Vatican City, Jan 29, 2016 / 15:33 pm
Speaking to the plenary assembly of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on Friday, Pope Francis spoke of the prime importance of all the works of mercy, both corporal and spiritual.
"We are in the Holy Year of Mercy. I hope that in this Jubilee all the members of the Church will renew their faith in Jesus Christ, the face of the Father's mercy, the way who united God and man," the Pope said Jan. 29 in the Vatican's Clementine Hall. "Mercy, then, is the foundation of the life of the Church: the first truth of the Church, indeed, is Christ's love."
"How then can we not desire that all Christian people – pastors and faithful – rediscover and return to the center, during the Jubilee, the corporal and spiritual works of mercy?"
"When, in the evening of life, it shall be asked of us what we did to feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty, equally shall it be asked of us if we have helped people to set their doubts aside, if we have committed ourselves to welcoming sinners, admonishing them or correcting them, if we have been able to combat ignorance, especially in relation to the Christian faith and the good life."