【慈幼通訊社
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2015
年
3
月
13
日羅馬慈幼總部訊】
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教宗方濟各其中一項最受矚目的特徵，莫過於他對救主慈悲恆常的講述。教內外不少觀察者都相信，這正是他一個強烈的特徵。在他獲選就任羅馬主教的兩年後，讓我們嘗試透過鏡子，回顧他的牧職。
By Gian Francesco Romano
記者與一般人士，常傾向以一些富情感的名詞形容歷代教宗：若望二十三世因他溫良的性情而被稱為「好教宗」。若望保祿一世縱使牧職期十分短暫，也被人們稱為「微笑教宗」。教宗方濟各則經常被稱為「慈悲教宗」。
對教宗懷有這份觀感的，不僅是傳媒。3月12日，聖赦院院長毛羅．皮亞琴扎樞機，他向出席第26場內部論壇的參加者介紹教宗方濟各時，這樣說道：「作為最偉大慈悲的護守者，以及慈悲寶庫的聖赦院，我感到與你特別接近，因為在眾人心中，你就是『慈悲教宗』」。
在最近的一些新聞報導中，我們看到一則樞機議會秘書長阿爾巴諾教區塞梅拉羅主教的評論，這議會由教宗所建立，以協助他改革聖部。塞梅拉羅主教把慈悲形容為「人性的以及教宗方濟各屬神生命的基本要素，也是他向今日的人發表的希望信息的中心點。」
這就是我們從教宗方濟各的自我反省中，所得到的印象。他不斷強調「天主的寬恕永不停止」；並且是「天主首先走向人類」。他指出拉丁文misericordia（慈悲）一詞，源自miseris cor dare，是「給他的心與窮人」的意思。最後，他邀請我們成為「上主溫良慈悲的見證人，不自滿、勉勵心靈破碎的人，並燃起希望之火。」
如今，一眾基督徒能為教宗所作最美好的，最能中悅他的，也許就是他在每次聚會或交談完結時，向眾人所要求的 ─ 祈禱！也許我們回應他的邀請，就是於3月13日所作最合宜的事，稱為二十四小時向上主祈禱，以「天主富於慈悲」為主題，這是教宗親自要求普世教會的每個教區所作的。
在眾多推行的的計劃中，我們為表示對教宗方濟各兩年牧職的敬意，特地推介梵蒂岡網頁的「電子小冊子」，這小冊子收藏了一些美麗的圖像，並輯錄了他兩年牧職的一些發言。
Two years with Pope Francis, the "Pope of Mercy"
(ANS - RMG –Roma, 13 March 2015) – Among the most distinctive features of Pope Francis is certainly his continuous reference to the mercy of God. Not a few observers, inside and outside the ecclesial world, believe that this is precisely his distinguishing characteristic. Two years after his election as Bishop of Rome we will try to look back at his pontificate through this lens.
By Gian Francesco Romano
Journalists and ordinary people have often tended to identify the Popes with affectionate names: John XXIII was called the "Good Pope" on account of his gentleness. John Paul I is remembered as the "Smiling Pope” even though his pontificate was short. Pope Francis is now often called the "Pope of Mercy".
It is not only the media that recognise this trait. Yesterday 12 March, as he welcomed Pope Francis to the audience granted to participants in the 26th Course on the Internal Forum, Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, Major Penitentiary, had this to say: “As Apostolic Penitentiary, guardian of the greatest mercy and treasure of mercy, I feel that you are particularly close since, in the hearts of all, you are the 'Pope of mercy'."
And staying with the most recent news, we report the comments today of Bishop Marcello Semeraro of Albano, secretary of the Council of Cardinals instituted by the Pope to help him in the reform of the Curia. He highlights mercy as "the central element of the human and spiritual life of Pope Francis, and the core of his message of hope for the people of today”.
This is the impression we get from the reflections of Pope Francis himself. He constantly emphasizes that "God never gets tired of forgiving"; and that "God makes the first move in going to meet mankind”. He points out that the Latin misericordia comes etymologically from "miseris cor dare" which means “giving one’s heart to the poor." And finally, he invites us to be "witnesses of the mercy and tenderness of the Lord, which disturbs the complacent, encourages the disheartened, and lights the fire of hope".
The best gift that all Christians can give him today, and probably the one most pleasing to him, is the one he asks for at the end of every meeting or conversation - a prayer! Maybe we can join in the initiative which appropriately is taking place today, namely the twenty-four hours of prayer to the Lord, on the theme "God is rich in mercy," that the Pope himself has asked for in every diocese in the world.
Among the many initiatives carried out today to honour the two years of his pontificate, we draw attention to the "digital booklet" available on the Vatican website, which contains a collection of some of the most beautiful images and quotations of these two years of his pontificate.