In an era marked by artificial intelligence, the crisis of democracies, and the weakening of social bonds, the book serves as a compass to navigate the challenges of the present. At the heart of the reflection are the five fundamental principles of the Church’s social doctrine—the dignity of the person, the common good, subsidiarity, solidarity, and the universal destination of goods—presented not as abstract concepts, but as concrete criteria for political, economic, and social action.

According to the authors, today more than ever—in an era of major technological and cultural transformations—there is a need to rebuild what is authentically human. Hence the idea of rediscovering a heritage of thought that continues to offer valuable tools for interpreting reality and promoting a more just and inclusive society.
The book weaves together theoretical reflection and historical accounts, recounting the stories of figures who embodied these principles in public life. From Václav Havel to Nelson Mandela, from Tina Anselmi to Luigi Sturzo, and on to Adriano Olivetti, their experiences show how values and responsibilities can translate into choices capable of having a concrete impact on history.

The “hidden thread” evoked by the title is precisely the bond that unites ideas, behaviors, and institutions. A thread that is often invisible, yet decisive in building more cohesive communities oriented toward the common good. For Occhetta and Maggi, universities, businesses, public administrations, the third sector, and ecclesial entities are called today to walk together, sharing responsibility and vision, to generate policies, reforms, and lifestyles that place the dignity of the person at the center.

Particular attention is given to the teachings of Pope Leo XIV and his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, which serves as one of the central focal points of the volume. “At the heart of Pope Leo XIV’s social thought lies a unified vision of humanity, which affirms that dignity is inseparable from freedom, while freedom finds its fulfillment in the common good. Only by maintaining this harmony is it possible to reopen a horizon of hope in which individuals and peoples can recognize themselves as protagonists of a shared history,” the authors write.

Francesco Occhetta, a Jesuit, journalist, and secretary general of the Vatican’s Fratelli tutti Foundation, and Davide Maggi, full professor of Economics and lecturer in the Social Doctrine of the Church, thus offer a contribution that transcends the boundaries of the ecclesial sphere to address anyone interested in understanding the challenges of the present and imagining new forms of civil coexistence.

The Hidden Thread serves as a call to personal and collective commitment, based on the belief that the great transformations of our time can only be addressed by placing the individual and their dignity at the center once again.

The book, written in Italian, is available on Amazon and IBS Libri.

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The workshops will showcase artisanal techniques and processes specific to the tradition of the Fabbrica di San Pietro, offering students direct exposure to the craft practices that the School of Arts and Crafts promotes and preserves.

Through live demonstrations, participants will be able to observe materials, tools, and work processes up close, gaining insight into the continuity between training and practical work within the Fabbrica.

The initiative is part of the Festival’s program, contributing to the dialogue between science, art, and technical knowledge, and confirming the commitment of the Fabbrica di San Pietro as a vehicle for the dissemination and preservation of artisanal skills that are at risk of being lost.

For more information, visit the website of St. Peter’s Basilica.

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She became a great-grandmother a year ago. And after three grandsons, a little girl has finally arrived. “Her name is Olivia, and her middle name is Liliana, like mine. I see her in videos; I talk to her on video calls because she lives in Chicago. She’s curious, she looks around, she’s bright. A very young woman of the future—it seems to me she has the character to face it.” The voice of Liliana Segre, 95, is strong, clear, and at times cheerful: “It’s a bit of a letdown, because when people hear me, they all say, ‘You look great.’ But despite my voice, I’m just an old lady.” In this exclusive interview for Piazza San Pietro, the senator for life, an Auschwitz survivor and Holocaust witness, recounts women’s achievements over the course of her century-long life. The progress, the setbacks, and the stumbles on the road to equality. She does so in March, the month in which International Women’s Day is celebrated worldwide, starting with an image of the concentration camps and the Shoah, among the greatest tragedies in history.

In her testimony about the concentration camps, she never fails to emphasize the unique experience of women. Why?

“There is the past, and let’s start there. I was a young girl, and I saw these two sides: the female prisoners and the women who held absolute power over them. I don’t mean the power to say ‘I’m firing you’ or ‘sign a blank contract,’ but the power to pass a sentence: ‘tomorrow you will be dead.’ I remember my astonishment—not at the prisoners, but at those who decided their fate. It was different facing the camp as a man or as a woman. Eighty years ago, we were the weaker sex, considered more fragile, more vulnerable. But those who had the power to send them to their deaths were women just like them.”

