Mercy

Are we supposed to show mercy, like Jules in Pulp Fiction, or seek revenge, like the Bride in Kill Bill? Although it might not seem so at first, Tarantino does have a consistent view when it comes to our obligations regarding showing mercy and enacting revenge. In fact, even though we might not like to admit it, his view is likely the view that most people share.

Pur essendo generalmente valutate in termini moralmente positivi, alcune azioni e attitudini morali non sono considerate come strettamente dovute, né tantomeno esigibili: si tratta delle attitudini e delle azioni che rientrano nell’ambito, vasto e molteplice, dell’amore.
La tradizione morale ha coniato un termine tecnico per indicarle: “supererogatorio” (o “supererogazione”). Rispetto al minimo necessario di ciò che non può e non deve mancare – l’ambito di ciò che è appunto esigibile – il supererogatorio configura un “massimo”: va oltre ciò che è strettamente esigibile ed è dunque generalmente considerato eccedente la sfera e le competenze dell’etica. L’ambizione di queste pagine è di mostrare come questo massimo sia anch’esso in qualche modo “necessario” e come – al contempo – dal ripensamento di questo massimo derivi un nuovo sguardo sull’etica in generale e sul dovere in particolare. Quel massimo eccede una certa figura del dovere, ma non il dovere in sé: configura dunque, a tutti gli effetti, un fenomeno etico.

Imagine a world of fatalism. A world of predestination and determinism. A world of no escape from the sin within. A world without grace, forgiveness, determined to ruin one’s life through self-destruction and therefore, destroying other’s lives along the way. A world where there are only the elect and then everyone else. Where the light of grace is only an illusion and unknown to those who are not the elect, the chosen of God. A transcendent unapproachable God in an immanent messy world (Bourg 16). God, only as punisher, people only reaping what they sow, cursed from family lines’ past sins and their own. It is a dark world. A world where the person is totally depraved and has no hope of escaping her own sin, no matter how hard she may try. This world is portrayed in Jean Racine’s Phaedra. Phaedra is neither guilty nor innocent as Racine’s introduction to his play proclaims. She is fated to fail in her marriage, lust after another who does not return her affection, and therefore, spiral into madness and suicide. Yet, her knowing and abhorrence of her sin seems to contradict the claim of total depravity.

Anselm’s “satisfaction” theory of atonement posits that Christ’s death on the cross functioned as a gift to God on behalf of humanity to restore the order of justice subverted by sin.  Especially in recent years, the theory has been criticized for obscuring God’s mercy.  If God’s forgiveness is only available after such a sacrifice has been offered, Anselm’s critics argue, it is not forgiveness at all. While this criticism is a compelling objection, it does not seem to apply to Anselm’s own thought as expressed in Cur Deus Homo. While many “Anselmian” theories posit Christ’s death as transforming God by way of propitiation, Anselm himself envisions satisfaction in the opposite way, as an act by which a changeless God mercifully transforms humanity to conform to creation’s proper order. But even if the criticisms of a merciless God are misplaced, the corresponding calls for considering alternative theories of atonement have warrant.  Not only is “satisfaction” an ambiguous symbol, given such widespread (albeit unfair) associations, but Anselm himself seems to grant little soteriological value to Christ’s life, ministry, and resurrection.  The most promising remedy is to situate satisfaction theory within a larger, “person-centered” framework for thinking about atonement, an underappreciated move made by Thomas Aquinas which remains worthy of our attention today.

This paper seeks to critically evaluate the retributivist theory of punishment, making use of Jean Hampton’s writing "Forgiveness and Mercy" to make sense of the idea of retribution and to explain it in a way that distinguishes it from revenge.

The human mercy that Christ accomplishes through his flesh is the revelation of the eternal love of the Father. This paper explores this central affirmation of Christian theology in the light of the scholastic reading of the fourth Gospel by St. Thomas Aquinas. The novelty of this research lies in the rediscovery of the centrality of Scripture in the work of the Dominican saint, which is studied through a narrative approach that shows the importance of history in it.

La misericordia humana que Cristo realiza a través de su carne es la revelación del amor eterno del Padre que quiere que todos los hombres se salven. El presente trabajo profundiza en esta afirmación central de la teología cristiana a la luz de la Lectura escolástica que Santo Tomás de Aquino realiza sobre el cuarto evangelio. La novedad de este trabajo radica en el redescubrimiento de la centralidad que la Escritura tiene en la obra del santo Dominico la cual es estudiada a través de un enfoque narrativo, que hace ver la importancia de la historia en la misma.

