Filipino priests named Missionaries of Mercy

Pope Francis has sent more than 1,000 priests on a global mission to forgive grave sins that normally only he, or a top Church official, may pardon.

“I speak to you as a brother, and through you I would like to speak to all confessors, especially in this Year of Mercy: the confessional is for forgiveness”, the Pope said in his homily February 9 in St. Peter’s Basilica.

“It is not easy to offer yourself before another man, knowing he represents God, and to confess your sins”, said the pontiff.

Pope Francis places ashes on the head of Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone during the Ash Wednesday mass, in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016.

Recalling the day’s Gospel passage, in which the Pharisees and scribes condemn Jesus and his disciples for not observing traditions, the pope reminded the Capuchins that confessors are called to be “great forgivers in the confessional”.

The laws governing God’s people in the Bible, he said, also had other means for encouraging people to help others experience God’s mercy.

“Remember, you are not dealing with sin but a repentant sinner, a sinner who wants to change but can’t”, he said, telling them to “cover the sinner with a blanket of mercy, so that he is no longer ashamed and can rediscover joy”. The pope said many people abandon confession because priests scolded them or pried for embarrassing details.

At a Vatican ceremony on Tuesday, the Pope addressed some 700 of the chosen priests, saying penitents should be welcomed with open arms, instead of being judged with “a sense of superiority”.

The first thing he asked them to remember is that “you are called to express the maternity of the Church”.

Relics of both saints, including the body of Padre Pio, have been brought to Rome as a special initiative for the Catholic Church’s Year of Mercy.

Before the mass, the pope will drive along the border to pray for refugees from Latin America and the Middle East. Odd as the location seems, Pope Francis’ and Patriarch Kirill’s attempt to reconcile their churches after centuries of estrangement will set the tone for a year of peacemaking in Cuba, a nation trying to shed its historic role as worldwide socialist provocateur.

The guides, as well as the pope’s address that morning, focused on the importance of self-reflection as someone prepares to go to the confession booth.