[caption id="attachment_14852" align="alignright" width="222"] Pope Francis presents a rose at an icon of Mary and the child Jesus as he begins his general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Dec. 9. (CNS photo/Paul Haring) See POPE-AUDIENCE-WHY-MERCY Dec. 9, 2015.[/caption]
VATICAN CITY (CNS) - The Catholic Church needs the extraordinary Holy Year to become an effective witness of God's divine mercy, Pope Francis said.
"The jubilee is a favorable time for all of us, so that in contemplating divine mercy, which surpasses every human limitation and shines in the darkness of sin, we may become more convinced and effective witnesses," the pope said Dec. 9 during his weekly general audience.
One day after inaugurating the Year of Mercy, the pope dedicated his audience talk to the significance he hopes the year will have for the church saying that it is a time to experience the "sweet and gentle touch" of God's forgiveness and his presence in difficult times.
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