Marieli de los Ríos reflects on the encyclical Fratelli Tutti and Bioethics

During her speech, she highlighted that this document promotes a culture of encounter and dialogue, being a call to universal brotherhood and social friendship, as well as the construction of bridges between people.

On August 21, 2024, the meeting of the Querida Amazonia Study Group was held in which ideas and reflections were exchanged on the encyclical Fratelli Tutti and Bioethics, published in 2021 by Pope Francis. This document calls for universal brotherhood, social friendship, the construction of bridges between people and invites us to promote a culture of encounter and dialogue.

On this occasion, the session was led by Dr. María Elizabeth de los Ríos, professor - researcher at the School of Bioethics of the Universidad Anáhuac México, who emphasized the importance of the parable of the good Samaritan and highlighted the fundamental role that Bioethics has as a tool to protect and promote life and to: “Heal the wounds of oneself and others.”

Subsequently, she emphasized the scope and potential harmful effects of the different manifestations of racism and xenophobia at the health, epidemiological and cultural levels, and how this type of intolerant relationships and behaviors are perpetuated in a harmful cycle that affects the rest of each individual's life who has been a victim and object of such behavior.

She also highlighted the relevance of post-Holocaust philosophy in confirming the primacy of the other as a starting point for a heteronomous ethics, while she described the ethics of care as a “solicitous attention” capable of recognizing the human dignity beyond all circumstances and to attend to the needs of others in vulnerable situations. Afterwards, fraternity was distinguished as a concrete value that appeals to the ontological dignity of the human person and is capable of respecting differences, and finally Bioethics was defined as: “the implementation of the attitude of care as attention solicitous.”

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