EDITORIAL

Pope Francis Lives the Truth in Love

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During the Pope’s recent trip to the country of Georgia he addressed the topics of marriage and human sexuality. He did so with both clarity and compassion regarding the truth about human love and the need for God’s mercy. In so doing, he gave us a model for how to deal with these challenging issues.

In an off-the-cuff speech, Pope Francis spoke of the challenges marriage and family face today. He called gender theory the “great enemy of marriage.” The pope explained: “Today the whole world is at war trying to destroy marriage…not with arms but with ideas.”

Aboard the papal plane at the conclusion of the trip, the Holy Father spoke about the need to accompany those who struggle with same-sex attraction or who present themselves as transgendered. He said these were moral problems and that we always “need to present the mercy of God, with the truth.”

The Holy Father continues to show us the way to deal with the grave moral problems of our day. He is clear about the reality of sin and the need for God’s mercy. He is equally clear that the fundamental reality is the mercy of God. We need to accompany people onto conversion of heart to embrace the full truth of the Gospel.

Like the Lord, the Pope asks us to preach the truth in love. He encourages us not to compromise the truth or give up on the challenge of the Christian life but to present the truth — and the joy — of the Gospel.