The name of God is mercy: a conversation with Andrea Tornielli

Résumé de The name of God is mercy

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   Divine Mercy: God's Identity Card

   

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   "Mercy is God's identity card," Pope Francis declares in his intimate conversations with Vatican reporter Andrea Tornielli. This isn't abstract theology but the cornerstone of Francis's papacy, revealed in his first homily: "The message of Jesus is mercy. For me, it is the Lord's strongest message." The Name of God is Mercy explores this radical idea that God's primary characteristic isn't judgment but an endless capacity for forgiveness. What makes this message so compelling is its simplicity and universality-it resonates across religious boundaries and speaks to our deepest human need for compassion and second chances. Francis's understanding of mercy wasn't formed in theological classrooms but through personal encounters with merciful priests who shaped his spiritual journey. He recalls his first confession at seventeen with Father Carlos Duarte Ibarra, whose unexpected death left young Jorge Bergoglio feeling abandoned. This experience helped him understand his eventual episcopal motto "miserando atque eligendo" (showing mercy and choosing). Years later, when Father Jose Ramon Aristi died, Francis took his rosary cross saying, "Give me half of your mercy!" These weren't just mentors but living examples of how compassion heals wounds through proximity and understanding.

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   The Wounded Heart of Humanity

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   We live in what Francis calls a kairos-a divinely appointed time-for mercy. Humanity is "deeply wounded" yet doesn't know how to heal or believes healing impossible. Beyond obvious social ills, relativism wounds by making everything seem equal. Pope Pius XII noted his age's tragedy was losing the sense of sin; Francis adds that today we consider our sins incurable. Many lack experiences of mercy, explaining why some seek healing from psychics instead of God. The antidote? Francis emphasizes "the apostolate of the ear"-the profound importance of listening. He urges confessors to listen patiently and assure people of God's love. Even when unable to grant absolution, priests should explain why, offer blessing, and show tenderness rather than rejection. The goal isn't rigid rule enforcement but creating space for divine encounter. How might we approach others if we saw them as wounded rather than wicked? How might our conversations change if we listened for the pain beneath people's words and actions?

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   Confession: The Healing Encounter

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   Francis reframes confession from intimidating obligation to healing opportunity: "Confession is not a judgment court. It's an experience of forgiveness and mercy." Sin wounds all humanity, making confession essential - putting our lives "into the hands and heart of someone else" who acts in Christ's name. This makes us authentic by facing another rather than examining ourselves alone. Francis warns against treating confession like a "dry cleaner," explaining that sin requires healing, not just cleaning, and cautions confessors against turning it into a "torture chamber." From extensive experience, he always sought even the smallest opening to grant forgiveness. Confession's power lies in its concreteness - speaking sins aloud confronts them honestly rather than minimizing them mentally. Hearing absolution provides tangible assurance that internal reflection cannot. Francis emphasizes that recognizing oneself as a sinner is itself a grace we must request. He shares Bruce Marshall's example where a soldier unable to repent admits being "sorry that he's not sorry," creating just enough opening for God's mercy.

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   The Father Who Runs: Reframing Divine Mercy

   The parable of the Prodigal Son - or more accurately, the Prodigal Father - serves as Francis's central metaphor for divine mercy. The father embraces his returning son before the confession is complete, illustrating God's eagerness to forgive. Francis discovered this eagerness confounds expectations when students in northern Italy misinterpreted the parable, imagining the father punished the son. "When someone recognizes their sinfulness and desires to return to God," Francis explains, "they find God already waiting." This waiting is active - like the father who spots his son "while he was still far off," God's mercy anticipates our return. When challenged about being "too merciful," Francis responds that while the Church condemns sin, it embraces sinners. The older brother represents those who feel mercy devalues faithfulness. Francis describes the Church not as a place to condemn but as a "field hospital" offering urgent care to the wounded, shifting its mission from maintaining purity to healing brokenness.

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   Finding God in the Smallest Openings

   Francis's pastoral approach focuses on finding even the smallest openings for God's mercy. He distinguishes between formulaic confessions and humble acknowledgment of relapses while seeking help. "Mercy exists," Francis affirms, "but we need to want to receive it." He warns against the "narcissistic illness" of preferring to wallow rather than seek healing. Even a tiny opening toward God is sufficient - we must remember our origins and avoid self-sufficiency. Francis recalls a prostitute mother who thanked him for calling her "Senora," teaching him about preserving dignity. Regarding homosexual persons, he emphasizes seeing the whole person beyond sexual tendencies, advising they be treated with delicacy and remain close to God. When asked if truth and mercy conflict, Francis declares "mercy is doctrine" and "mercy is true," referencing Jesus forgiving the adulteress while challenging scholars of the law. Small steps amid great limitations can please God more than an outwardly ordered life without difficulties. Francis shares stories of a prostitute finding her way out and mothers visiting imprisoned family members - seemingly small gestures that represent great mercy in God's eyes.

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   The Danger of Spiritual Corruption

   Francis distinguishes between sinners and the corrupt. While all humans sin, corruption is a more dangerous condition - sin elevated to a system where one no longer feels the need for forgiveness. The corrupt person leads a double life, appearing Christian while sinning without repentance, lacking humility and denying their need for help. Corruption develops gradually as habits form calluses over conscience, creating false self-sufficiency. The corrupt refuse accountability, behaving hypocritically - complaining about theft while evading taxes or attending Mass while demanding kickbacks. Unlike sinners who acknowledge their faults, the corrupt build psychological shells that only life's great ordeals can break. We must pray they receive the "grace of shame" to recognize their need for forgiveness. This corruption extends to organizations that become self-referential and self-protecting, preventing authentic service.

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   Mercy's Social Revolution

   Mercy extends beyond personal forgiveness to profound social implications. Francis explains that justice alone is insufficient-mercy becomes indispensable for authentic human relationships. God demonstrates how divine justice transcends mere fairness through mercy. Francis affirms mercy's public value through examples like Mother Teresa's work with the dying poor in Calcutta. Following John Paul II, he argues authentic justice requires forgiveness as its foundation for a more just society. Without mercy, cycles of retaliation prevent genuine reconciliation. Francis points to encouraging developments including growing opposition to the death penalty and efforts to reintegrate ex-prisoners. Rather than warehousing offenders, he emphasizes helping fallen people rise again. The family serves as "the hospital closest to us"-the first school where children learn essential lessons about loving and forgiveness. Francis distinguishes between mercy (the divine attribute related to forgiveness) and compassion (the human capacity for solidarity with others' suffering). This compassion counters the "globalization of indifference." As Saint John of the Cross reminds us, "we will be judged on love alone"-not by rules kept but by how we've loved others, particularly the vulnerable and marginalized.

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