The Fourth Fratelli Tutti Synodal Encounter is underway in Rome, focused on building dialogue between North and South America on the socio-environmental crisis. The initiative brings together ecclesial and academic networks, representatives of labour, business and finance, social activists, and organized communities.
Speaking at a press conference presenting the encounter, Cardinal Jaime Spengler, President of the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM), said the current moment in history demands collaboration between the best forces of both North and South. The goal, he said, is not a better life for a select few, but for a magnificent humanity that responsibly addresses the environmental crisis and the plight of the poor. He noted that the meeting is part of the Church’s broader synodal journey, which promotes a participatory methodology grounded in communion and mission.
Bishop Daniel Flores, Vice President of the US Bishops’ Conference, stressed the importance of creating respectful spaces for dialogue. He said the encounter allows participants to walk together, give voice to the voiceless, and allow people with disagreements or different agendas to listen to each other calmly. In the context of the Americas, he said bishops from the US, Canada and Latin America want to promote dialogue that leads to peaceful resolution and hopeful progress, especially for those with little power. He added that this vision was central to Pope Francis and continues with Pope Leo.
Monsignor Reginald Andrietta, coordinator of CELAM’s Organized Labour Network, said that while the current process is focused on the Americas, it is open to wider integration. He recalled Pope Francis describing integration as a dream yet to be realized, a value deeply rooted in Latin American culture. The dialogue with North America, he said, represents a genuine step forward in building bridges of unity in a globalized world facing global challenges.
Monsignor Andrietta said the encounters aim to overcome both a culture of indifference and a culture of individualistic and purely technocratic confrontation, working instead to build a humanism grounded in Christian ethics and the culture of encounter championed by recent pontiffs.