The Name of God Is Mercy

by Pope Francis

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In his first book published as Pope, and in conjunction with the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, Pope Francis here invites all humanity to an intimate and personal dialogue on the subject closest to his heart—mercy—which has long been the cornerstone of his faith and is now the central teaching of his papacy.

In this conversation with Vatican reporter Andrea Tornielli, Francis explains—through memories from his youth and moving anecdotes from his experiences as a pastor—why “mercy is the first attribute of God.” God “does not want anyone to be lost. His mercy is infinitely greater than our sins,” he writes. As well, the Church cannot close the door on anyone, Francis asserts—on the contrary, its duty is to go out into the world to find its way into the consciousness of people so that they can assume responsibility for, and move away from, the bad things they have done.

The first Jesuit and the first South American to be elected Bishop of Rome, Pope Francis has traveled around the world spreading God’s message of mercy to the largest crowds in papal history. Clear and profound, The Name of God Is Mercy resonates with this desire to reach all those who are looking for meaning in life, a road to peace and reconciliation, and the healing of physical and spiritual wounds. It is being published in more than eighty countries around the world.

“The name of God is mercy. There are no situations we cannot get out of, we are not condemned to sink into quicksand.”—Pope Francis

Praise for The Name of God Is Mercy

“Francis speaks succinctly—and with refreshing forthrightness. . . . He emphasizes moral sincerity over dogma, an understanding of the complexities of the world and individual experience over rigid doctrine. . . . The pope has an easy conversational style that moves effortlessly between folksy sayings and erudite allusions, between common-sense logic and impassioned philosophical insights.”—Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

“What makes his book most moving is the way in which this man, without disrespecting his own privacy or offering false bromides of modesty, opens the sacred space of his conscience to explain how he came to center his ministry, and now his papacy, around mercy.”—James Carroll, The New Yorker

“As he has done throughout his papacy, Pope Francis shows in this book a compelling way to present God’s love anew to a skeptical world without denying the ancient teachings of faith. But now he is challenging the entire Church to trek a new way forward.”—Time

“Francis enjoys sharing personal stories of God’s grace and mercy in the lives of parishioners from his native Argentina, people he has known and who have recognized themselves as sinners.”—The Washington Post

“Powerful . . . Francis’s book signals a plea for a change of attitude on the part of the faithful and their pastors. . . . Bishops and priests will talk and quarrel over the text for months, even years to come. And that, perhaps, is what Francis intends.”—Financial Times

“Deepens his calls for a more merciful Catholic Church . . . The question-and-answer book is told in simple, breezy language, with the pope referring to experiences and people in his own life.”—Newsday

“Francis has offered his most detailed outline yet for the role of the Catholic church in the modern era.”—National Catholic Reporter

Translated by Oonagh Stransky 


From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Nonfiction, Religion, Christian, Theology, Spirituality, Faith, Catholic

Audio

First published November 24, 2015

About the author

Pope Francis (Latin: Franciscus; Italian: Francesco; Spanish: Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) was the 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, a title he held ex officio as Bishop of Rome, and Sovereign of the Vatican City. He chose Francis as his papal name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. Francis was the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas, the first from the Southern Hemisphere and the first non-European pope since the Syrian Gregory III, who died in 741.

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Bergoglio worked briefly as a chemical technologist and nightclub bouncer before beginning seminary studies. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1969 and from 1973 to 1979 was Argentina's provincial superior of the Society of Jesus. He was accused of handing two priests to the National Reorganization Process during the Dirty War, but the lawsuit was ultimately dismissed. He became the Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and was created a cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II. He led the Argentine Church during the December 2001 riots in Argentina, and the administrations of Néstor Kirchner and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner considered him a political rival. Following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI on 28 February 2013, a papal conclave elected Bergoglio as his successor on 13 March.

Throughout his public life, Pope Francis had been noted for his humility, emphasis on God's mercy, concern for the poor, and commitment to interfaith dialogue. He was credited with having a humble, less formal approach to the papacy than his predecessors, for instance choosing to reside in the Domus Sanctae Marthae guesthouse rather than in the papal apartments of the Apostolic Palace used by his predecessors. In addition, due to both his Jesuit and Ignatian aesthetic, he was known for favoring simpler vestments void of ornamentation, including refusing the traditional papal mozzetta cape upon his election, choosing silver instead of gold for his piscatory ring, and keeping the same pectoral cross he had as Cardinal. He maintained that the church should be more open and welcoming. He did not support unbridled capitalism, Marxism, or Marxist versions of liberation theology. Francis maintained the traditional views of the church regarding abortion, euthanasia, contraception, homosexuality, ordination of women, and priestly celibacy. He opposed consumerism, irresponsible development, and supported taking action on climate change, a focus of his papacy with the promulgation of Laudato si'. In international diplomacy, he helped to restore full diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba.