El optimismo de los filósofos ilustrados sobre la humanidad o sobre «el estado de naturaleza» no casa bien con la tozudez de la realidad histórica a poco que se analice fríamente y de forma rigurosa. Pero tampoco se pueden sustentar las visiones nihilistas que solo reparan en «el horror», en lo más oscuro del alma humana, desechando como fruto de farisaicas «convenciones sociales» o inconfesables «recovecos psicológicos» todo acto desinteresado, todo altruismo, toda filantropía, en definitiva, toda bondad. Más allá de constatar un océano de sufrimiento del ser humano por obra de otros seres humanos, se puede encontrar un sentido a la historia humana, sea este trascendente o inmanente. Ante la inhumanidad hubo un momento en la historia humana en el que surgió la respuesta, profundamente espiritual y no biológica, de la compasión, que no es más que una empatía sin matices con el sufrimiento ajeno. Esta obra intenta hacer inteligible el conmovedor heroísmo ético de tantos miles de seres humanos que hicieron el bien en situaciones «infernales» a lo largo de la historia. Si la historia humana nos muestra, como magistra vitae, que el dictum pesimista homo hominis lupus es el que ha imperado en la gran mayoría de las situaciones y sociedades, también nos permite descubrir, de cuando en cuando, rayos de luz en forma de una minoría significativa de seres humanos que hicieron, contra viento y marea, del
homo hominis sacra res su norma absoluta de comportamiento. Algunas de ellos cambiaron el mundo al introducir una ética de la compasión en sus sociedades que modificó actitudes y estructuras, aliviando en no poca medida la tendencia depredadora de sus congéneres. El fin de la esclavitud, del sacrificio humano o de la tortura judicial parten de las semillas que ellos plantaron hace milenios. Esta obra también gira en torno a su lucha épica contra la iniquidad. Es, por así decirlo, una historia de los padres fundadores de la compasión.

God’s mercy has once again become known and worshipped in Church all over the world today. It is widely thought that the revival of this spirituality has been brought about by St. Sister Mary Faustina Kowalska’s revelations publicised by her community of origin, and the engagement of her confessor father Michał Sopoćko from Vilnius and later by Pope John Paul II. The analysis of the revival of the cult of God’s mercy in the last centuries allows for a thesis that the contemporary universality of the cult is by no means solely the effect of St. Faustina’s revelations but it is God’s plan to renew the Church’s and the world’s faith, realised by Him for the last three centuries with the help of the chosen. They have been called to found holy orders, show mercy like Jesus Christ, become propitiatory sacrifices for sinners and spread God’s message by realising His plan.

Lectio divina a partir de los Evangelios de Lucas y Juan. Introducidos por "Los miserables" y recapitulados por el icono de María, discípula misionera. Para internalizar actitudes de vida cristiana consistentes, siguiendo un itinerario de inspiración ignaciana.

Lo studio si propone di verificare significato e contesto primari dell’invocazione di origine biblica Kyrie eleison, tradotta nella liturgia: «Signore, pietà». L’indagine è articolata in due momenti. Sia dall’indagine semantica, condotta sul linguaggio originario e le sue successive traduzioni, sia da quella contestuale, svolta sui Vangeli, risulta che l’invocazione si rivolge all’amore «materno» di Dio e non nasce da una richiesta di perdono dei peccati. L’autrice, quindi, suggerisce di tradurla: «Signore, amami teneramente».



The study aims to demonstrate primary meaning and context of the invocation, originated from the Bible, Kyrie eleison, in the liturgy translated: «Lord, have mercy». The investigation is divided in two moments. Both from the semantic research, carried out on the original language and his subsequent translations, both from the contextual research, carried out on the Gospels, it results that the invocation addresses to the «motherly» love of God and is not a request of forgiveness of sins. The authoress hence suggests to translate it: «Lord, love me tenderly».

En esta ponencia se expone el concepto de misericordia según santo Tomás de Aquino, entendida como pasión y como virtud, para ver de qué modo es posible predicarla de Dios. Se afirma que en Dios la misericordia se da sólo como virtud, por su amor al hombre, al que quiere socorrer en su miseria; pero que elige asumir la misericordia como pasión en el Corazón de Cristo, para aliviar la pena del pecado al experimentar la tristeza del hombre, y para eliminar su culpa al satisfacer por ella al ser traspasado en la cruz.

