On the 3rd October Pope Francis announced the publication of his third encyclical letter, “Fratelli tutti” (On Fraternity and Social Friendship). Inspired by St. Francis it is an exploration of the call to all in our world to live in harmony and love. He teases it out through eight chapters and 287 paragraphs. He ends it with two prayers — “A Prayer to the Creator” and “An Ecumenical Christian Prayer”. Here is the first one:
A Prayer to the Creator
Lord, Father of our human family,
you created all human beings equal in dignity:
pour forth into our hearts a fraternal spirit
and inspire in us a dream of renewed encounter,
dialogue, justice and peace.
Move us to create healthier societies
and a more dignified world,
a world without hunger, poverty, violence and war.
May our hearts be open
to all the peoples and nations of the earth.
May we recognize the goodness and beauty
that you have sown in each of us,
and thus forge bonds of unity, common projects,
and shared dreams. Amen.