Reviews

[Ina Cawl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is was my first book i have read which is Co Authored by Pope
i really loved and enjoyed it
as a muslim i really urge that many muslim reads this book
and learn that mercy is first attribute and name to God or Allah
i hope this book is translated to Arabic and to other languages especially war torn Middle East

[Sean Whelan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only wish it were longer. What a mind this pope has! What a gift to the Church and the world he is. This book is a must read.

[7jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a conversation of Pope Francis, with a Vatican reporter, on mercy and the Pope's Jubilee Year Of Mercy, with the bull for that year attached at the end. Within it there is memories of his youth and pastor experiences, talking about the reasons for choosing mercy as the theme, and other things. He says that the Church should be open to show God's mercy (thus showing autheticity), and go among people through charity, various events, etc.

It is a light read, but get a clear view of the Pope's views on mercy; he quotes examples from the Bible and other people throughout Catholic history (saints and others). The interviewer has done a great job in asking the right questions. There's talk of confession: how to be a good confessor, and how even just wanting to want to go to the confeesion is great. God is always waiting, and never tires of forgiving, nor doing it numerous times.

"Jesus Christ is the face of the Father's mercy" was a particularly good sentence that still stands clear in my mind.

And just as good as the interview, is the bull part: among some things familiar from the interview before it, there is also suggestions for actions during the Year (like pilgrimage and Lent inspiration), and appeal for those wanting to repent to come and return, plus asking for good coexistence between religions.

A good book on mercy - I read at least two other book of his sayings on mercy already, as I read my unread books of this author from newest towards the eldest - that has its deserved place on one of my shelves.

[TK421 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mercy is the face of Christ. Period. The sooner people stop parsing the Bible for individual gain, the sooner the world can heal. No one has the right, nor the authority, to cast judgment on another. If you want to judge someone, look in a mirror.

[booklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

The subject closest to Pope Francis’s heart is mercy, Divine Mercy. As he has done so often since, ‘Francis delivered his second homily as Pope and spoke off the cuff: “The message of Jesus is mercy. For me, and I say this with humility, it is the Lord’s strongest message.”’

This book has been a paradigm shift in my relationship with the God called ‘Mercy’. Having seen myself as the prodigal from the parable of the two sons, who asked for, received, and squandered his inheritance, it was a radical departure (no pun intended) to put myself in the place of the elder brother. And yet whenever I look down on, judge, criticize or think myself superior to my fellows, I am him. So what about the other mercy stories? In the parable of the lost sheep, Jesus doesn’t say what any of the 99 ‘good’ sheep do while He is off looking for the lost one nor how they treat the wandering stray when he returns. And yet these are critical questions.

The first half of The Name of God is Mercy is an interview with Vatican reporter Andrea Tornielli. As always Pope Francis speaks from the heart. How to summarize his thought? He illustrates—from his own background, favorite literature and of course Jesus’ parables—why God deserves to be called “Mercy”, why “mercy is the first attribute of God.”

One phrase/concept of Pope Francis I particularly like and have latched on to is the ‘apostolate of the ear’, an apostolate being a religious or evangelistic activity and ‘of the ear’ refers to being Christ to our brothers and sister through deep active listening. If our purpose is only to listen so/until we see the opportunity to make our own point, we’ve missed the point completely. Everyone in the world is hungering for God and this (often) manifests itself in a longing to be heard. God is always listening to us but without the witness of believers many will never learn any of this.

The second part of this book is the pope’s BULL OF INDICTION OF THE EXTRAORDINARY JUBILEE OF MERCY, Misericordiae Vultus, which is already available on-line. This didn’t lessen the value of the book for me as the interview seemed to provide explanatory background for the Year of Mercy, promulgated in the Papal Bull. Also, I still prefer reading documents of this sort via the printed word in the comfort of my easy chair. Kindles are fine but books are easier to flip back and forth and this was a document where it’s most helpful. A number of people waiting to read my copy.

Here are just a few of my favorite quotes:

—‘Mercy does not erase the sin: only God’s forgiveness erases it, while mercy goes further. It is like the sky: we look at the sky when it is full of stars, but when the sun comes out in the morning, with all its light, we don’t see the stars anymore. That is what God’s mercy is like: a great light of love and tenderness because God forgives not with a decree, but with a caress. He does it by caressing the wounds of our sin because he is involved in forgiving, he is involved in our salvation.’

