"All of us are sinners but many times we fall into the temptation of hypocrisy, to believe that we are better than others," he said, and cautioned that instead of looking at others' sins, we must first acknowledge our own faults and mistakes.
When Jesus responds to the woman's act he doesn't give an explicit answer, but instead her conversion takes place "in front of everyone's eyes and shows that in (Jesus) shines the power of the merciful God, capable of transforming hearts."
The sinful woman "teaches us the link between faith, love and gratitude," the Pope said, noting that even Simon had to admit that the one he loves most is the one who has been forgiven more.
"God has locked up everyone in the same mystery of mercy; and from this love, which always precedes us, we all learn to love."
Pope Francis closed his audience by encouraging pilgrims to give thanks to God for his "great and unmerited love," and urged them to allow the love of Christ "to be poured into us: it is from this love that the disciple draws and on which he is based; from this love each one can be fed and nourished."
Following his address Francis offered a special greeting to all those affected by Saturday's deadly earthquake in Ecuador, which has so far killed an estimated 413 people and injured more than 2,500, according to CNN.
Speaking to Spanish-language pilgrims, the Pope offered assured their "brothers in Ecuador" of "our closeness and our prayer in this moment of suffering."
He also made special mention of the ongoing armed conflict in Ukraine, which has been "forgotten by many," and reminded faithful of a special collection that will take place in churches throughout Europe this Sunday, April 24, which will be used to meet the needs of the "humanitarian emergency" that has resulted from the conflict.
Elise Harris was senior Rome correspondent for CNA from 2012 to 2018.