<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"><head><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml><o:OfficeDocumentSettings><o:AllowPNG/><o:PixelsPerInch>96</o:PixelsPerInch></o:OfficeDocumentSettings></xml><![endif]--></head><body><div class="ydp41a4bbddyahoo-style-wrap" style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;"><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">Hi Friends,</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">Recently, I've been reading the encyclical of Pope Francis, "Fratelli Tutti: On Fraternity and Social Friendshp." Not surprisingly, there's some good stuff in it. I was struck by the following couple of paragraphs, written in 2020, but which can certainly be applied to current conflicts in the world, such as the Israeli - Hamas battle.</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><div><p style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Segoe, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">STARTING ANEW FROM THE TRUTH</p><p style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Segoe, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">226. Renewed encounter does not mean returning to a time prior to conflicts. All of us change over time. Pain and conflict transform us. We no longer have use for empty diplomacy, dissimulation, double-speak, hidden agendas and good manners that mask reality. Those who were fierce enemies have to speak from the stark and clear truth. They have to learn how to cultivate a penitential memory, one that can accept the past in order not to cloud the future with their own regrets, problems and plans. Only by basing themselves on the historical truth of events will they be able to make a broad and persevering effort to understand one another and to strive for a new synthesis for the good of all. Every “peace process requires enduring commitment. It is a patient effort to seek truth and justice, to honour the memory of victims and to open the way, step by step, to a shared hope stronger than the desire for vengeance”. <a name="_ftnref209" href="https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20201003_enciclica-fratelli-tutti.html#_ftn209" class="ydp71f7b852cleaner" style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[209]</a> As the Bishops of the Congo have said with regard to one recurring conflict: “Peace agreements on paper will not be enough. We will have to go further, by respecting the demands of truth regarding the origins of this recurring crisis. The people have the right to know what happened”. <a name="_ftnref210" href="https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20201003_enciclica-fratelli-tutti.html#_ftn210" class="ydp71f7b852cleaner" style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[210]</a></p><p style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Segoe, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">227. “Truth, in fact, is an inseparable companion of justice and mercy. All three together are essential to building peace; each, moreover, prevents the other from being altered… Truth should not lead to revenge, but rather to reconciliation and forgiveness. Truth means telling families torn apart by pain what happened to their missing relatives. Truth means confessing what happened to minors recruited by cruel and violent people. Truth means recognizing the pain of women who are victims of violence and abuse… Every act of violence committed against a human being is a wound in humanity’s flesh; every violent death diminishes us as people… Violence leads to more violence, hatred to more hatred, death to more death. We must break this cycle which seems inescapable”. <a name="_ftnref211" href="https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20201003_enciclica-fratelli-tutti.html#_ftn211" class="ydp71f7b852cleaner" style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[211]</a></p></div><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">The encyclical is available and can be downloaded for free from the Vatican website:</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><span><a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20201003_enciclica-fratelli-tutti.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="enhancr_card_5843546266">Fratelli tutti (3 October 2020) | Francis (vatican.va)</a></span><div><br></div><div id="ydp804043b0enhancr_card_5843546266" class="ydp804043b0yahoo-link-enhancr-card ydp804043b0ymail-preserve-class ydp804043b0ymail-preserve-style" style="max-width:400px;font-family:YahooSans VF, YahooSans, Helvetica Neue, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" data-url="https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20201003_enciclica-fratelli-tutti.html" data-type="YENHANCER" data-size="MEDIUM" contenteditable="false"><a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20201003_enciclica-fratelli-tutti.html" style="text-decoration:none !important;color:#000 !important" class="ydp804043b0yahoo-enhancr-cardlink" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><table border="0" class="ydp804043b0card-wrapper ydp804043b0yahoo-ignore-table" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="max-width:400px"><tbody><tr><td width="400"><table border="0" class="ydp804043b0card ydp804043b0yahoo-ignore-table" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="max-width:400px;border-width:1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgb(224, 228, 233);border-radius:2px"><tbody><tr><td class="ydp804043b0card-primary-image-cell" background="https://s.yimg.com/lo/api/res/1.2/nJkV9eKyIl7y6ancyI34TA--~A/Zmk9ZmlsbDt3PTQwMDtoPTIwMDthcHBpZD1pZXh0cmFjdA--/https://www.vatican.va/etc/designs/vatican/library/images/logo-vatican.png.cf.jpg" bgcolor="#000000" valign="top" height="175" style="background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); 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min-height: 175px;"><tbody><tr><td class="ydp804043b0card-richInfo2" style="text-align:left;padding:15px 0 0 15px;vertical-align:top"></td><td class="ydp804043b0card-actions" style="text-align:right;padding:15px 15px 0 0;vertical-align:top"><div class="ydp804043b0card-share-container"></div></td></tr></tbody></table><!--[if gte mso 9]></v:textbox></v:rect><![endif]--></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td><table border="0" align="center" class="ydp804043b0card-info ydp804043b0yahoo-ignore-table" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:#fff;position:relative;z-index:2;width:100%;max-width:400px;border-radius:0 0 2px 2px;border-top:1px solid rgb(224, 228, 233)"><tbody><tr><td style="background-color:#ffffff;padding:16px 0 16px 12px;vertical-align:top;border-radius:0 0 0 2px"></td><td style="vertical-align:middle;padding:12px 24px 16px 12px;width:99%;font-family:YahooSans VF, YahooSans, Helvetica Neue, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;border-radius:0 0 2px 0"><h2 class="ydp804043b0card-title" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 6px; font-family: YahooSans VF, YahooSans, Helvetica Neue, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(29, 34, 40); max-width: 314px;">Fratelli tutti (3 October 2020) | Francis</h2><p class="ydp804043b0card-description" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(151, 158, 168);">Encyclical Fratelli tutti (All Brothers) of the Holy Father Francis, 3 October 2020</p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></a></div><div><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">Best wishes to you all.</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">Brian</div><div><br></div><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div><br></div><div class="ydp41a4bbddsignature"><div dir="ltr" style="font-family:new times, serif;font-size:16px;"><b><i><font color="#4c76a2">Brian Halferty</font></i></b></div></div></div></body></html>