Audience for the Jubilee of Mercy: English summary
(Vatican Radio) In his latest special audience for the Jubilee Year of Mercy on Saturday, Pope Francis spoke on the role of dialogue in bringing God’s merciful love to the world.
Addressing the crowds gathered in Saint Peter’s Square, the Pope centred his catechesis on Jesus’ dialogue with the Samaritan woman, as recounted in John’s Gospel.
The following is the official English-language synthesis of Pope Francis’ homily for the Jubilee of Mercy general audience at the Vatican:
Dear Brothers and Sisters: Throughout this Jubilee Year, we have reflected on God’s mercy and our own responsibility, as followers of Jesus, to be “merciful like the Father”. In this light, we now turn to the dialogue of Jesus and the Samaritan woman (cf. Jn 4:6-15). Through dialogue, in fact, we come to know and respect others; we come to see each individual as a gift of God. How much we need to encourage dialogue in our families, our schools and our workplaces! For only through dialogue can we truly understand others and their needs, and work together for the good of society and the care of our common home. Dialogue between the religions can make a real contribution to the building of a world of peace and solidarity. God has placed a seed of goodness in each of us and he asks us to use it in the service of his creation. Through dialogue, mutual acceptance and fraternal cooperation, may we make God’s merciful love ever more evident in our world.