Abbracciando Tutti: Embracing All

The title of Pope Francis’s 2020 encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, is very exclusive in its language though inclusive in its content. Many women in India as well as across the globe objected to the words fratelli and fraternity as they signal an insensitivity to the concerns of women and the signs of the time, which call for use of inclusive language and respect for the dignity of women and all persons. However, the text in itself is all-embracing and encouraging, as it exhorts practicing love, kindness, dialogue and sensitivity to transcend the borders of geography and distance and create bridges of friendship, equality, subsidiarity and solidarity. Embedded in the text is the clarion call to embrace all, ‘abbracciare tutti,’ which requires respecting the dignity and rights of women and others and giving them greater opportunities and protection. The article thus explores these themes in upholding peace, harmony, equality and the common good of all.