Priests must never hesitate to show excess in mercy in the areas of encounter and forgiveness, Pope Francis said during the Mass of Chrism in St Peter's basilica on Thursday morning.
"Today, during this Holy Thursday of the Jubilee Year of Mercy, I would like to speak of two areas in which the Lord shows excess in mercy," the pope told cardinals and bishops gathered to renew their ordination vows.
"Based on his example, we also should not hesitate in showing excess. The first area I am referring to is encounter; the second is God's forgiveness, which shames us while also giving us dignity," he continued.
The pope also reflected at length on the nature of God's mercy.
"His battle is not against men and women, but against the devil (cf. Eph 6:12), the enemy of humanity," he said.
"Jesus does not fight to build power. If he breaks down walls and challenges our sense of security, he does this to open the flood gates of that mercy which, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, he wants to pour out upon our world. "A mercy which expands; it proclaims and brings newness; it heals, liberates and proclaims the year of the Lord's favour," Francis continued. "As priests, we are witnesses to and ministers of the ever-increasing abundance of the Father's mercy; we have the rewarding and consoling task of incarnating mercy, as Jesus did, who 'went about doing good and healing' (Acts 10:38) in a thousand ways so that it could touch everyone," he added.
"We can help to inculturate mercy, so that each person can embrace it and experience it personally. This will help all people truly understand and practise mercy with creativity, in ways that respect their local cultures and families," the pope said.
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