Divine Mercy Sunday: Remembering Pope Francis, an Apostle of Mercy

Each year on the Second Sunday of Easter, the Church opens wide her heart to celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday—a day that radiates the boundless love and forgiveness of God revealed in the risen Christ. Instituted by Pope St. John Paul II and inspired by the visions of St. Faustina Kowalska, this feast reminds us that God’s mercy is not an abstract idea, but a living reality that seeks us out, embraces our wounds, and restores our dignity.

In our modern times, few leaders have embodied that truth so deeply and so consistently as Pope Francis. From the very first moment of his papacy, when he bowed before the crowds in St. Peter’s Square and humbly asked, “Pray for me,” he positioned himself not above the flock, but among them—a fellow sinner in need of mercy. He spent his pontificate reminding us that the Church is a home for sinners, not a museum for saints, and that mercy must be the beating heart of our faith and our witness to the world.

Perhaps one of his most enduring contributions was the Jubilee Year of Mercy in 2015–2016. During that year, the Church was called to throw open the “doors of mercy” both spiritually and physically. Pope Francis encouraged priests to extend the sacrament of reconciliation with gentleness and warmth, reminding the world that “the confessional is not a torture chamber, but the place in which the Lord’s mercy motivates us to do better.”

But mercy, as Pope Francis taught , is not only about what we receive—it is also what we must give. Like the rays flowing from the heart of Christ in the image of Divine Mercy, our experience of being forgiven must flow outward in forgiveness toward others.

In a world marked by division, coldness, and indifference, Pope Francis reminded us to be revolutionaries of tenderness, to bring Christ’s love into the ordinary spaces of our lives—into our families, our workplaces, our parishes, our streets.

So today, as we gaze upon the image of Divine Mercy, and whisper from the depths of our hearts, “Jesus, I trust in You,” let us  hear once again the voice of Pope Francis, who  now shares in the promise of the Lord’s resurrection; echoing Christ’s call: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”