Pope to bishops: Find new ways to show God’s mercy

MANILA, Philippines - Pope Francis on Friday instructed the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to find new ways to demonstrate God’s mercy to people.

CBCPNews, the official news service provider of the CBCP, reported that Pope Francis mentioned this in a letter read by Papal Nuncio Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto.

The pope’s message was relayed to the CBCP by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican’s Secretary of State.

The letter was read at the start of the 112th Plenary Assembly of the bishops, being held at the Oakridge Horizons in Cebu City.

The pope urged the bishops to seek new ways to proclaim the “wonder” of God’s mercy for the people.

The pontiff emphasized the need for the church to spread God’s enduring love for everyone.

By doing so, Pope Francis prays that this Jubilee Year of Mercy may truly be a time “to gaze even more attentively on mercy so that we may become more effective sign of the Father’s action in our lives.” 

Of the 131-member bishops, 37 are retired and 98 attended the three-day plenary assembly.

The bishops are expected to discuss the many concerns of the church, including the May 9 elections.

The meeting was preceded by a mass, which was presided over by Archbishop Pinto at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.

The plenary assembly, the CBCP’s highest decision-making body, meets twice a year – in January and July.

Pope answers kids’ questions

Meanwhile, Pope Francis has written his first book for children, replying to 30 probing letters from children around the world. The book is due for release by a US publishing house in March.

Chicago-based Loyola Press, a Jesuit imprint, came up with the idea and got the approval of the pontiff.

“Dear Pope Francis” will be published on March 1 in English. An edition will also be available in Spanish.

In compiling the book, the publishing house said it received 259 letters from 26 countries, written in 14 languages.

Thirty of them, written by children aged six to 13, were chosen for the pope to answer from countries as diverse as Albania, China, Syria and the pontiff’s native Argentina.

“What did God do before the world was made?” asked eight-year-old Ryan from Canada.