Pope Francis tells priests to incarnate mercy

Pope Francis, during the Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday, exhorted priests to incarnate mercy.

"As priests, we are witnesses to and ministers of the ever-increasing abundance of the Father's mercy; we have the rewarding and consoling task of incarnating mercy, as Jesus did," said the Pope, as quoted by the Catholic News Agency.

Jesus preached the Father's mercy to those who were poor, the oppressed and those who were cast out, and he reminded those present during the event that there are "countless masses of people who are poor, uneducated, prisoners, who find themselves in such situations because others oppress them."

During the homily, the Holy See said that God shows an excess of mercy during "encounter," like in the story of the prodigal son wherein the father welcomes back with great joy his wayward child; and in "forgiveness," wherein God forgives as well as lets people "move directly from the most shameful disgrace to the highest dignity without any intermediary stages."

To forgiveness, the response should always be "to preserve that healthy tension between a dignified shame and a shamed dignity."

"Mercy restores everything; it restores dignity to each person," the Pope said.

Priests, the Pope acknowledged, face many trials although they are quite different from poor people. They are oppressed by "the allure of a thousand commercial advertisements" and may feel trapped by "a digital, virtual worldliness that is opened and closed by a simple click." Nonetheless, he said that Jesus comes to redeem them "to become ministers of mercy and consolation."

The Chrism Mass was held at the St. Peter's Basilica on March 24, where cardinals, bishops and priests renewed the vows they made at the time they were ordained. The annual event is also when the oils used for different sacraments are blessed.