—‘The prophet (Ezekiel) speaks of shame, and shame is a grace: when one feels the mercy of God, he feels a great shame for himself and for his sin.

—‘Etymologically, “mercy” derives from misericordis, which means opening one’s heart to wretchedness. And immediately we go to the Lord: mercy is the divine attitude which embraces, it is God’s giving himself to us, accepting us, and bowing to forgive. Jesus said he came not for those who were good but for the sinners.’

—‘The Church Fathers teach us that a shattered heart is the most pleasing gift to God. It is the sign that we are conscious of our sins, of the evil we have done, of our wretchedness, and of our need for forgiveness and mercy.’

—‘We talked about mercy and I asked him what he did when he had those doubts. This is what he said: “I go to our chapel and stand in front of the tabernacle and say to Jesus: ‘Lord, forgive me if I have forgiven too much. But you’re the one who gave me the bad example!’  ”

—‘The very fact that someone goes to the confessional indicates an initiation of repentance, even if it is not conscious. Without that initial impulse, the person would not be there. His being there is testimony to the desire for change. Words are important, but the gesture is explicit. And the gesture itself is important; sometimes the awkward and humble presence of a penitent who has difficulty expressing himself is worth more than another person’s wordy account of their repentance.’

—‘None of us should speak of injustice without thinking of all the injustice we have committed before God. We must never forget our origins, the mud of which we were made, and this counts above all for those who are ordained.’

—‘HOW can mercy be taught to children? By getting them used to the stories of the Gospel and to the parables. By talking with them, and above all by having them experience mercy. By helping them understand that in life we sometimes make mistakes and fall but that the important thing is to always get back up.’

An excellent book to take to prayer time!

[Vesna · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Lord never tires of forgiving: never! It is we who tire of asking him for forgiveness."
"This is the face of a Church that doesn't reproach men for their fragility and their wounds but treats them with the medicine of mercy."
"'It is something I enjoyed... and I would do it again. How can I repent? ...Yes, I am sorry that I am not sorry.' That sorrow is the opening that allows the merciful priest to give absolution."

These are the main messages that pope Francis tries to get across in this little booklet ( I managed to read it in one day) containing his interview with A. Tornielli. The pope's words, as usually, are simple and straightforward. He does not relish in heavy theological or philosophical tractates. It's a pleasure to read and it contains quite a few examples from real life.
Francis is not afraid to criticize some members of the clergy for being too strict and even corrupted. He stresses out the need of humility, pure heart and acts of compassion over following the prescribed rules.
I admire Francis' openness when he speaks of his own faults. When he visits prisons he asks himself : "Why them and why not me?". He sees that he could easily be in their shoes. He is also not ashamed to admit that he had cried almost all night when his favourite priest died, revealing his human face.
As much as I liked the book, I won't give it 5 stars because it gets a bit repetitive and I'd appreciate including more topics. I hope one day we'll see an interview covering a larger spectrum of issues similar to Peter Seewald's interview with pope Benedict.
I recommend this book to all Catholics (obviously) as well as to those interested in spirituality and those who may have some issues with the Church and priests. Francis does not try to shove any dogmas down your throat. He simply speaks of God whose name is Mercy.

[Nhi Nguyễn · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Chúa không muốn lạc mất một ai. Lòng xót thương của Ngài chắc chắn là lớn hơn vô hạn tội lỗi của chúng ta, liều thuốc của Ngài chắc chắn là mạnh mẽ hơn những đau bệnh của chúng ta mà người phải chữa lành.”

- Giáo hoàng Francis -

Trong cuốn sách là cuộc đối thoại chân thành và cởi mở với nhà báo Andrea Tornielli, Giáo hoàng Francis đã trao đổi một cách vô cùng sâu sắc về lòng thương xót - điều đáng buồn thay lại đang vô cùng thiếu thốn trên thế giới hiện nay. Đó là lòng thương xót để chữa lành các vết thương về thể xác lẫn tâm hồn, đặc biệt là đối với những người nghèo khó hoặc đã phạm nhiều tội lỗi, bị xã hội gạt ra bên lề. Ngay cả khẩu hiệu giám mục của Giáo hoàng Francis - miserando atque eligendo (có nghĩa là “thương xót và ơn gọi”, hoặc “nhờ lòng thương xót, nhờ đã chọn Ngài”) cũng nhấn mạnh đến lòng thương xót. Và Ngài đã công bố Năm Thánh 2016 là Năm Thánh Ngoại thường về Lòng Thương Xót, khoảng thời gian đặc biệt mà Giáo hội Công giáo đề cao lòng mộ đạo, sự tha tội và tha thứ, nhất là tập chú vào sự tha thứ và lòng thương xót của Thiên Chúa.

