Pope Leo XIV: WITHOUT MERCY

Pope Leo XIV spoke to young people at Rimini, Italy, beach destination:

Against the false realism that rearms minds, words, and nations, Catholic culture today must set the realism of mercy, in which there can be no enemies, and all people, even adversaries, are brothers and sisters to be looked in the eye and encountered in truth.

Imagine a time without mercy. We don’t have too:

The 20th Century was full of war and death, with revolutions abounding – political, cultural, sexual.

What to do in the face of it all? Run and hide? Give up?

Perfectly understandable, I guess.

But that is fear, and fear doesn’t mature humanity or build nations.

Psalm 63 hits the nail on the head:

Lord, your love is better than life.

And the pope hits the nail on the head:

A relatively unknown figure in our tradition helps interpret the popes words. St. Joseph Cafasso (1811-1860):

Was a social reformer, ‘priest of the gallows,’ spiritual director to St. John Bosco.

He accompanied 59 young men to the gallows.

A statue was erected in memory of him with the inscription:

Human justice must be tempered with divine mercy.

Is this our deepest desire?

AMEN.