(VIDEO ONLY) Pope Francis explained during the general audience some of the Jubilee of Mercy's key symbols. He highlighted two: walking through the Holy Door and going to confession. Of the first, he said that it shows the faith one has in Jesus. Of the second, he said it is a direct experience of His mercy.
SUMMARY OF THE POPE'S CATECHESIS IN ENGLISH:
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
The Jubilee of Mercy was inaugurated this past week by the opening of the Holy Door, not only here in Rome but in dioceses worldwide, as a visible expression of our communion in the universal Church. Fifty years ago, the Second Vatican Council reminded us that the Church is called to be, in Christ, the visible sign of Godâ??s merciful love for the entire human family. Each of us, by practicing charity, mercy and forgiveness, can be a sign of the power of Godâ??s love to transform hearts and to bring reconciliation and peace.
By passing through the Door of Mercy during this Holy Year, we show our desire to enter more deeply into the mystery of Christâ??s redemptive love. Jesus tells us that he himself is the door to eternal life (cf. Jn 10:9), and he asks us, through genuine conversion, to open the doors of our hearts to a more sincere love of God and neighbor.
A special sign of grace in this Jubilee of Mercy is the sacrament of Penance, in which Christ invites us to acknowledge our sinfulness, to experience his mercy, and to receive the grace which can make us ever more effective signs of his reconciling love at work in our world.