Đối với Giáo hoàng Francis, những tội nhân, tức những người đã phạm tội lỗi, luôn xứng đáng nhận được sự thương xót và tha thứ của Thiên Chúa, nếu người ấy đã nhận ra tội lỗi của mình, chịu nhún nhường bản thân, đặt mình nhỏ bé và hèn mọn trước chân Ngài, để ánh sáng của tình yêu và lòng thương xót từ Thiên Chúa chảy tràn vào trong những khe hở nhỏ nhất. Tội lỗi của loài người, đối với Giáo hoàng, là biểu hiện của sự yếu đuối và sa ngã, nhưng trên hết là những vết thương cần được chăm sóc và chữa lành. Ai trong chúng ta cũng là một tội nhân, mang tội tổ tông của Adam và Eva khi cả hai thử trái cấm để rồi làm phật lòng Thiên Chúa và bị đuổi khỏi thiên đàng. Không ai trong chúng ta có thể tự hào sống qua cả một kiếp người mà không phạm bất kỳ tội lỗi nào cả. Nhưng như Giáo hoàng Francis đã nói, lòng xót thương và sự tha thứ của Thiên Chúa lớn hơn tất thảy mọi tội lỗi, là sự cứu rỗi chảy tràn đến muôn đời. Ngài luôn trung tín với các con chiên của Ngài, như Ngài đã trung tín với dân Do Thái, với Thánh Peter và nhận lại người môn đệ này, dẫu Thánh Peter đã ba lần chối Đức Giê-su Ki-tô trước khi Giê-su bị bắt và bị đóng đinh trên cây thập giá.

Những gì Giáo hoàng Francis đã trình bày trong buổi phỏng vấn đã giúp cho những con người phàm trần như chúng ta nhận thức rõ hơn về bản tính hay phán xét của mình, để có thể thay đổi cách nhìn, cách đánh giá về tội lỗi của người khác, để học cách thứ tha nhiều hơn. Như Giáo hoàng đã nói, chúng ta hãy tìm kiếm cả những khe hở nhỏ nhất, những biểu hiện nhỏ nhất của sự hối lỗi, của khả năng được tha thứ để lòng thương xót của Thiên Chúa len vào. Đó hoàn toàn không phải là điều dễ dàng, bởi làm sao chúng ta có thể suy nghĩ một cách rộng lượng và thứ tha được như Thiên Chúa hay Giáo hoàng Francis? Ai có tội thì phải chịu sự trừng phạt tương ứng, pháp luật sinh ra là để thực hiện điều này, Giáo hoàng không hề phủ nhận sự cần thiết của việc phạt tội. Thế nhưng, đó chỉ mới là sự khởi đầu, bởi việc xóa bỏ tội lỗi và tha thứ không phải là một hành động nhất thời; nó là cả một hành trình để người tội nhân sám hối và những người xung quanh nhận ra, như đã đề cập ở trên, tội lỗi là một loại vết thương, cần được chăm sóc và chữa lành. Điều này cũng nhằm bảo ban các Đức Cha ngồi nghe các con chiên xưng tội, phải thể hiện thái độ giàu lòng thương xót, không được soi mói vào hoàn cảnh sinh ra tội lỗi của giáo dân, chỉ nên lắng nghe với trái tim ngập tràn sự bao dung, thấu hiểu, và để lòng thương xót của Thiên Chúa được đến với người tội nhân đang cần được giải tội và tha thứ.

