Pope Francis on Mercy

Book Review: The Name of God is Mercy

(Pope Francis in conversation with Andrea Tornielli)

As stated in the introduction, The Name of God is Mercy is a record of author Andrea Tornielli’s  question-and-answer conversation with Pope Francis in his living quarters in Saint Martha’s House, Vacitan City.

Tornielli establishes in the appropriately titled introduction, “Francis’s Vision”, that Pope Francis’s focus from the beginning of his papacy has been on the mercy of God.  She notes that, during his 2^nd homily delivered on March 17, 2013 at the Church of St. Anna in the Vatican just 4 days after his election as pope, he referred to the story of the fallen woman (John 8:11) and commented, “The message of Jesus is mercy.  For me; and I say this with humility, it is the Lord’s strongest message.” (iv)  A year later, on April 7, 2014, in a homily delivered at Saint Martha’s Home, he added, God forgives not with a decree but with a caress.” (xii)

John 8:11 - Story of The Fallen Woman

In Part I, “A Time For Mercy”, in response to the question Where did the inspiration [for a Holy Year of Mercy] come from?, Pope Francis reveals that he spent considerable time in prayer reflecting on the mission of the Church and came to the realization that the Church should operate “…as a field hospital, where treatment is given above all to those who are most wounded.” (8)  He adds that the need for mercy is critical “Because humanity is wounded … [not just from] social ills or poverty, social exclusion [but also] Relativism.” (15)  After lamenting that many people are so distraught that they “don’t believe that there is a chance for redemption”, he nonetheless affirms that “The love of God exists even for those who are not disposed to receive it.” (16-17)

His advice is to be tender with those who have become cynical or who despair, and specifically for priests, he recommends “…even if you can’t absolve them [be compassionate].  Give them a blessing anyways.” (18)

In “The Gift of Confession”, Pope Francis describes the Sacrament of Reconciliation as “…an encounter with mercy.” (23)  In response to the question Why is it important to go to confession?, he responds:

… [Because] forgiveness has a social implication: my sin wounds mankind, my brothers and sisters and society as a whole.  Confessing to a priest is a way of putting my life into the hands and heart of someone else, someone who in that moment acts in the name of Jesus. (22)

With great humility, Pope Francis reflects on his own sinfulness in “A Sinner, Like Saint Peter”, stating that “The Pope is a man who needs the mercy of God”. (41)  However, he takes great solace from St. Peter who “…betrayed Jesus, and even so he was chosen.” (41)  The pope confesses that he has “…a special relationship with people in prisons … because of my awareness of being a sinner.”  Indeed, when he visits prisoners, he thinks “Why them and not me?  I should be here.  I deserve to be here.  Their fall could have been mine.” (41-42)

When Tornielli asks if there are times when too much mercy is granted, Pope Francis responds conclusively: “No human sin – however serious – can prevail over or limit mercy …God is a careful and attentive father, ready to welcome any person who takes a step or even expresses the desire to take a step that leads home.” (50)

In the section titled “Shepherds, Not Scholars of The Law”, Pope Francis contrasts the pastoral ministry of Jesus with the self-righteous and dispassionate approach taken by some religious people (including clerics), whom he identifies as ‘scholars’:

Jesus touched the leper and brought him back into the community.  He didn’t sit down at a desk and study the situation …What really mattered to him was reaching stranded people and saving them, like the Good Shepherd who leaves the flock to save one lost sheep. (65) 

Jesus cures a leper

For Pope Francis, these “scholars of the law “…appear devout from the outside but inside …hypocrites.”  They are people who “…live attached to the letter of the law but who neglect love.” (67)  They are “…men who only know how to close doors and draw boundaries.” (69)  The Gospels show these two “kinds of thought and faith” associated with the exclusionary stance of the scholar and the inclusionary love of God:

On the one hand, there is the fear of losing the just and the saved, the sheep that are already safely inside the pen.  On the other hand, there is the desire to save the sinners, the lost, those on the other side of the fence.  The first is the logic of the scholars of the law.  The second is the logic of God. (66)

When he is asked And what about the risk of contamination? (from a pastoral approach that takes a cleric into the world of the lost sheep), Pope Francis is emphatic: “We need to enter the darkness, the night in which so many of our brothers live …without letting ourselves be wrapped up in that darkness and influenced by it.” (67)

Pope Francis washing prisoners' feet

In a revelation that will no doubt baffle some, Pope Francis admits that “I have surprised myself (at times) by thinking that a few very rigid people would do well to slip a little, so that they could remember that they are sinners and thus meet Jesus.” (70) 

In “Sinners Yes, Corrupt No”, Pope Francis makes an important distinction between sinners and people who live in corruption.  Given our human imperfection, all of us are, at one time or another, sinners.  However, the pope encourages sinners to take heart, for there are no limits to “the love of the all-forgiving God” and “Jesus performs miracles with our sins …with our nothingness, our wretchedness.” (86)  As long as the sinner seeks forgiveness and repents, he/she will be forgiven.

On the other hand, “The corrupt man is the one who sins but does not repent, who sins and pretends to be Christian.” (81)  For the pope, such an individual leads a “…double life that is scandalous.” (81)  In a scathing chastisement of corrupt individuals, Pope Francis says:

The corrupt man gets angry because his wallet is stolen and so he complains about the lack of safety on the streets, but then he is the one who cheats the state by evading taxes …and then he boasts to his friends about his cunning ways. (83)

The interviewer asks How can mercy be taught to children?  The pope responds “…above all by having them experience mercy” (87) – an answer that is short in terms of words but worthy of lengthy and careful reflection.

Pope Francis is equally succinct when asked about the link between mercy and compassion:  “The Christian message is transmitted by embracing those in difficulty, by embracing the outcast, the marginalized, and the sinner….” (93)

In the final section, “Living The Holy Year of Mercy”, Pope Francis responds to the question: What are the most important things that a believer should do during the Holy Year of Mercy?  “He should open up to the Mercy of God …and allow Jesus to come toward him by approaching the confessional with faith.” (97)  The pope also recommends performing the Seven Corporal Works of Mercy:

We have received freely, we give freely.  We are called to serve Christ the Crucified through every marginalized person.  We touch the flesh of Christ in he who is outcast, hungry, thirsty, naked, imprisoned, ill, unemployed, persecuted, in search of refuge. (98)