Kevin Cotter is editor of a new book that takes the reader through what Pope Francis has said about mercy quote by quote, day by day. A Year of Mercy with Pope Francis: Daily Reflections is the collection from Our Sunday Visitor. Cotter, who works at the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), talks about mercy, the confessional, Pope Francis, and more. — KJL
Kathryn Jean Lopez: Is the tweetable version of your book and Pope Francis’ mercy message: Get thee to a confessional?
Kevin Cotter: That’s in the ballpark. If I had only 140 characters, I’d say, “Learn how to experience God’s mercy and give God’s mercy to others.” Confession is a great practical application of this and is referred to several times in the book.
Lopez: To which the response is often going to be: “Why do I need a priest as a middleman?”
Cotter: The priest is not simply a middleman; he is a representation of Christ himself. He gives a real human element to the experience that is very much needed for the forgiveness of sins. Plus, Christ commanded his apostles to forgive sins as well. Jesus chose men as the method to forgive sins. There’s a great reason for this. I think most people who have confessed a major sin could easily testify that it is comforting to have a human there to represent Christ’s love and to direct their next steps.
Lopez: You write about Pope Francis: “Mercy has become the theme of his entire papacy. It is his primary means for communicating the Gospel to others, not just because of his personal experience, but also because of his conviction that it is through mercy that God wishes to reach all people. As he stated in a homily on March 17, 2013: ‘I think — and I say it with humility — that this is the Lord’s most powerful message: mercy.’” But what about justice and truth?
Cotter: I think this question points to the false dichotomy that the Church often faces. It often seems the media or society wants the Church to choose either mercy or truth, as if it can only be one or the other. The beauty of Pope Francis is that he has the ability to balance both. I believe he leads with mercy precisely because it is the most powerful message. Because it is so powerful, it has the ability to open people’s ears up to the truth. Some in the Church have a difficult time with this style.
I think it is important to look at the parable of the prodigal son. We must not become like the older brother.
Lopez: You sign off your intro “With Hope in Divine Will.” How do you have that, practically speaking?
Cotter: The phrase “With Hope in the Divine Will” is a part of my own personal spirituality and dedication to God’s providence. I often use the phrase at the end of letters and e-mails and have it inscribed on my wedding ring as well. To live this practically means to have a trust that whatever is happening can be turned over to the Lord for His purposes. It gives me a deeper confidence that the events in my life are not mere chance, but are an ordered path that I am responding to and give back to the Lord.
Lopez: What is true humility in the words of Francis?
Cotter: For Pope Francis, I think humility is the ability to be willing to ask for God’s help. This is why it is so integral to mercy. If we don’t have humility, we won’t be open to asking for God’s mercy.
Lopez: How is love revolutionary?
Cotter: When I think of revolutions, I naturally think of the idea of overthrowing a government or a way of thinking. Love is a revolution because it is the opposite of power in many ways. I think this is why Pope Francis’s own love and mercy is so well-received by our culture. They see the papacy as a position of power and are surprised that his most important message is that of love and mercy.
Lopez: Why is Francis de Sales important to the message of mercy?
Cotter: Knowing that people will using my book for their time of prayer, I used Francis de Sales to give people some practical tips on how to pray. I think the very act of prayer is a request for God’s mercy. It helps demonstrate many of the elements of mercy that Pope Francis consistently talks about – humility, love, and tenderness. Prayer is a powerful way to experience God’s mercy and to ask God how to give it to others. St. Francis de Sales is a great spiritual master who can help us in this journey.
Lopez: What does it mean to hasten to receive God’s grace?
Cotter: God’s grace is a free gift, but it is one we must be open to, as well. Pope Francis continually tries to help people understand the nature of God, particularly on the subject of grace and mercy. He is like the father in the parable of the prodigal son. He is there waiting to give us grace and mercy, but will we come to Him? It is not he who tires of giving us grace and mercy, but we who tire of asking him. We must hasten to ask him for his grace. We shouldn’t wait!
Lopez: Have you gotten feedback from these Francis books you’ve edited (this being the second)? What is it that people are seeing in Pope Francis and responding to?
Cotter: I think they see a more human element to the Church. They see someone who is with the people, someone who understands what the culture is thinking and asking. I think many Catholics were frustrated that the Church didn’t seem to respond to the real and apparent needs and concerns that the everyday person and Catholic had. I’m positive that many bishops and priests understood these concerns, but Pope Francis has broken through in a sense to positively show that he understands and cares for people and difficult situations. He has probably shown this more in his actions than words, but it is through his actions that people are willing to listen to him.
Lopez: Having read everything he’s had to say about mercy, is it a fair guess it will be a key message of his when he visits Philadelphia next fall?
