I am
heartened that Pope Frances places primary value on mercy, in part because
mercy contributes to the fullness of justice.
In
his address from the balcony above St. Peter's Square on Sunday, March 17,
2013, Pope Francis told the crowd that he wanted to talk about mercy, saying he
was inspired by a book about forgiveness that he was reading. Citing the
author, an elderly German cardinal, and praising him as a "top-notch"
theologian, Francis quipped: "Don't think I'm making publicity for my
cardinals' books!" drawing a roar of laughter from the crowd.
As
they waved national flags and banners proclaiming their faith, the pontiff
exhorted his listeners in a brief homily, some of it delivered off the cuff, to
remember that without divine compassion and forgiveness, "the world would
not exist."
"God's
face is that of a merciful father who is always patient," the new leader
of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics said. "A little bit of mercy
makes the world less cold and more just."
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