Hans Urs von Balthasar's vast corpus of theological, philosophical, literary, and pastoral writings remains one of the most impressive achievements in 20th century thought. In light of liberation theology and now the papacy of Francis, however, a theological affirmation of the option for the poor remains dangerously weak in Balthasar's corpus. Von Balthasar and the Option for the Poor offers a sympathetic reforming of Balthasar's account of the drama of salvation—what he calls "theodramatics"— in response to this weakness.

Balthasar argues that his theodramatics intends to do justice to human existence as personal, social, and political, but his regular inattention to God's concern for and solidarity with the oppressed undercuts his own intentions. Von Balthasar and the Option for the Poor strongly affirms Balthasar's most fundamental theological commitments, but then reimagines his theodramatics in light of a strong recognition of the option for the poor within divine revelation and oppression as a force within the drama of salvation.

The first half of the book offers a clear account of Balthasar's most fundamental philosophical and theological commitments as a foundation for developing a liberating theodramatics. The second half offers a creative reworking of Balthasar's Christology, anthropology, and ecclesiology in light of the work of Gustavo Gutiérrez, Oscar Romero, and Jon Sobrino as well as seldom engaged texts in Balthasar's corpus. In so doing, Von Balthasar and the Option for the Poor provides a rich and unmatched dialogical engagement between Balthasar and Latin American liberation theology—an engagement that brings greater consistency to Balthasar's thought, increased attentiveness to the shape of divine revelation, and greater responsiveness to the challenges facing the Church in the modern age. As a liberating theodramatics, Balthasar's theological vision is opened to and reformed by a robust affirmation of God's merciful partiality towards the poor and oppressed, the option for the poor as an essential dimension of the Christian life, and the recognition that oppressive structures are theodramatic realities that oppose God's gift of life.

Jübile kutlamaları esasında Yahudilik menşeilidir. Kutsal Kitapta beşerî, iktisadî ve dinî kurallarla çerçevesi belirlenen bu yıl özünde Tanrının mağfiretinin garantilendiği kutsal bir zaman dilimidir. Tarihî süreçte Hıristiyanlıkta da ilki M.S. 1300 yılında olmak üzere Jübile kutlamalarına başlanmıştır. Jübilelerin süreleri, kutlanış şekilleri ve muhtevaları zamanla son şeklini alarak günümüze kadar ulaşmıştır. Jübileler endüljans tahsisleri ve hac ibadeti için müstesna zamanlardır. Bu yönleriyle mutlak günah affına vesile olabilmektedirler. Ayrıca belirlenen bir ana tema ekseninde müminleri manevî olarak ilerletmek ve onları tedip etmek hedeflenir. Papa Francis 2016 yılını “Merhamet Temasına Sahip Mutat Dışı Jübilesi” ilan edilmiştir. Bu vesileyle çalışmamızda merhamet doktrinine de kısa bir şekilde yer verilerek Merhamet Jübilesi etraflıca incelenmiştir.

Plato's Crito and Sophocles' Antigone challenge the concept of justice as "benefitting friends and harming enemies": justice stems from anger and harms the soul. The Antigone first illustrates how violence results from people's actions when they see themselves as the agents of justice; second, it points to a possible reassessment of justice as benefitting all, regardless of what others do to you. In the Crito, Socrates shows how this new notion of justice, which is very similar to mercy, is consistent with the life of a good human being. RÉSUMÉ: Le Criton de Platon et l'Antigone de Sophocle mettent en question la notion de justice qu'on trouve dans le monde grec: "faire du bien à ses amis, faire du mal à des ennemis". Selon cette définition, la justice provient de la colère et fait du mal à l'âme. Antigone montre d'abord que la violence est le résultat des actions des gens quand ils se considèrent eux-mêmes comme les agents de la justice. En outre, cette pièce suggère une possible redéfinition de la justice, au sens de "faire du bien à tous, indépendamment de ce que les autres nous font". Dans le Criton, Socrate montre comment cette nouvelle notion de justice, très similaire à la pitié, est cohérente avec la vie de l'homme bon. Justice and revenge have a long relationship, and Sophocles' Antigone and Plato's Crito show how connected they were in the ancient Greek world. This cannot come as a surprise since the idea of revenge is deeply rooted in human culture. Even today, people are often troubled when they witness others who do not react angrily and do not desire revenge when