And today?
“How difficult it was for women to leave the kitchen. But they couldn’t fail to succeed; they couldn’t be relegated to doing housework. Little by little, women’s strength, their spirit, and their independence emerged.”

Unfortunately, not everywhere in the world.
“You’re right, of course not. But here in Europe, where we are, yes. Women have their place in politics, in science, in the professions. I worked for 35 years in my small company. I was a wife, a mother, a grandmother, but I didn’t have to give anything up for love.”

The strength of that little girl in Auschwitz is the same strength I draw on today to withstand controversy, threats, and attacks. Does being a woman have anything to do with it?
“I speak for myself. Ever since my youth—ever since I was old enough to form mature thoughts—I decided to be a woman of peace. I didn’t want revenge; I didn’t want to exploit my status as a survivor. Once I adopted this perspective, I made other decisions as well. To love only one man, to do so as a woman content with that choice. And then to become a mother. This is my life. In general, I think women possess extraordinary sensitivity, a different kind of insight, and when I see a woman in power who exercises it in the right way, I’m happy that she gets to demonstrate these qualities—it makes me proud. But I still suffer. I’m an old woman, but I’m not senile. I suffer in this part of my life as well. Because of the anti-Semitism that’s reaching such high levels, I suffer because I have a security detail, and I feel like it’s happening to me personally, not just to some other person I read about in the newspapers.”

In the schools where you told your story, were the boys or the girls more attentive?
“I don’t understand this curiosity, and I don’t like it. I think they were all attentive; perhaps the girls could relate to it more, but fortunately only to a small extent. I already knew the answers; I was interested in the questions those kids asked, and there were many. But I’ve never taken anyone on a “journey of remembrance.” Acquaintances, friends, relatives, school groups: no one. I’ve never wanted to go back. Others do it, but I don’t. I seem to recall that Berlusconi went once. In those terrifying places, he was wearing a fur coat. Well. Every now and then I look at pictures. Those places have aged too; their appearance has changed. When I saw students licking ice cream—it was summer—in front of the barbed wire, I realized I’d done the right thing by not going back. Besides, they were beautiful cones, all colorful.”

You started talking about your experience late…
“45 years of silence. For a long time, I didn’t even want to read about the Holocaust or watch movies. And I love the movies, even today. Then I read a little, I saw some reenactments. But not everything, you know.”

What progress regarding the status of women have you witnessed over the course of your long life?
“I was born in an era when women didn’t even ask questions, let alone have answers. Then came the first and second waves. After the war, the right to vote. And access to very high levels of responsibility. But I think there is one achievement that concerns everyone, men and women, and has obviously helped us most of all: the possibility of earning respect, attention, and giving a voice to anyone, even if you don’t share their views. Freedom of thought is the greatest step we have taken together.”

Which woman of our time can be a source of inspiration for a young girl?
“A young woman today can aspire to any position. I know Ursula von der Leyen and Roberta Metsola personally. They may make mistakes, but they’re weathering the storm of a period that’s never been so uncertain and difficult. I can, however, name someone I know better—she’s my colleague in the Senate: Elena Cattaneo. She fights with all her might against pharmaceutical companies. She has been fighting for years to make treatments for Huntington’s disease accessible to everyone—a very rare degenerative disease for which large corporations do very little, almost nothing. She is a great example of a woman.”

An interview by Goffredo de Marchis published in the March issue of the monthly magazine “Piazza San Pietro”

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From words to action, from inspiration to project. The Fratelli tutti Foundation, in collaboration with SocialFare, announces the official launch of the first edition of Academia Fratelli Tutti (in Italian), an innovative support program dedicated to those who are currently leading change in the public and private sectors.

The first sessions were held on February 19, 20, and 21, and will continue on April 9 and 10, 2026.

The challenge: embracing complexity with a new perspective

In an era of accelerated transformation, the real social challenge is not only to manage what already exists, but to accompany the decline of fraternity within work contexts, transforming them into true “accelerators” of the common good.

