Pope's Message for Lent: 'I desire mercy not sacrifice' - Independent Catholic News

Pope's Message for Lent: 'I desire mercy not sacrifice' - Independent Catholic News: Pope Francis' Message for Lent was released on Tuesday. Entitled 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice. The works of mercy on the road of the Jubilee' the message stresses the importance of corporal and spiritual works of mercy and condemns the attitude and actions of the proud, the powerful and the wealthy who refuse to open the doors of their hearts to God and to the poor. Pointing out that the poor have a special place at the heart of the Gospel, he warns of the 'blindness' and the 'illusion of omnipotence' which often afflicts the rich and powerful who