Trừng phạt tội lỗi chỉ là bước khởi đầu của hành trình giải tội; điều quan trọng nhất, cốt lõi nhất, vẫn là lòng thương xót, là sự thứ tha, là những gì người tội nhân làm và cách mà chúng ta đối xử với người tội nhân sau khi người đó nhận sự xét xử, trừng phạt từ pháp luật. Giáo hoàng đã đưa ra và lặp lại một câu chuyện mà đến giờ mình mới hiểu được ý nghĩa để minh họa cho quan điểm này của Ngài: dụ ngôn “Người con hoang đàng”. Ngày trước mình không thể nào hiểu nổi, làm sao người cha có thể dang rộng vòng tay chào đón đứa con út trở về, còn xẻ thịt con bò to làm mâm cỗ, sau khi người con hoang đàng này đã bỏ đi biệt tích trong nhiều năm trời, tiêu tán hết toàn bộ số tiền được cha cấp cho, còn người con trưởng, bao năm qua vẫn cặm cụi, tận tâm ở bên cha và giúp đỡ cha, thì lại không được cha đối xử hào phóng như vậy. Phải chăng có một sự bất công rõ ràng ở đây, khi người luôn làm việc đàng hoàng, hết lòng hết dạ thì lại không được cha mình báo đáp, còn kẻ phung phí hết mọi thứ thì rốt cuộc lại được chào đón rình rang như vậy?

Ấy thế mà sau khi đọc những gì Giáo hoàng Francis đã phân tích về câu chuyện, mình mới nhận ra ý nghĩa cốt lõi của nó, ý nghĩa về lòng thương xót và sự tha thứ của người cha dành cho đứa con út của mình. Dĩ nhiên, người cha đã luôn biết tội lỗi của người con út hoang đàng, và ông hoàn toàn có thể lựa chọn một cách ứng xử khác, khắc nghiệt hơn, mang tính phán xét hơn, khi nay đứa con trai lông bông đã trở về, ví dụ như đuổi đánh con đi, không nhìn mặt con nữa. Thế nhưng, ông lại chọn cách ứng xử mang đầy sự thứ tha, “đánh kẻ chạy đi, không ai đánh người chạy lại”. Người con út quay trở về nhà, có lẽ là đã nhận biết tội lỗi của mình và hối lỗi. Người cha còn cần gì hơn để trao tặng sự tha thứ và lòng xót thương của mình cho đứa con, như cách Thiên Chúa đã và sẽ luôn trao ban sự tha thứ và lòng xót thương của Ngài cho nhân loại. Và như thế, Dụ ngôn “Người con hoang đàng” chính là ví dụ điển hình cho đích đến cuối cùng của việc nhìn nhận tội lỗi, đó phải là lòng thương xót, đó phải là sự thứ tha.

Thế nhưng, giữa một cuộc sống, một thời đại có quá nhiều nhiễu nhương, quá nhiều những kẻ xấu xa, thậm chí có những kẻ không phải đơn giản là tội nhân (chỉ là người mắc tội) mà lại là những kẻ băng hoại (corrupt), tâm hồn và nhân cách đã mục ruỗng vì sự tham lam, kiêu ngạo và cái ác, liệu rằng chúng ta có thể thể hiện lòng xót thương và thứ tha cho tất cả? Nhất là khi con người vốn là những sinh thể trần tục, chúng ta luôn có những cảm xúc mạnh mẽ và tiêu cực đối với tội lỗi, đặc biệt là đối với những người đã làm lỗi, đã khiến chúng ta tổn thương. Làm sao chúng ta có thể sống và suy nghĩ như Giáo hoàng Francis hay như Thiên Chúa, mang tấm lòng bao dung để thứ tha và chăm sóc, chữa lành những vết thương tội lỗi của những người khác? Đặc biệt là đối với một người luôn đề cao sự công bình như mình, ai làm người ấy hưởng, ai tận tâm chăm chỉ thì xứng đáng được đền đáp, ai mắc nợ thì phải trả nợ, làm sao để mình có thể vượt lên trên sự chú mục vào tính công bình đó để thấu hiểu, bớt đi thiên kiến, tha thứ và bao dung cho kẻ khác? Sống được như Ngài thật khó quá, Giáo hoàng ơi!

Thật ra, cuốn sách này, và những gì Giáo hoàng đã chia sẻ, không phải là một cuốn cẩm nang self-help mà Ngài buộc ai đọc nó cũng phải ngay lập tức tuân theo. Tất cả chỉ là sự khuyên nhủ, một góc nhìn, một sự khai sáng mà ở đó, nhân loại có thể dần dần, mỗi ngày một chút, từng ngày từng ngày, đổ tràn thêm một ít lòng thương xót cho những tội nhân và những người bị gạt ra bên lề xã hội (như cái cách Giáo hoàng vẫn trân trọng dùng cụm từ “quý cô” khi xưng hô với một người phụ nữ làm điếm để có tiền nuôi con), để có thể đi đến cái đích cuối cùng, là sự xá tội, và bình yên trong chính tâm hồn chúng ta.

