Dear friends, we would like to share with you some valuable words that the Pope said this morning to the parish priests of Rome.
Pope Francis spoke of the importance of mercy. What does 'mercy' mean, to a priest?
The priest is called to have a heart that can be emotional. The "aseptic" priests do not help the Church. The Church must think of herself as a field hospital. There is great need to heal wounds, so many wounds. There are many people who are hurt by scandals, by the illusions of the world.
First you need to heal the open wounds, but also the hidden wounds.
It occurs to me that in the Mosaic Law, lepers were always turned away... and they would walk away, carrying their wounds within. They just longed for a caress. To you, dear brothers, I ask: Do you know the wounds of your parishioners? Can you sense them? Are you close to them?
Mercy, the Pope continued, means not being either too lenient or too strict with people who come to Confession. Rather it means being like the Good Samaritan who takes care of the individual, listening, respecting and ACCOMPANYING people on their journey of healing and Reconciliation. Speaking of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the strict priest nails people to the laws, so cold and stiff .... The lenient priest instead washes his hands and only appears to be merciful, but it really does not take at heart that person's problem, minimizing the sin.
Strict priests appear to be like saints... but strictness does not make the priest nor the faithful a saint.
When I pray and I'm in front of the Lord I ask myself these questions:
Tell me, do you cry? Or have we lost the tears ? How many of us cried in front of the suffering of a child, for the destruction of a family? In front of so many people who cannot find a way through? The cry of the priest .... Do you cry for your people ? Tell me, you do any interceding prayer before the tabernacle ? .... Do you argue with the Lord as Moses did? .... How is your relationship with the children, with the elderly, with the sick?... Like the Levite in the parable of the Good Samaritan, perhaps the priest says, " I have to go to Mass, I cannot be late" .... " I don't have time now"... the closed heart always seeks a justification...
I confess to you, it is good for me sometimes to read the list of things by which I will be judged ... It's in Matthew 25 ...
How good is a merciful priest, a priest who heals the wounds of people!