In the journey of the catechesis on the family, after considering the role of the mother, the father and the children, at this Audience, Pope Francis focused on the siblings. "Brother" and "sister," he said, "are words that Christianity loves. And, thanks to the family, these are words that all cultures and all eras understand."
Not only does "the brotherly bond have a special place in the history of God's People, who receives His revelation in the heart of human experience," but Jesus "brought to its fullness even this human experience of being brothers and sisters, by assuming it in the Trinitarian love and strengthening it so that it goes well beyond the ties of kinship and is capable of overcoming every obstacle of estrangement."
When the brotherly relationship is destroyed, "this opens the way to painful experiences of conflict, betrayal, hatred," the Pope said, referring to the Biblical story of Cain and Abel, "and even in families— he added off the cuff—many brothers and sisters fight over little things… over an inheritance… then they stop speaking to each other… this is awful! Brotherhood is such a great thing. Just think, brothers and sisters, they all dwelt in the womb of the same mother for nine months, they come from their mother’s flesh."
This is why "the bonds of brotherhood cannot be broken." Moreover, the bond of brotherhood is what is formed between the children in the family, "if this happens in a climate of an education open to others, it is the great school of freedom and peace". We are perhaps not always aware of the fact, "but it's the family—Francis said—that brings brotherhood into the world! This first experience of brotherhood, nourished by affection and by family education, produces a style of fraternity that shines forth like a promise throughout society and in relationships between the peoples. Brotherhood in the family—he noted—glows in a special way when we see the kindness, patience and affection with which a weaker, sick, or handicapped brother or sister cared for. There many brothers and sisters all over the world who do this and maybe we do not appreciate their generosity enough. And when there are many brothers and sisters in a family, the oldest helps the father and the mother to take care of the younger ones. This mutual help between brothers and sisters is beautiful!"
Today more than ever, according to Pope Francis "it is necessary to put brotherhood back into the heart of our technocratic and bureaucratic society: then freedom and equality will also take on the right intonation. So—he insisted—we must not light-headedly deprive ourselves or our families, out of subjection or fear, of the beauty of a large brotherly experience of sons and daughters. And we must not lose our confidence in the breadth of horizons that faith is able to draw from this experience, illuminated by God’s blessing."