[Julie Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a gift from a friend and it was the book I began Lent with. The first part of the book is a Q&A between a Vatican reporter and the pope. As usual, Pope Francis is personable and clear answering the series of questions about mercy and its centrality in our Christian faith.

What might surprise many readers is that Francis spends an equal amount of time talking about sin, repentance, confession, and reconciliation. One can't receive or even recognize mercy unless one knows why it has been extended. That means you've got to know you did something wrong. And then fully receiving mercy means you will respond to the love that has been offered. This isn't just the easy mercy that secular society thinks of when the word is used. It is the real, full-blown deal that changes lives.

Also of interest to many will be that Francis continually mentions his predecessors as bearing the same message to the people. John Paul II, Benedict XVI, Paul VI, etc. and their writings are continually referenced. People often act as if Pope Francis's ideas are completely new and different when, of course, it is the same Catholic faith simply shining through a different person. It's part of what makes Pope Francis interesting to watch. He's not easy to fit into the categories with which so many want to label him.

The last part of the book is the text of Pope Francis's Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. It is as if the first part of the book is Francis talking you through his points and then the last part is the more structured presentation.

I found this book inspirational and an easy read. It is another look into the mind of this pope who so many admire and a window into the ways of true Christian life. May we all move closer to being authentic examples of it!

[steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my yearly goals for 2018 is to read one spiritual book a month. This was the February book I chose to read....er listen to, on my morning commute this week. And it was good.

I like how Pope Francis talked about mercy. And love. And forgiveness. I liked the interview style of this book, I felt like I was listening to a conversation between two friends. There were quite a few personal stories and experiences Francis shared in here but my favorite of them was when he said that every time he enters a prison he thinks of the prisoners and says to himself (and probably God), "Why them and not me?"

Wow. That line stopped me in my tracks and made me pause and reflect. Talk about a man leading with true humility, compassion and selfless love. Talk about someone who understands that we are all alike and in no way, are any one of us better than any one else.

Why them and not me, indeed. What a great nugget of wisdom for me to carry. Very happy with this read.

[Bilal Hafeez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished reading Pope Francis' new book, "The Name Of God Is Mercy". It's a written in the form of conversation with the Vatican reporter and writer Andrea Tornielli. It's worth reading whatever one's belief system. At the intellectual level, it gives a sense of which direction one of the largest religious groups in the world is heading, and at the human level, it gives an expression of something unifying.

In the book, the Pope has as relentless focus on mercy and forgiveness and indeed has called this year, the Holy Year of Mercy. Critical to this is his reframing of sin. Rather than seeing it as something to be despised, he sees it as an opportunity for mercy and forgiveness to manifest itself.

In religious terms, he writes about how the original sin meant humanity is forever wounded. This means we can distinguish right from wrong, but we will inevitably falter. The mercy of God is such that he sacrificed his Son, Jesus, to redeem humanity for its sins. And precisely because there is sin, God revealed himself as merciful.

The way to see sin then "is like a jewel that we present to him to obtain the consolation of forgiveness...It is not defeat, but a joyous victory to let God win". In the absence of a sense of sin, the Pope argues that we lack accountability for our actions. Some may even revel in their sins or at least be sceptical they can ever stand back on their own feet. This translates to no longer feeling the need for forgiveness or losing hope in life. Instead, we justify our behaviours and blame others for our faults.

But a consciousness of sins, of our need for forgiveness, is the place where an encounter with mercy can take place. You feel the embrace and are moved. So the most important thing in life is not that we should never fall along the way. the important thing is always to get back up. So sin is not the problem per se, but not recognising the wrong and not asking for help is the issue.

For the Pope, confession is a place where one can encounter the act of forgiveness and mercy. At the same time, the Pope is not afraid to highlight the failings of the Church. He writes about an occasion where a priest asks lurid questions to a young girl in the confession box, another priest refusing to allow the coffin of a new-born entering the church as it wasn't baptised and one priest asking for money to annul the marriage of a women. The Pope, then, reminds priests they are sinners too.

The Pope doesn't define sin explicitly in the book, though one can imagine what they are in the Catholic tradition. When reading the book, the way I thought about sin was to see them as the opposite of mercy. So for example, there are the Seven Corporal Works of Mercy in Catholicism:

1.Feed the hungry.
2.Give drink to the thirsty.
3.Close the naked.
4.Shelter the traveller.
5.Comfort the sick.
6.Visit the imprisoned.
7.Bury the dead.

In that context, sin would be not helping the hungry, those without clean water, the homeless, the refugee, the sick, and the incarcerated. We are not perfect, so there will be times when we pass up such opportunities to help (a sin), but we can recognise our failing in some form (ask for forgiveness), and try again (mercy will be manifested).

