The Name of God Is Mercy

by Pope Francis

Hardcover, 2016

Status

Available

Call number

Adult > Pope Francis

Publication

Random House (2016), Edition: Translation, 176 pages

Description

Christian Nonfiction. Religion & Spirituality. Sociology. Nonfiction. HTML:NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In his first book published as Pope, and in conjunction with the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, Pope Francis here invites all humanity to an intimate and personal dialogue on the subject closest to his heart—mercy—which has long been the cornerstone of his faith and is now the central teaching of his papacy. In this conversation with Vatican reporter Andrea Tornielli, Francis explains—through memories from his youth and moving anecdotes from his experiences as a pastor—why “mercy is the first attribute of God.” God “does not want anyone to be lost. His mercy is infinitely greater than our sins,” he writes. As well, the Church cannot close the door on anyone, Francis asserts—on the contrary, its duty is to go out into the world to find its way into the consciousness of people so that they can assume responsibility for, and move away from, the bad things they have done. The first Jesuit and the first South American to be elected Bishop of Rome, Pope Francis has traveled around the world spreading God’s message of mercy to the largest crowds in papal history. Clear and profound, The Name of God Is Mercy resonates with this desire to reach all those who are looking for meaning in life, a road to peace and reconciliation, and the healing of physical and spiritual wounds. It is being published in more than eighty countries around the world. “The name of God is mercy. There are no situations we cannot get out of, we are not condemned to sink into quicksand.”—Pope Francis Praise for The Name of God Is Mercy “Francis speaks succinctly—and with refreshing forthrightness. . . . He emphasizes moral sincerity over dogma, an understanding of the complexities of the world and individual experience over rigid doctrine. . . . The pope has an easy conversational style that moves effortlessly between folksy sayings and erudite allusions, between common-sense logic and impassioned philosophical insights.”—Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times “What makes his book most moving is the way in which this man, without disrespecting his own privacy or offering false bromides of modesty, opens the sacred space of his conscience to explain how he came to center his ministry, and now his papacy, around mercy.”—James Carroll, The New Yorker “As he has done throughout his papacy, Pope Francis shows in this book a compelling way to present God’s love anew to a skeptical world without denying the ancient teachings of faith. But now he is challenging the entire Church to trek a new way forward.”—Time “Francis enjoys sharing personal stories of God’s grace and mercy in the lives of parishioners from his native Argentina, people he has known and who have recognized themselves as sinners.”—The Washington Post “Powerful . . . Francis’s book signals a plea for a change of attitude on the part of the faithful and their pastors. . . . Bishops and priests will talk and quarrel over the text for months, even years to come. And that, perhaps, is what Francis intends.”—Financial Times “Deepens his calls for a more merciful Catholic Church . . . The question-and-answer book is told in simple, breezy language, with the pope referring to experiences and people in his own life.”—Newsday “Francis has offered his most detailed outline yet for the role of the...… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member LivelyLady
Interview with Pope Francis about mercy, justice and the Year of Mercy.
LibraryThing member KamGeb
I really like Pope Francis and the book was interesting, but I felt that it began to get repetitive after a while. It definitely is a good feel-good book that made me look at my life and how mercy and compassion fit into my life.
LibraryThing member stillatim
A model of genuine religious thought. I confess, I didn't think I'd feel so much reading this book. Francis has an uncanny ability to cut through cynicism.

"If the Lord didn't forgive everything, our world would not exist."
"The Church Fathers teach us that a shattered heart is the most pleasing
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gift to God. It is the sign we are conscious of our sins."
He who complains about others being forgiven "speaks the truth," because wrong has been done, "but at the same time he disqualifies himself," because he lacks mercy.
"None of us should speak of injustice without thinking of all the injustices we have committed before God."
"Corruption is the sin which, rather than being recognized as such and making us humble, is elevate to a system, it becomes a mental habit, a way of living. We no longer feel the need for forgiveness and mercy, but we justify ourselves and our behaviors... the corrupt man always has the gall to say: "It wasn't me!"... The corrupt man gets angry because his wallet is stolen and so he complains about the lack of safety on the streets, but then he is the one who cheats the state by evading taxes, or else he fires his employees every three months so he doesn't have to hire them with a permanent contract... He is the one who goes to Mass every Sunday but has no problem using his powerful position to demand kickbacks."

It's interesting to see how much of Francis's rhetoric is aimed at people who think of themselves as progressive: gay people might be sinners, but they're not corrupt; the corrupt are the rich and the politically conservative. It's also true, though, that progressives are corrupt in the terms that Francis describes here: they (we), too, have the gall to say that nothing is our fault.
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Original language

English

Physical description

176 p.; 5.4 inches

ISBN

0399588639 / 9780399588631

Other editions

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