Pope welcomes publication of ‘Fratelli tutti’ in Russian, funded by Muslims

"A beautiful and joyful surprise" that the pope said he welcomed with gratitude.

In a message published March 3 by the Vatican press office, Pope Francis said he is “happy and impressed” to learn that the Russian-language edition of Fratelli tutti had been published by the International Muslim Forum. The encyclical, he stressed, could be useful in Russia “where dialogue between Christians and Muslims is called to develop.”

The Supreme Pontiff sent a message to the participants of the presentation of the Russian translation of his encyclical on the universal fraternity, Fratelli tutti, at the Pokrovskie Vorota cultural center in Moscow. He said he welcomed the news of this edition as “a beautiful and joyful surprise” and with gratitude.

But it was above all the financing of this Russian-speaking edition by the International Muslim Forum that made the head of the Catholic Church “happy and impressed.”

The Pontiff’s latest encyclical, published last October, bases his plea for “universal brotherhood” on dialogue between Islam and Christians, in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi and the Sultan of Egypt.

A gesture that could have repercussions

This edition will help the “Russian Federation, where the dialogue between Christians and Muslims is called to develop.” Moreover, he points out, this gesture made in one corner of the world could also have repercussions in today’s “globalized and interconnected world.”

The pontiff reaffirmed his conviction that “an open and sincere discussion on the themes of brotherhood can foster dialogue between religions.” Fraternity, he emphasized, “comes from recognizing one Father.”