Bilalhafeez.com

[Brian Deignan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short a sweet! It is lovely to see the words of Pope Francis and actually feel like you are sitting in on a conversation with him! My only minor complaint is the format, which is sort of interview-style but you can tell it's edited, it doesn't follow exactly like you'd expect if it were verbatim. But that is just my personal preference.

[Daniel Chaikin]

36. The Name of God Is Mercy (Audio)
An interview of Pope Francis by Andrea Tornielli, and an appendix of writings or speeches of Pope Francis
translated from Italian by Oonagh Stransky
readers: Fred Sanders reads for Pope Francis and Arthur Morey reads for Tornielli
published: 2016
format: digital audiobook (3:04 - roughly equivalent to 85 pages)
acquired: borrowed from my library
read: Jun 15-17
rating: 2 stars

The danger of audio is that I'll listen to practically anything.

I have liked what I heard about this pope, so I thought it would be interesting to read a book by him. Unfortunately, the book isn't by him, but actually was put together by Andrea Tornielli. Tornielli interviewed the pope, in Italian, and published his version of that interview here, along with other selected writings from the pope. The other problem, the main one, was that I didn't find what the pope said all that interesting.

Not a total loss, as this was all new to me, a Jewish boy stretching his listening. And, some of the things he talks about I did find interesting. Trying to be a humbler person.

[Sue K H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not a practicing Catholic anymore but I still have a lot of love for the Church and have found all of the Popes in my lifetime to be very inspiring. I go to a different church now mostly for fellowship and community, but I could easily see myself returning to the Catholic Church some day.

This discussion of Mercy (and Justice), is outstanding and agrees with my how my current church understands it. No one can put limits on God's Mercy. Pope Francis gives great biblical examples (from the old and new testaments) and draws on personal stories through his years of being a priest and beyond. I wish everyone could read this.

The Catholic church gets a bad rap from many who don't really understand it. So do most Christian denominations for that matter. God's laws are not arbitrary or there to make us suffer, they're there to minimize our suffering. They're given from love and forgiven with mercy.

[Brad Rees · Rating 4 out of 5]

A couple of beautiful images from this book:

When a donkey is injured on the trail, it wouldn’t be productive to beat the donkey back into motion. Rather the donkey needs to be cared for and healed. So it is with us as sinners.

The confessional should not be a torture chamber but rather a place of mercy and relief.

God is likely more quick to let go of anger than he is to let go of mercy.

This is a beautiful book. We all need mercy and forgiveness of god. And as god will forgive whom he will forgive, we must forgive all men their trespasses.

[Friar Stebin John Capuchin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. The way Pope Francis answers to the questions are really interesting. There is newness in his way of thinking.

[Austin Spence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent!

His Catholic was showing with a lot of shame motivated speech and embodiment, but that was the only real rub here.

[Angie Simmonds · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel almost blasphemous saying this, but I really wasn't that impressed with this book. Expecting a deep pontifical writing, what i got instead was a question and answer session between a man and Pope Francis. Pope Francis is such a loving gentle man and listening to this on audio, clearly translated by someone who is not the Pope did not allow that warmth and caring to come across. I'm thinking that maybe if I had read this one is would have lingered more in what was being said instead of picking apart the tone of voice of the narrator. Even though I wasn't impressed with the format or the narrators, Pope Francis is always worth the time to listen to, explaining how our God is so much more merciful that we give him credit for, especially if we think back to the stern, demanding God of the Old Testament. He also spends a long time talking about the mercy of Jesus with the woman at the well, whose accusers ended up walking away rather than throwing the first stone. An important read for The Year of Mercy or just as a lenten study, but READ it , don't bother with the audio version.

[Samcwright · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short but beautiful book. The more I’ve learned about justice, mercy, and the atonement of Christ, the less I feel I know. I’ve learned so much about by own faith by appreciating the insights of others. Pope Francis explains that mercy is not excusing sin, but actually an acknowledgment of sin. Sin wounds both the individual and society collectively. And the end of justice and mercy should be love. Love of God and our neighbor. The Law stated that the contaminated should be excluded, but Christ went to the leper. He comes to us, wherever we are. Rather than trying to summarize this book, I recommend you read it.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a story, nor is it scintillating prose. Instead, it is a conversation with a man whose deep sincerity shines through. There is much to think about here. I loved the book because it led me to ask what mercy means and how I could be more merciful in my own life. One of the "shockers" was the Pope's repeating that shame was a gift, and that we should be grateful that we could feel it. If we could, that meant we could repent and be forgiven. That's just one of the ideas that stayed in my mind for a long time.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

From a popular Pope, from whom we may have expected the unexpected, comes a surprisingly unsurprising old-school Catholic text. Not fire-and-brimstone old-school, but more village priest jovial old-school. Full of plenty of anecdotes back from Buenos Aires and a message of the mercy that searches out everyone.