The article is devoted to studying parish charity as a phenomenon of religious life in St. Petersburg in the middle of the 19th century. The author thoroughly describes the life and activity of priest Alexander Gumilevsky (1830-1869) known as the Church of the Nativity on Peski cleric, and his contribution to the formation and pastoral care of the Holy Cross and the Nativity communities of Sisters of Mercy. There studied in detail the history of the creation and development of various parish charity forms under the leadership of Fr. Alexander, including a shelter for poor children and seniors, as well as the Nativity Brotherhood, the first charitable church society in Russia. The main purpose of the brotherhood was to come to the aid of the poor, and thanks to Fr. Alexander’s and his assistants’ trying was successfully realised in grate scale. By his tireless pastoral effort, works of mercy and charity, the foundation of the fraternal shelter for the poor and the Brotherhood itself, priest Alexander Gumilevsky won truly general love and deep respect among the people of St. Petersburg.

Статья посвящена изучению приходской благотворительности как феномена религиозной жизни Санкт-Петербурга середины XIX в. Автором подробно описаны жизнь и труды клирика храма Рождества Христова на Песках священника Александра Гумилевского (1830-1869), его вклад в формирование и пастырское окормление Крестовоздвиженской и Христорождественской общин сестер милосердия. Детально исследована история создания и развития под руководством о. Александра различных форм приходской благотворительности, в том числе приюта для нищих детей и пожилых людей, а также Христорождественского братства – первого в России благотворительного церковного общества. Основная цель братства – приходить на помощь бедным, благодаря трудам о. Александра и его помощников успешно реализовывалась в больших масштабах. Своей неутомимой пастырской деятельностью, делами милосердия и благотворительности, основанием братского приюта для бедных и самого братства священник Александр Гумилевский снискал поистине всеобщую любовь и глубокое уважение среди жителей Санкт-Петербурга.

This article discusses the relationship between the teaching of Veritatis Splendor and the principle in Catholic social doctrine called the preferential option for the poor. The goal is to locate the common vocation to preferential love for the poor within the anthropological and moral horizon indicated by Blessed Pope John Paul II’s encyclical. And, in that light, to reflect upon the moral implications of Jesus’s invitation to the rich young man into the perfection of charity called mercy: “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give the money to the poor . . . then come, follow me” (Mt 19:21).

Toward that end, the morality tale Deutsches Requiem by Jorge Luis Borges highlights for us an important gesture in Veritatis Splendor regarding the virtue mercy and vicious sloth (acedia): an inchoate thesis concerning themes addressed in Pope John Paul’s encyclical Dives in Misericordia (1980) and the apostolic exhortation Salvifici Doloris (1984). Throughout, St. Thomas Aquinas will help us specify key aspects of the option for the poor in relation to Veritatis Splendor and identify some of the important work that lies ahead.

The iconography of charity (caritas) underwent considerable changes in fourteenth-century Italy, signifying a break with the traditional transalpine depictions of love personified. Some iconographical aspects of the French Caritas Misericordia (or Mercy Charity) were transferred to the Madonna of Mercy, also known as the sheltering-cloak Madonna. With her cloak spread to protect the needy and her devotees, the Madonna of Mercy likewise personifies benevolence, leaving room for artists to develop an allegorical type of Charity. Significantly, the earliest Mother of Mercy images show the Virgin extending her cloak with her own hands as Mercy Charity. The meaning of the gesture is multifaceted. The Virgin is not just offering a cloak, but sharing hers. Because of the association of textiles with flesh, and therefore with the incarnation, textile relics were supposed to have protective powers. With the garment, Charity—and later the Virgin—provides the pauper with a protective layer. The development of the Madonna of Mercy fits changed views and practices of charity in Italy during the thirteenth century. The Madonna of Mercy is depicted frequently in churches, oratories, and charitable institutions, often depicted more than once within one hospital. In the gesture of opening up her mantle, she mirrors the hospital loggia. The cloak of the Virgin could symbolize the protective walls of a building, or even the dome of heaven. Reversely, the loggia of the hospital could be regarded metaphorically as a sheltering cloth protecting the citizens of the community. Visually the loggia functioned not just as a transitional area, but an embracing and enclosing space covering the community like a sheltering cloak. As such, the loggia articulated the purpose and aspirations of the hospital in society, reflecting the popular image of the Madonna of Mercy.

