This morning's General Audience began at 10:00am in Saint Peter's Square, where the Holy Father, Pope Francis met with groups of pilgrims and the faithful from Italy and from every corner of the world.
During his speech, the Pope continued his catechesis on mercy in the biblical perspective, adding a meditation on the theme: Mercy and Justice (Proverbs 11:19-21).
Following the summaries of his catechesis, presented in various languages, Pope Francis addressed particular greetings to each of the groups of pilgrims in attendance.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the Apostolic Blessing.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning,
Sacred Scripture presents God as infinite mercy, but also as perfect justice. How do we reconcile these two things? How are we to articulate the reality of mercy with the demands of justice? It might seem that these are contradicting realities; in truth, this is not the case, because God's mercy leads to the fulfillment of true justice. But what kind of justice is this?
If we consider the legal administration of justice, we see that those who consider themselves to be victims of an injustice present themselves to the judge in court and ask for justice to be served. It's a matter of retributive justice, which inflicts a penalty upon the guilty party according to the principle that everyone must receive that which is his due. As the book of Proverbs says: Those who practice justice are destined for life, but those who pursue evil are destined to die (Proverbs 11:19). Jesus also speaks in the parable of the widow who repeatedly went to the judge and asked him: Grant me justice against my adversary (Lk 18:3).
This path however, does not yet lead to true justice because in reality it does not over come evil, but simply acts as a stop gap. Instead, only by responding to this call with both good and evil present can justice truly be won.
Here then is another way of doing justice which the bible presents as the preferred path to follow. It is a process that avoids the use of the courts and allows the victim to appeal directly to the guilty party in order to invite him to conversion, helping him to understand that he has done something wrong by appealing to his conscience. In this way, finally repenting and acknowledging the wrong that has been done, he can be open to the forgiveness that is offered. This is the way to resolve the differences we encounter in families, in relationships between spouses or between parents and children, where the person who is hurt still loves the one who is guilty and wants to save the relationship that binds him to the other. Do not cut off that relationship.
Of course, this is a difficult path to travel. It requires the ones who have suffered to be ready to forgive and in search of salvation and the good of the one who has offended. But only in this way can justice triumph, for if the guilty party recognizes the harm that has been done and stops doing it, there will be no more evil, and the one who once was unjust becomes just because he has been forgiven and helped to find the way to goodness. This is precisely where forgiveness and mercy enter in.
This is how God reacts to our sins. The Lord continually offers us his forgiveness and helps us to welcome it and to be aware of our evil thoughts and actions so that we can be free. Because God does not want to condemn us, but to save us. God doesn't want to condemn anyone! Someone among you might ask: But Father, did Jesus deserve Pilate's condemnation? Did God want it this way? - No! God wanted to save Pilate and Judas too, everyone! He is the Lord of mercy who wants to save everyone! The problem is that we have to let him enter into our hearts. All the words of the prophets are an empassioned plea filled with love that seek our conversion. This is what the Lord says through the prophet Ezekiel: Do I take pleasure in the death of the sinner ... is it not rather that he should turn from his way and live? (Ez 18:23, cf 33:11). This is what pleases God!
And this is the heart of God, the heart of the Father who loves and wants his children to live in goodness and in justice, to know the fullness of life and to be happy. A Father's heart that goes over and above our small concepts of justice to open us onto the infinite horizons of his mercy. A Father's heart that does not treat us according to our sins and does not repay us according to our guilt, as the psalm says (cf Ps 103:9-10). It is precisely the heart of a father that we seek to encounter when we go to the confessional. Perhaps it will tell us something to help us better understand evil, but in the confessional, we all have to find the father who helps us to change our lives; a father who gives us the strength to keep going; a father who forgives us in the name of God. This is the reason why it is such a great responsibility to be a confessor, because that son, that daughter comes to you simply to find a father. And you, priests, who are there in the confessional, you are there in place of the Father who creates justice with his mercy.
This catechesis was repeated in various languages and the Holy Father offered particular greetings to each group of the faithful in attendance. To English-speaking pilgrims, he said:
I offer an affectionate greeting to all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present at today’s Audience, including those from the United States of America. May you open your lives to the Lord’s gift of mercy, and share this gift with all whom you know. May you be children of the Good Father, missionaries of his merciful love. May God bless you all!
