Pope says human heart needs God's mercy now more than ever

Published: 2004-04-19

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The human heart, broken by violence and tempted by evil, needs God's mercy more than ever, said Pope John Paul II. "In these times marked by growing insecurity and violent conflict, humanity needs so much to experience the effectiveness of God's mercy," he said in an address April 18 from his apartment window to pilgrims gathered below in St. Peter's Square. "Jesus instills the merciful love of God in the human heart, which is an abyss always exposed to the temptations of evil," he said. By invoking mercy upon his killers, Jesus manifested "the universal sacrament of God's paternal tenderness that offers forgiveness and reconciliation for all people," said the pope.

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