ABSTRACT
Principles and practices of interreligious action and peacebuilding are described in Pope Francis’ encyclical Fratelli Tutti. Pope Francis’ theory of change is that creating a culture of encounter, of honest dialogue through differences, and common action toward the common good across identities, will create more sustainable social peace. The Catholic Church is not a national church, therefore its skills and structures of engagement across identity lines are necessary for internal as well as external cooperative action and peacebuilding. Catholic methods of interreligious action and principled pluralism, including the “Three Bs,” bear many parallels with covenantal pluralism. The Three B’s are: Binding—personal change and trauma healing; Bonding—building internal group cohesion; and Bridging—making connections across group boundaries to build trust and positive relations.
