Pope Francis has issued a â??Bull of Indictionâ? declaring the coming year, beginning December 8, 2015, a Year of Mercy.
Does mercy have meaning for global politics? There is a long tradition, including thinkers as diverse as Thomas Aquinas and John Rawls, holding that the first virtue of the political order is justice. But justice, while crucial, is â??not enough,â? insists Pope Francis. Alone, it descends into legalism, resulting in its own destruction. Complementary to justice and critically necessary to politics is mercy.
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