And the omnipresent Catholic grandmothers who often have a pragmatic, earthy grasp of their faith and regularly tell-off their priests.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interview with Francis. He stresses that the primary attribute of God is mercy. Not the God I grew up with. Those of us who don't see that we are sinners are in trouble. If we acknowledge our sins, we can go again and again to God. He never tires of forgiving if we humbly go to him.
Francis did not mention it but I think of the Jesus prayer from the Eastern Orthodox Church: Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me a sinner.

[Rita Vill · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading this book, had a whole new outlook on the real meaning of "sinner". When Pope Francis says we are sinners, he means that we are not perfect. The way he uses the word "sinner" is not in the typical catholic tone coloring someone very bad and damned to hell.

Francis has a way of using this word in a very compassionate tone. It was a very refreshing catholic perspective for being a recovering catholic.

[Natallia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really beautiful and easy to read publication. The interview with the Pope opens up what it is to experience God's mercy, not only for Christians but also for everyone. Not too immersed in theological language which makes it easier to understand and grasp the concept of God's love for all of us.

[Giacominafiorino · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's very enlightening in understanding that God really is mercifully towards our sins, and His love for us is unconditional. This book reminds us that we have to use mercy toward others as well to ourselves.

[Cindi · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an insightful, intelligent man this Pope is! I'm not Catholic however I got so much out of this book that I recommend it for all readers. Very well done.

[Allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not Catholic, I had not read any writings by any popes before, and I'm not sure why I've been just slightly more curious about Pope Francis than any of his predecessors. So color me kind of surprised that I really enjoyed this, and that WHOA the Pope is way more radical than I expected. And it was pretty concise - the audio was only 3 hours.

You get the point of this interview/essays from the title - about God's mercy and how Jesus enacts that mercy. It gave me several new ways to think about forgiveness and mercy and love, especially in light of the way us 'Mericans tend to treat people who are "other."

Definitely worth checking out if this is of interest to you! I mean, what else are you doing for three hours.

Notes I very carefully took while at stoplights (KIDS DON'T BE ON YOUR PHONE AT STOPLIGHTS):
- even if you can't absolve someone, you can still give them a blessing 🤯🤯🤯
- Jesus went out to everyone, without exception
- absolution of someone for being sorry that they're not actually sorry for their sin, as a way of accepting a confession
- "Jesus, forgive me if I forgive too easily. But it's your fault for setting the example!"

[Kieran Devine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a transcript of an interview between Italian interviewer Andrea Tornielli and Pope Francis.
I usually have a slight predilection against books that are transcribed interviews. I feel as though people write more profoundly and more beautifully than they speak -- as writing is simply thinking in a very physical and organized way. With that being said, Pope Francis does find a way to answer questions regarding Divine Mercy in a simple yet proud and beautiful way.
In spite of its briefness and easiness of reading, this book is very rich. Pope Francis has spent much of his papacy proclaiming the message of Divine Mercy, the first attribute of our Lord, and 2016, the year this book was published, marked the beginning of the year of mercy.

Good book and easy read. I am more interested in reading some of Francis' encyclicals.

[Roderick Vonhogen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was published at the occasion of the Holy Jubilee Year of Mercy, but it is just as relevant today as it was back then. The bulk of the book consists of lively interview with pope Francis about the theme of mercy.

Pope Francis tells a lot of stories to illustrate how mercy is at the core of the christian faith, and he also shares a couple of personal anekdotes that are very relatable.

The interview is followed by a few other texts written or pronounced by pope Francis about the same theme.

A profound, easy to read and sometimes moving conversation with a pastor who is close to his people. Highly recommended.

[Kyra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was really insightful for looking at the concept of having a confessor for the forgiveness of sins/God’s mercy in regards to the forgiveness of sins. In addition, I thought Francis’s discussion of sin vs. corruption was very interesting & not something I’d heard before.

[Laura Bazalgette Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book containing an interview with the late Pope Francis on the topics of mercy, love and forgiveness. I would highly recommend this very insightful book. Rest in peace Papa.