During his speech, the Pope continued his catechesis on mercy in the biblical perspective, adding a meditation on the theme: Mercy and Justice (Proverbs 11:19-21).
Following the summaries of his catechesis, presented in various languages, Pope Francis addressed particular greetings to each of the groups of pilgrims in attendance.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the Apostolic Blessing.
Catechesis of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
for the General Audience
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning,
Sacred Scripture presents God as infinite mercy, but also as perfect justice. How do we reconcile these two things? How are we to articulate the reality of mercy with the demands of justice? It might seem that these are contradicting realities; in truth, this is not the case, because God's mercy leads to the fulfillment of true justice. But what kind of justice is this?
If we consider the legal administration of justice, we see that those who consider themselves to be victims of an injustice present themselves to the judge in court and ask for justice to be served. It's a matter of retributive justice, which inflicts a penalty upon the guilty party according to the principle that everyone must receive that which is his due. As the book of Proverbs says: Those who practice justice are destined for life, but those who pursue evil are destined to die (Proverbs 11:19). Jesus also speaks in the parable of the widow who repeatedly went to the judge and asked him: Grant me justice against my adversary (Lk 18:3).
This path however, does not yet lead to true justice because in reality it does not over come evil, but simply acts as a stop gap. Instead, only by responding to this call with both good and evil present can justice truly be won.
Here then is another way of doing justice which the bible presents as the preferred path to follow. It is a process that avoids the use of the courts and allows the victim to appeal directly to the guilty party in order to invite him to conversion, helping him to understand that he has done something wrong by appealing to his conscience. In this way, finally repenting and acknowledging the wrong that has been done, he can be open to the forgiveness that is offered. This is the way to resolve the differences we encounter in families, in relationships between spouses or between parents and children, where the person who is hurt still loves the one who is guilty and wants to save the relationship that binds him to the other. Do not cut off that relationship.
Of course, this is a difficult path to travel. It requires the ones who have suffered to be ready to forgive and in search of salvation and the good of the one who has offended. But only in this way can justice triumph, for if the guilty party recognizes the harm that has been done and stops doing it, there will be no more evil, and the one who once was unjust becomes just because he has been forgiven and helped to find the way to goodness. This is precisely where forgiveness and mercy enter in.
This is how God reacts to our sins. The Lord continually offers us his forgiveness and helps us to welcome it and to be aware of our evil thoughts and actions so that we can be free. Because God does not want to condemn us, but to save us. God doesn't want to condemn anyone! Someone among you might ask: But Father, did Jesus deserve Pilate's condemnation? Did God want it this way? - No! God wanted to save Pilate and Judas too, everyone! He is the Lord of mercy who wants to save everyone! The problem is that we have to let him enter into our hearts. All the words of the prophets are an empassioned plea filled with love that seek our conversion. This is what the Lord says through the prophet Ezekiel: Do I take pleasure in the death of the sinner ... is it not rather that he should turn from his way and live? (Ez 18:23, cf 33:11). This is what pleases God!
And this is the heart of God, the heart of the Father who loves and wants his children to live in goodness and in justice, to know the fullness of life and to be happy. A Father's heart that goes over and above our small concepts of justice to open us onto the infinite horizons of his mercy. A Father's heart that does not treat us according to our sins and does not repay us according to our guilt, as the psalm says (cf Ps 103:9-10). It is precisely the heart of a father that we seek to encounter when we go to the confessional. Perhaps it will tell us something to help us better understand evil, but in the confessional, we all have to find the father who helps us to change our lives; a father who gives us the strength to keep going; a father who forgives us in the name of God. This is the reason why it is such a great responsibility to be a confessor, because that son, that daughter comes to you simply to find a father. And you, priests, who are there in the confessional, you are there in place of the Father who creates justice with his mercy.
This catechesis was repeated in various languages and the Holy Father offered particular greetings to each group of the faithful in attendance. To English-speaking pilgrims, he said:
I offer an affectionate greeting to all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present at today’s Audience, including those from the United States of America. May you open your lives to the Lord’s gift of mercy, and share this gift with all whom you know. May you be children of the Good Father, missionaries of his merciful love. May God bless you all!
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