The Academia was created with the aim of offering business leaders, public bodies, and third sector organizations a maieutic journey. It is not traditional training, but a path to rediscover fraternity as an inner strength and inclusive planning capacity, facilitating the crucial transition from the “I” to the active “we.”

Methodology: beyond ESG, towards the “H Dimension”

The course, structured around five intense days of discussion and planning, introduces a groundbreaking element into the current educational landscape: the exploration of the H (Human) Dimension.

While the world rightly focuses on ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) parameters, Academia integrates these criteria by placing people and relationships at the center. The project benefits from a partnership of excellence:

•Fratelli tutti Foundation: promoter and guardian of the value vision.
• SocialFare: methodological partner that oversaw the incubation and design of the program.
• Inspirational People: figures from diverse backgrounds who will accompany participants, adding depth and new perspectives to the shared experience.

A concrete impact: from thought to “Proof of Value”

The impact of the Academia does not end in the classroom. The ultimate goal is generative: to provide leaders with the tools they need to translate ideas into concrete solutions. At the end of the program, participants will be able to produce a Proof of Value, i.e., tangible projects ready to generate positive and measurable change in society and within their own organizations.

The Fratelli Tutti Academy is thus a fundamental part of the Foundation’s mission: to promote social friendship that can guide complex processes towards innovative, humane, and authentically generative communities.

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With the project “Words for Humanity. Schools rewrite fraternity.,” we want to transform language from a simple means of communication into a bridge to others. It is not just a matter of reading, but of inhabiting words, bringing them into the daily reality of our children.
Each class is called to become a “laboratory of humanity”: we take the 365 words from our Vocabulary and let the students regenerate them, reinterpreting them in the light of their dreams, their wounds, and their experiences.

It is an act of generational responsibility: from the words we have received, to the words we have lived, to those we imagine for the future. Together, we can tend the garden of fraternity.

Read the press release (in Italian).

Find out more (in Italian).

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A lively and in-depth conference held in the Sala della Lupa in Montecitorio and organized by the President of the Chamber of Deputies’ Labor Commission, Walter Rizzetto, marked the beginning of the journey of the bill on fraternity in the workplace presented by the CNEL (National Council for Economics and Labor) and inspired by the reflections of the Fratelli tutti Foundation’s thematic round table. Read the text here (in Italian).

A few hours later, the trade unions appeared before the committee for the first round of hearings.

All participants highlighted the concrete proposals contained in the bill and how these could be implemented in companies, both in collective and individual bargaining, helping to accompany individuals in a world that is changing at lightning speed due to technological innovations.

Speakers included Walter Rizzetto, Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies’ Labor Committee; Ylenia Lucaselli, member of the Budget Committee; Galeazzo Bignami, leader of the Fratelli d’Italia party in the Chamber of Deputies; Renato Brunetta, President of the CNEL (National Council for Economics and Labor); Francesco Occhetta, Secretary General of the Fratelli tutti Foundation; Cesare Damiano, former Minister of Labor for the Democratic Party and President of Lavoro&Welfare; Mattia Pirulli, Confederal Secretary of CISL; Maurizio Marchesini, Vice President of Confindustria; Guido Lazzarelli, Central Director of Labor Policies at Confcommercio; Carlo Alberto Buttarelli, President of Federdistribuzione; Marco Granelli, President of Confartigianato Imprese; Enzo De Fusco, Founder of De Fusco Labour & Legal.

Galeazzo Bignami, leader of the Fratelli d’Italia party in the Chamber of Deputies: “Fraternity and harmony are fundamental in all workplaces. The encyclical Fratelli Tutti has reminded us of these principles, which the bill effectively summarizes. Fraternity is achieved by approving this text together to bring about an ethical dimension to politics.”

Ylenia Lucaselli, member of the Budget Committee: “The highest meaning of this law is to share with others the work that is such a big part of our lives.”

Renato Brunetta, President of CNEL: “All this stems from the initiative of the Fratelli tutti Foundation. CNEL drafted the bill and carried out its task of presenting it to Parliament. It has remained faithful to all constitutional references to fraternity in the workplace.”

