VATICAN CITY (CNS) - God wants people to be merciful, which means forgiving others and giving freely with love, Pope Francis said.
[caption id="attachment_20403" align="alignright" width="250"] Pope Francis speaks as he leads his weekly audience Sept. 21 in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican. (CNS photo/Remo Casilli, Reuters) See POPE-AUDIENCE-JUDGE Sept. 21, 2016.[/caption]
"We don't have the power to condemn our brother who makes a mistake, we are not above him. Rather we have a duty to return him to the dignity of a son of the father and to accompany him on his path of conversion," the pope said Sept. 21 at his weekly general audience.
In his talk, the pope focused on a reading from the Gospel of Luke (6:36-38) in which Jesus tells the disciples to stop judging others and be merciful just as God is.
The motto for the Year of Mercy, "Merciful Like the Father," comes from this biblical verse, the pope said.
But more than a pithy catchphrase, the motto is a lifelong commitment to give to others the love one has received -- without merit -- from God, he said. It is a call to reflect upon all that God does for humanity so as to be inspired "to be like him, full of love, compassion and mercy," he said.
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