Il contesto del Giubileo della misericordia offre l’occasione per una riflessione su questa tematica così centrale nell'attuale pontificato. Come scrive papa Francesco nella bolla di indizione, essa «è la parola che rivela il mistero della santissima Trinità», «l’atto ultimo e supremo con il quale Dio ci viene incontro», «la legge fondamentale che abita nel cuore di ogni persona quando guarda con occhi sinceri il fratello che incontra nel cammino della vita», «la via che unisce Dio e l’uomo, perché apre il cuore alla speranza di essere amati per sempre nonostante il limite del nostro peccato» (Misericordiae Vultus, 2). I due passi principali del
vangelo su tale argomento sono, come il santo padre ricorda, la parabola del figliol prodigo (Lc 15,11-32) e la quinta beatitudine (Mt 5,7): nel primo si rivela l’azione di Dio nei confronti dell’uomo, mentre nel secondo la misericordia è designata quale via di salvezza per l’anima. Alle origini della cristianità, il primo autore
che abbia commentato con più ampiezza la parabola di Lc 15,11-32 è stato Origene; invece, la quinta delle Omelie sulle beatitudini di Gregorio di Nissa costituisce la prima esegesi estesa e completa di Mt 5,7. Questo contributo intende operare un confronto tra le
letture dei due Padri e i concetti da esse implicati, in particolare la preesistenza dell’anima nel primo e la libertà della persona nel secondo.

Étude de théologie biblique sur la révélation de la miséricorde dans la Bible.

A biblical-theological study on the revelation of divine mercy in the Bible.

Un estudio bíblico-teológico sobre la revelación de la misericordia divina en la Biblia.

Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice provides a dramatic setting for thinking about the relationship of mercy to justice, a topic of great concern to contemporary ethical and political thought. Traditionally classified as among Shakespeare’s comedies, the play can also be analyzed as a tragedy in which Shylock is the protagonist. The tragedy is driven by the relatively weak conception of mercy in relationship to justice that informs Portia’s famous soliloquy “the quality of mercy . . . .” The mercy she praises is closely related to the stoic conception of mercy that Seneca urges upon Nero, a mercy that is bound within the confines of justice. Examining Aquinas’ discussion of misericordia in relation to justice and forgiveness provides a more robust conception of mercy that is closely associated with friendship, particularly the friendship Aquinas argues is owed by all human beings to all human beings. This concept of mercy can rightly be said to be a mercy beyond justice, a mercy that justice strives to attain.

The author questions the exclusive logic of the existential peripheries in light of a phenomenologic reading of the parable of the Good Samaritan. He makes use of the phenomenology of Life by French philosopher Michel Henry. It therefore arises that the question of existential peripheries calls for a new glance on the relation with others and ethics. It is not more of the ego, as in husserlian phenomenology, that is the center, but a Life, which imposes an ethics beginning from love and mercy.

Resumen: La misericordia es una realidad difícil de valorar. La historia de este concepto ilustra una ambigüedad de fondo que puede servir para desentrañar su consistencia y dar algunos pasos que orienten una investigación más honda de su significado en la vida de las personas y del cuerpo social. El presente artículo intenta presentar algunas intuiciones y objeciones que se han planteado a lo largo de la historia para poder identificar los principales temas a afrontar en un estudio filosófico del argumento.

The word “epiphany” derives from the ancient Greek and means “manifestation”. Something similar is described in the modern language of Systems Theory with the term “emergence”. I claim that when we focus on human communities and societies, and even on the behavior of individuals, “epiphany” may be more fitting in order to describe an “emergence” with the adequate emphasis on the aesthetical, transcendent and ethical aspects that are required.
In the course of history and also of everyday life, epiphanies of evil and epiphanies of right occur and recur, at times in alternation and at times simultaneously.
Both for what concerns evil and right, epiphanies are discontinuous changes but come out of processes.
For what concerns evil, I focus on some characteristics and on the long-term deadly effects of a “problem-based” state of mind. Molding the world in terms of problems and solutions is necessary and appropriate in limited and practical domains. The adopting of this attitude as a general state of mind, shaping our whole presence in the world, blurs and ultimately denies the reality of persons, putting in foreground a pretended “reality” made of problems and solutions.
For what concerns right, I focus on what I call “eleogenetic” practices. “Eleos” is a Greek word that means “mercy”. “Mercy” is often mistaken for a sickly-sweetish attitude of turning a blind eye. I claim instead that mercy is a way to know reality with more precision and beauty, since reality is first of all a reality of persons, with their expressions, activities, encounters and contacts. Eleogenetic practices allow us to develop this kind of knowledge of oneself, of others, and ultimately of the world.