Francesco Occhetta, Secretary General of the Fratelli tutti Foundation: “For the founding fathers, work is an exodus, a dynamic, social, and anthropological process. In the Constitution, after ‘law,’ the most recurring words are ‘work’ and ‘workers’: not only as a category, but as a community and fraternal dimension underlying Articles 1 and 4. The social doctrine of the Church was also born out of the theme of work. For this reason, through the working group coordinated by Enzo De Fusco since 2023, the Foundation has been able to act as a catalyst for draft law no. 25 54 presented by the CNEL.”

Cesare Damiano, former Minister of Labor for the Democratic Party and President of Lavoro&Welfare: “We start from the principle of community: family, school, parish, associations, parties, unions, and workplaces. Today we are in a jungle, not a community. Through this bill, I hope we can regain the soul we have lost.”

Walter Rizzetto, President of the Chamber of Deputies Labor Commission: “For the first time in three years as president of the Commission, I have chosen to also be the rapporteur for this bill. We cannot ignore this issue, and we do not conceive of fraternity as an abstract concept. It plays a role and must do so even more at the basis of bargaining.”

Mattia Pirulli, CISL Confederation Secretary: “Hyper-liberalism, globalization, technological innovation. The relationship between work and workers has entered a crisis. Participation and fraternity are two keys to a solution.”

Maurizio Marchesini, Vice President of Confindustria: “We need balance, a balance of interests within companies. The time for strong-arm tactics is over. The moral reference of the bill is very important from this point of view.”

Guido Lazzarelli, Central Director of Labor Policies at Confcommercio: “Giving a perimeter of feasibility to the principle of fraternity has been our concern from the beginning. And there are answers in this text. For example, on collective bargaining. A thousand contracts do not help fraternity.”

Carlo Alberto Buttarelli, President of Federdistribuzione: “In our retail sector, people are the key to success. We have many indicators on the lives of thousands of employees in the distribution world, which is more multicultural than most. We are making them available to this project.”

Marco Granelli, President of Confartigianato Imprese: “The concept of fraternity recalls the social responsibility of businesses, which is in the DNA of craftsmanship. And the bill partly answers the question of how businesses can remain human.”

Enzo De Fusco, Founder of De Fusco Labor & Legal: “Without the contribution of Secretary General Occhetta and the President of the Fratelli tutti Foundation, Cardinal Gambetti, we would not be here today. Since 2023, we have been working behind the scenes with the Labor Table on this initiative. If you don’t create a community environment at work, you lose a piece of life. I hope that two additional points will be included in the bill: one of an economic nature, to promote fraternity through an existing fund at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and another that provides certification for those who adopt these good practices in their companies, which I would call Be Human.”

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The School of Arts and Crafts of the Fabbrica di San Pietro offers young people full-time, free training in the crafts of the past. The School revives centuries-old traditions, promoting community, spiritual growth, and hands-on learning in the heart of the Vatican. “The School of Arts and Crafts safeguards European cultural heritage through its holistic program, which combines craft training with academic and spiritual development in an environment that is open to diverse students and free of charge,” reads the Award Jury’s statement. “The creation of lasting bonds between participants and the potential for progress towards employment or further education are notable strengths,” commented the Europa Nostra jurors.

Over the years, the awards have promoted excellence in heritage and best practices in Europe, encouraged cross-border knowledge exchange, and connected heritage actors in wider networks. The awards have brought great benefits to the winners, such as greater international exposure, additional funding, and an increase in visitor numbers. In addition, the awards have encouraged European citizens to pay greater attention to their shared heritage.

Click here to watch the award ceremony.

Click here to see the project’s presentation.

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In this context, we’ll talk about the structural issues that still get in the way of creating a development model that aims for equality and protecting the planet. We’ll look at how important it is to promote a “subsidiary” economy as a solution, mainly run by civil society organizations, to encourage dialogue and peace.
In addition, attention will be focused on the importance of multilateral action, which is now more necessary than ever. The UN agencies working in the field of agriculture and food – IFAD, FAO, and WFP – will present concrete cases on how complementarities and synergies between governments within multilateral organizations can make their work even more effective and multiply its effects.
At a time when we are witnessing a growing spiral of conflicts and military spending, which in 2023 reached an all-time high of $2.433 trillion, more than 10 times the value of official development assistance, the event aims to reiterate the urgency of consolidating effective alliances to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda.