Cotter: No matter his message, I’m sure mercy will be involved. But, if there’s one thing about Pope Francis, it is that he likes to surprise us. I’m very excited and interested to see what his message for us will be.
Lopez: Does Pope Francis not think anyone is listening? Is that why he is repeating himself? Does he know we all have too many distractions?
Cotter: There are probably a number of reasons why the pope is repeating himself. World Youth Day in Rio was an interesting example because the media and many in the Church were so surprised by his message and at the same time most of the key themes and expressions had already been said. I think the pope knows that, unlike you and I, most people aren’t listening to him every day. At the same time, having heard some of the messages over and over, I still find them challenging and relevant to my life. For instance, I still need to be better at encountering God’s mercy. I still need to reach out to people at the outskirts of society. These are messages that are good for me to hear over and over.
Lopez: How does taking up the Word of God going to help you when you’re sad?
Cotter: Pope Francis talks about sadness many times and I think this is important. Sadness is a very human element. He believes that Christians should have joy, but is not ignorant to the fact that we become sad. By bringing up sadness, he is able to speak to us in a very real and practical way. When we are sad we can turn to so many things for happiness. Reading the word of God helps connect us back to our joy. He is challenging us to return to the things that bring true joy instead of momentary pleasure.
Lopez: What does it mean to be intimate with God, which is something that comes up with Pope Francis?
Cotter: What a question! I feel like you asked me what it means to be in love. Who can properly describe it? I think the wording here is really important. Many times when people think of being Christian or religious, they think of rules or needing to have everything together before they can come to God. Intimacy implies a closeness as well as an expression of who we truly are. I think this is where God works the best. Our closeness to him is a request to be more like him and he takes who we truly are and transforms us to be more like him.
Lopez: What is “practical” about welcoming the Holy Spirit into your heart?
Cotter: At first glance, welcoming the Holy Spirit into our hearts does not seem practical at all. But the Holy Spirit gives us God’s presence at all times. He can direct our thoughts, actions, and words. We are faced with so many decisions every day, the Holy Spirit is there to help us. He can give us guidance and peace.
Lopez: What is it about Mary’s gaze that helps us with mercy?
Cotter: Pope Francis loves to use very practical analogies and basic elements of humanity to get his points across. One of these elements is the way we look at people. What does it say about us? Do we look on others with love? He uses Mary as the model for how to look upon others. We must look on others with love like Mary.
Lopez: Working at FOCUS you must encounter people who worry about Catholics and Mary. What do you say?
Cotter: I think it is important to break stereotypes on this question whenever possible. Many people think that Catholics worship Mary or love Mary more than Jesus. I think the simplest way to start is to tell people that we only honor Mary because it helps us grow closer to Jesus. If at any point honoring her distracts or doesn’t bring us closer to him, then we should stop. This seems to create a common ground in a short period of time.
Lopez: Did you learn anything new about mercy from a year with Pope Francis?
Cotter: More than anything I was reminded of the deep relationship between God’s mercy and our mercy for others. If I want to be more merciful to others, I have to first experience God’s mercy more in my life. Giving mercy to others also helps me understand and comprehend God’s mercy for me.
Lopez: What can 365 days of mercy do?
Cotter: God’s mercy is powerful. Pope Francis is reminding us of a Gospel truth that, when fully accepted, will deeply change us. It is similar to accepting the idea that we are children of God. At first glance, the phrase or idea seems very simple on the surface. But, when we fully comprehend it, we realize that it is revolutionary. The same occurs with mercy. Mercy gives us softer hearts, greater drive, and a deeper experience of God’s love.
Lopez: Who is most likely to find this book useful (say, if anyone happens to be thinking about Christmas gifts)?
Cotter: Ha! Yes, I’ve heard from many people planning to give this book or who have given my previous book (Through the Year with Pope Francis) away for Christmas. One of the goals of the book is to make Pope Francis accessible to people. So many people have told me, “I love Pope Francis, but I haven’t read much of what he has said or written.” We often hear Pope Francis through a media story or feel that we have to read a long encyclical to really hear what he is saying. The book gives a short passage from Pope Francis with a couple of reflection questions from me at the bottom. Anyone who wants an easy way to learn more about Pope Francis and prayer each day would be interested.
Lopez: How can mercy help us with our Advent preparation for Christmas?
Cotter: I think Advent is a great time of mercy if we allow it to be. It is a time to experience God’s mercy with the coming to Christ and wrestle with the message of the Incarnation. It is a time to give mercy to the poor and the needy. It is also a time to give mercy to those in our lives that it might be the hardest to do so — our relatives. There are lots of opportunities for mercy in Advent and Pope Francis speaks to many of them.
— Kathryn Jean Lopez is senior fellow at the National Review Institute, editor-at-large of National Review Online, and founding director of Catholic Voices USA.