Aunque en los Salmos se presenta constantemente la imagen de un Dios que es justo y misericordioso, el sentido y el alcance de ambas características no es siempre evidente ni unidimensional. El estudio se detiene en algunos Salmos que tienen una concentración mayor del vocabulario y los temas de la justicia y la misericordia divinas, con una atención a su ubicación en el Salterio. La pluralidad de voces representada por estos textos da cuenta de la complejidad teológica implicada en esta diversidad de rostros de Dios.
Although the image of a just and merciful God is constantly presented in the Psalms, the ultimate meaning and scope of both characteristics is not always obvious or one-dimensio- nal. The study focuses on some Psalms which have a greater concentration of vocabulary and content referring to divine justice and mercy, with attention to their location in the Psalter. The plurality of voices represented by these texts accounts for the theological complexity involved in such a diversity of faces of God.

Saint
Anselm has three theories of justice and two of the relationship between justice and mercy, each one better than the last.
The first theory of justice (in
Monologion
chapters 70
-
74) is mostly
about  divine  justice  with  respect  to  creatures,  and  it  makes  no  mention  of  mercy.  In  the Proslogion, he assumes that mercy must be an attribute of God, and then tries to advance a view of  justice  and  mercy  as  contraries,  where  justice  is  giving  people  their  due  and  mercy  is  not punishing  them  when  justice  would  require  it.  Recognizing  the  insuperable  problems  with  that conceptual  scheme,  Anselm  found  he  was  forced  to  reject  retributive  theories  of  punishment, eudaimonistic  theories  of  ethics,  and  theories  that  define  justice  as  giving  to  each  his  due,  in order to give a theoretically acceptable account of mercy.

RESUMEN: Teniendo en cuenta la acción misericordiosa de Dios en los hombres y la respuesta de éstos a Dios, se pasa revista tanto al don de la conversión (fruto de la misericordia divina) como a las obras de misericordia impulsadas por esa misma conversión. Mencionando a varios conversos famosos, son recordados desde una visión cronológica otros más desconocidos, destacando algunos testimonios recientes y ciertos casos especiales de acción misericordiosa de Dios.  PALABRAS CLAVE: Conversión, misericordia, obras de misericordia, caridad.
ABSTRACT: Using as a point of departure the merciful action of God toward human persons and their response to God, this article examines both the gift of conversión (as a fruit of divine mercy) and the works of mercy undertaken as a result of this conversion. A number of famous converts are mentioned, with emphasis on recent testimonies and certain special instances of the merciful action of God. KEY WORDS: Conversión, mercy, works of mercy, charity.

The emperor Justinian is not known today for his mercy, but during his reign he and his ministers led a concerted effort to present him as merciful. Historians like Procopius and John Malalas recorded numerous, specific examples of the emperor’s grand acts of clemency. The emperor and his legal ministers touted clemency in the Novels of Justinian. Courtiers such as Agapetus and Paul the Silentiary praised the virtue as well. The propaganda of mercy in the reign of Justinian drew on historical traditions from the earlier Roman Empire, the Hellenistic world, and Christian teaching.

The aim of this presentation is to introduce Eleogenetics and its practical applications. Eleogenetics is a theoretical and practical approach to development and change in human relationships. The first part  is essentially theoretical;  in the second part, are considered practical applications of Eleogenetics in the fields of Psychotherapy, Health-Care relationships, Clinical Supervision, Study of Dreams, Vocational Guidance .

This paper studies the doctrine of mercy in the Castilian works of Francisco de Osuna. Mercy appears as the nucleus of his theology of history as well as the mystical theology of the Franciscan author. The final part of the paper points out conectios i his theology, preachig, ad the social impact of these ideas i the Castilian society of that epoch

In his 2017 TED Talk, Pope Francis invited his viewers to a “revolution of tenderness” through “love that comes close and becomes real.” Responding to that call, this article argues that Francis’s assertion that “mercy is doctrine” means that the substance of theology and its teaching requires a conversion of the minds and hearts of both students and teachers to paths wherein one might encounter the God of Mercy. After touching upon particular challenges facing teachers of theology in an undergraduate classroom, the article outlines Francis’s theological framework which both stands upon the tradition of Ignatian spirituality and justifies his using the weight of the papacy to reorient the church’s vision toward mercy and the margins. Finally, this article considers Pope Francis’s pastoral call to mercy theology might nourish undergraduate students’ imaginations and make merciful action intelligible, spiritually meaningful, and attractive.