Only through multilateral and collective action will it be possible to progress towards “a global legal, political, and economic order [that]
increases and directs international collaboration towards the solidarity-based development of all peoples” (Fratelli Tutti n. 138), and transform rural economies and food systems, making them more inclusive, productive, resilient, and sustainable, fulfilling the mandate of the three UN agencies for the elimination of hunger and poverty.

The seminar will be held in English and Italian with translation into both languages. The event will be in person. A link to follow the conversation online can be sent upon request. Registration is mandatory via the following link: online registration

For information, please write to: a.valentini@ifad.org and l.mazzoni@ifad.org

Click here to know more about the event.

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Visit the website.

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At the center of the debate “words” that, if disarmed, can become concrete actions in municipalities and in the action of an administrator.

“Often,” pointed out Gaetano Manfredi, mayor of Naples and president of Anci, “we are the ones who fuel conflict: we fuel it with politics, we fuel it with information, turning words into weapons, determining a climate that leads to wrong choices and sometimes, as an extreme consequence, to wars. Giorgio La Pira brought forward a very important message: the principle that municipalities are a place of proximity to citizens. They are the real link between politics and people, and in their specificity they are even stronger than states because they are able to speak across the barriers of diplomacy, different cultures and religions. “Some time ago,” Manfredi continued, “I participated in Florence in a meeting of mayors of Mediterranean cities along with representatives of different religious denominations as well: at the same table were men who would never have met under the flag of their own state. “There, that is precisely the global dimension of the concept of ‘fraternity’: being able to use the tool of dialogue as a powerful instrument of diplomacy and soft power. If we do not talk to each other we can only fight,” concluded the Anci president.

For his part, Father Francis Occhetta recalled, “In life we always become the words we learn, which is why the vocabulary wants to disarm words as Pope Leo asks and reawaken a nostalgia for fraternity, which was thought of by the Enlightenment and then betrayed. There is no equality and freedom without fraternity. 365 very different signatures, Nobel laureates, people who work in institutions, people who are professionals, have believed together that the paradigm of fraternity can give birth to a new alternative of being together in social life and political life.” He added, “Good words always curb words of violence and words of war. The former bestow deep peace, while the latter disturb and distress even those who utter them.

Unfortunately, today divisive words such as battlefield, season of terror, fallen, attack, conquest, offensive prevail. Instead when good words, human words enter history, these can change history, for example it was for the September 1993 agreement between Rabin and Arafat, Mandela’s amnesty, the peace processes in Colombia and Bangladesh.”

The event was also an opportunity to illustrate the agreement, signed by Anci President Gaetano Manfredi and the president of the Fratelli tutti Foundation, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, in January this year, with the aim of supporting the spread of the culture of collaboration and integration of all public actors in a context of loyal interinstitutional cooperation to protect the common good.

Today’s meeting is also part of an important stage in the run-up to the World Meeting on Human Fraternity on September 12-13, which will have an international section dedicated precisely to the world’s mayors.

The World Meeting on Human Fraternity #BeHuman was a crucial moment to reflect on the principle of fraternity in contemporary culture, a principle that in the “Vocabulary of Fraternity” has acquired a broader scope thanks to the commitment and will of the Fratelli tutti Foundation.

The volume not only collects the thoughts of #BeHuman participants, but also offers the reflections of numerous experts in the field of humanities, social sciences and scientific and technological knowledge: each author was asked to reflect on a specific word related to the concept of fraternity, referring to his or her own experience. And as Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, president of the Fratelli tutti Foundation, writes in the afterword to the book, “The splendid kaleidoscope of meanings that the authors have composed through the 365 words that have sprung from the intelligence of hearts, gives a glimpse of the plural expression of humanity, united by feelings, passions, aspirations, ideals… Believers and non-believers of good will converge together on a ‘human word.”

They talked about it (in Italian): Ansa Campania, Focus Italia, Gaeta.it, Radio Una voce vicina, Expartibus, La rampa news, Telpress, Telpress.

Click here to watch the highlights of the event (in Italian).

Click here to watch the interview at Fr. Occhetta (in Italian).

View the pictures of the event.

The post Presented in Naples the “Vocabulary of Fraternity” and the Anci-Fratelli agreement all with Mayor Manfredi and Father Occhetta. Occhetta: “Human words can make history.” appeared first on Fondazione Fratelli tutti.