Announce the mercy of God
- Published in Animation
Dear brothers,
May the Lord give you peace!
First of all I have some wonderful news to give you: On February 9, 2016 Pope Francis will celebrate Holy Mass in St. Peter's with and for us Capuchins. I will look forward to having many of you in Rome for this event! But first of all I think it appropriate to tell you how things have gone and what is the context that has made this possible.
As I imagine all of you already know, Pope Francis has called an Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. This choice comes from the awareness that "the Church is commissioned to announce the mercy of God, the beating heart of the Gospel, which in its own way must penetrate the heart and mind of every person. [...] It is absolutely essential for the Church and for the credibility of her message that she herself live and testify to mercy. Her language and her gestures must transmit mercy, so as to touch the hearts of all people and inspire them once more to find the road that leads to the Father." (Bull of Indiction, 12) The Holy Year will begin on December 8, 2015, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and will conclude with the liturgical solemnity of Christ the King on November 20, 2016...