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November 8-9, 2021 | A signature contribution of Pope Francis's pontificate is the concept of a culture of encounter. Rooted in his experience as a Jesuit and as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, the concept emphasizes humility, generosity and patience as foundational for productive dialogue across cultural, religious, and political divides. In his October 2020 encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, Francis made an impassioned plea for a culture of encounter in a global society torn by the pandemic and increasingly fragmented along socio-economic and ideological lines. "I have frequently called for the growth of a culture of encounter capable of transcending our differences and divisions," Francis wrote, "a society where differences coexist, complementing, enriching and reciprocally illuminating one another, even amid disagreements and reservations."
The conference marked the first anniversary of Fratelli Tutti and explored the meaning and implications of a culture of encounter for the Church and the world. Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle provided keynote addresses. Three panels explored the innovations of Fratelli Tutti; the 2019 Document on Human Fraternity, a milestone in interfaith understanding; and the implications of a culture of encounter for the future of intercultural and interreligious dialogue.