Thomas Aquinas' theology of mercy is deeply marked by the liturgical tradition of the Order of Preachers, incorporating many explicit and implicit references to liturgical prayers in praise of God's mercy. This article explores the liturgical context of Thomas Aquinas' theology of mercy, demonstrating the influence of the Dominican liturgy on Thomas' understanding and articulation of mercy and showing the subsequent influence of Thomas on Pope Francis' theology of mercy.

Le piste di lettura del film drammatico Philomena (2013), diretto dal regista inglese Stephen Frears (1941-), possono essere molteplici. Lo stesso giornalista Martin Sixsmith, nelle scene iniziali del film, dichiara al suo editore che la vicenda dell’anziana signora irlandese presenta diversi spunti intriganti per un articolo, tra i quali il tema della ricerca delle proprie radici familiari e quello della diaspora irlandese. Ma si potrebbero intraprendere molti altri sentieri interpretativi: la forza dell’amore materno e filiale; la capacità liberante del perdono che sgorga dalla fede in Cristo; il fanatismo sessuofobico, la discriminazione degli omosessuali e il biasimo per i malati di AIDS; lo statuto etico del giornalismo ecc.
Il ricorso al film si rivelerebbe molto costruttivo per stimolare una riflessione sulla concezione cristiana del giudizio finale, animata dalla speranza che «la misericordia abbia sempre la meglio sul giudizio» (Gc 2,13).
Immediatamente prima che cali il sipario, risplende nel film un simbolo vivido e commovente di ciò che avverrà nel giudizio di Dio alla fine dei tempi. Chi non vorrà perdonare, percepirà quanto sia «estenuante» chiudersi per sempre alla misericordia. Intravediamo qui un’acuta intuizione sull’inferno, immaginabile come la condizione ultraterrena di «estenuazione» radicale ed eterna della persona impenitente. D’altra parte, la misericordia infinita di Dio avrà universalmente la meglio in paradiso, nella misura in cui ogni vittima, interiormente sospinta dal Consolatore a prendere parte alla «carità di Cristo» (2Cor 5,14), si scoprirà peccatrice perdonata e giungerà, per riconoscenza a Dio, a perdonare a sua volta i propri carnefici. Mediante il perdono di tutte le vittime della storia, persino i carnefici potranno essere perdonati dai loro peccati. Ma, per usare anche a loro misericordia, il Signore vorrà passare attraverso la compassione delle loro vittime.

Since Milsom’s famous dismissal of the “miserable history of crime in England,” criminal law has undergone a revolution in constitutional significance. The rise of rights constitutionalism as the heart of the modern liberal rule of law has given criminal law a new life in which it is subject to substantial justice-based innovation through appeal to the internal and basic norms of the legal system itself. Far from the marginal and exceptional status once ascribed to it by Milsom, this chapter argues that criminal law is now best understood and approached as a species of constitutional reflection. Substantive criminal law has become a laboratory for the constitutional, focussing and advancing classic questions of constitutional concern, while at the same time traditional questions of criminal law theory have themselves begun to translate into a constitutional register. Thematically, this chapter considers the way in which substantive criminal law has become a site for reflection on sovereignty and state violence; the anthropology of the legal subject; the rule of proportionality; and the relationship between judgment, discretion, and mercy. The chapter then turns to the constitutionalization of questions of the limits of the criminal law, fault, criminal defences, and standards for punishment. Juridical exploration of the relationship between substantive criminal law and constitutional principles has been uneven across national traditions; accordingly, this chapter draws significantly from the Canadian jurisprudence, which has been at the vanguard of this process. Ultimately, the chapter identifies a challenging irony: that despite a profound change in the imaginative relationship between criminal law and the larger legal structure, more of Milsom’s assessment remains apposite than we might have hoped – the contemporary history of criminal law is still invested with its share of misery and much criminal justice is still left to be done in spite of the law.