recalled the valuable experience of brotherhood: “You, boys and girls, are exactly this: each one of you is the unique fruit of love; you come from love and you grow in love. You are unique, but not alone! And the fact of having brothers and sisters is good for you: the sons and daughters of a large family are more capable of fraternal communion even from early childhood. In a world often marked by selfishness, a large family is a school of solidarity and sharing; and this attitude is to the benefit of society as a whole.” Obviously, in order to live its particular vocation, the family must rely not only on the ‘village’ of its friends, but also on the effective support of family policies and on the closeness of the church community. The Pontiff, in his catechesis on brotherhood, after exalting the beauty of brotherly bond with the psalmist: “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!” (Psa 132:1), did not pass in silence over the challenges and efforts tied to the experience of brotherhood, a real cross and delight of the human experience. Scripture itself offers charming pages about brotherhood alongside dramatic tales of sibling jealousy and conflict. The tragic tale of Cain and Abel immediately tells us that, among the possibilities in human life, there is that of being sadden not by one’s own evil, but by the good of others. Sometimes, instead of bringing joy among brothers, what is good afflicts; instead of producing gratitude, it provokes jealousy, envy and rivalry. Biblical wisdom invites us to choose brotherhood as a vocation to fulfill rather than as a right to claim.
We know that before God, human hierarchies have little value, and sometimes He even overturns them. This happened many times in the history of the patriarchs. Humanly speaking, the second son should be obedient to the firstborn; yet, God reverses this order, because before Him human hierarchies are not important. The basis of the new order is God’s choice, God’s election. There is also another way to deny brotherhood: not bloody murder, but prevalent indifference. Cain’s first tentative is to reject the question by denying responsibility for his brother. Let us recall the analogy with God’s first question: “Adam, where are you?” which was immediately followed by the accusation against the woman. Denying brotherhood predisposes a man to accuse his brother or deny, with disinterest, his existence. Certainly, Cain, by eliminating the other, chose solitude, and remained alone. God is not the one who condemned him to solitude; he did this to himself, by stifling the relationship with his brother. The recognition of brotherhood, therefore, requires taking the exodus route from the slavery of solitude to the promised land of solidarity. The relationship between brothers, which is generated in the family, finally bears fruit in Christian fellowship. In fact, the words “brother” and “sister,” as well as indicating family ties, express social and religious affiliations. Among the baptized, they not only indicate a common membership, but Christ’s brotherly bond with each one and, consequently, the brotherly bond between them. Moreover, since the brotherhood of Christ with his disciples and among his disciples, brotherhood has developed with each human being, not only as a member of humankind, but even more so as he/she is reached by God’s love in Christ Jesus. In this sense, Christian brotherhood is not exclusive, but rather at the service of all people. Christian brotherhood, therefore, belongs not only to the world of feelings, nor solely to the necessary scale of fundamental values; it is the gift and the fruit of the Passover of Christ, the Firstborn of many brothers and sisters. The brotherhood that comes from giving birth to daughters and sons is at the origin of the vocation to give birth to brotherhood all throughout life, until the day when Christ will return to gather us together as brothers and sisters.
Father Edoardo Algeri Ecclesiastical Adviser of the Italian Confederation of Family Counseling Centers of Christian inspiration