The Pope Francis is a Friend of the Poor

“The suffering of the people goes to the very core of his being”

Pope Francis like Jesus breaks the evil circle of discrimination and we Indians are longing to see such kind of attitude from the Pastors of the Church.

The Gospel emphasizes again and again that the action of Jesus is always inspired, motivated and driven by mercy for every human being. It is ‘mercy’ which explains and defines His personality and action. The verb used by the Evangelists (splanchnizomai ) suggests that the suffering of the people moved their bowels, penetrates to the depths of His being and becomes Jesus’ principle of action.

The important thing is to grasp that this mercy is not a simple feeling, but the basic reaction of Jesus directed all His actions. The free love in Jesus springs from the unfathomable mystery of God. From this mercy it is understood all His saving action. The Gospels emphasize especially the dedication of Jesus to cure the sick people, bringing back to normal life, eradicating or alleviating people’s suffering.

Nothing and no one could stop His freedom to act with mercy, not even the sacred law of the Sabbath: “The precept of the Sabbath was made ​​for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2: 27)

In addition, the Gospels emphasize the marvellous action of Jesus’: offering of God's forgiveness freely to all ‘sinners’. “People who are well do not need a doctor but only those who are sick....” (Mark 2:17) What was particularly shocking was Jesus’ habit of sitting at the table with sinners and people who, for various reasons, considered the most unwanted sectors excluded from the society and thus separated from the social gatherings (banquets, weddings, Saturday in the Synagogues ... ). Jesus is about to eat with them, not as a teacher of the law, but as a prophet of mercy offering His friendship and fellowship.

The deep meaning of these meals with sinners is that Jesus creates community with them before God. Sharing the same bread and the same wine; saying prayer with them, blessing them. His gesture of mercy announces the Good News of God.

Jesus’ table is a table open to all. It is not the “holy table” of the Pharisees or "pure table" of the members of the Qumran community. It is the table of God that invites everyone, with His merciful action; Jesus does not justify the corruption of the tax collectors or the life of prostitutes. Simply breaks the evil circle of discrimination and opens a new space where all are welcome and invited to meet the Father of mercy. Jesus puts all, righteous and sinners, to the unfathomable mystery of God’s forgiveness.  God’s mercy is offered to all.

The Church has for many centuries remain without hearing the radical call of Jesus. “Be merciful as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36). Jesus has nothing better to offer of His followers, as motivation and impulse of mercy, which comes from the Father in heaven. Mercy is not a law. It is the great inheritance of Jesus. Therefore, anything that prevents or hinders, darkens, grasp the mystery of God as mercy, and forgiveness must be disappeared from His Church.

His followers have to work in the Church to increase a committed space for all physical, moral and spiritual wounds of men and women today. It is not a time to review the disciplines and content of the Church’s Canon law (sanctions, punishment...), sometimes it all foreign to the spirit of Jesus and so conditioned by doctrines inspired by the Roman law rather than the Gospel.

The Church of today must decide to follow Jesus along the paths of mercy. The Pharisees seeing that Jesus admitted all the people of tax collectors and prostitutes and accused Him as a “friend of sinners”. Jesus never defended or denied their accusation but he was friendly with all.

It is sad to note that in this year of mercy some of the Bishops, priests, religious orders, men and women congregations discriminate some people, deny the Holy sacraments, and not promote vocation from certain sectors of people.

If we contemplate the prophet of mercy – Jesus and try to internalize His Spirit, the more we will reaffirm the conviction that mercy alone can make the Church today more human and more credible as said Pope Francis.