The Arabic version of Pope Francis’ book “The Name of God is Mercy”
was launched on Monday, October 24, in Amman in the presence of Minister
of Culture Nabih Shuqum, Latin Patriarchal Vicar for Jordan Archbishop
Maroun Lahham, heads of churches, members of diplomatic corps, and a
number of figures in the field of culture and media.
The book was translated by the Catholic Center for Studies and Media in cooperation with Jordan Caritas.
In his address, the Jordanian minister of culture said: “We are
living amidst a world involved in fighting--characterized by conflicting
interests and hubbub that has almost eliminated all forms of security
and progress--designed to attain mere material gains and political
objectives that only serve those who only focus on their personal
interests, their exorbitant selfishness, and monopolist thinking so that
they only view themselves at the expense and the dignity of others.”
Shuqum enquired, ”Can we bring about a world free from every disease,
from marginalization, from hatred, from loss of freedoms, and from
disregard for justice without having to embrace the divine values of
love, peace, mercy and cordiality which are the merciful divine values
presented by prophets, messengers, and the divine holy books?”
Referring to the Message of Amman, Shuqum said that “it is a frank
and serious invitation to follow moderation. It also draws attention to
the need to bring about comprehensive development which underlines the
need for balanced approach to the spiritual and socio-economic aspects,
and to care for human right and freedom. It also draws attention to
rights of humans to live in dignity and freedom, guarantee their basic
human rights, administer the affairs of societies based on justice, as
well as benefit from the mechanism produced by society to apply
democracy.”
He concluded: “From this premise, we view Pope Francis’ book “The
Name of God is Mercy” as a genuinely sublime title that represents the
justice of the Creator, and His absolute love for humans living on
Earth,” stressing that he highly values the positive role played by His
Holiness Pope Francis in global peace as well as in his firm and
distinguished relations with Jordan.”
In an address by Patriarch Emeritus Fouad Twal, he said: “In the face
of the follies of violence, the insanity of killing and injustice that
have been sweeping our world, His Holiness Pope Francis did not find a
weapon to fight this trend other than launching the Year of Mercy, and
publishing a book titled, “The Name of God is Mercy.” God is merciful,
compassionate and kind with His people. He bestows on them compassion,
affection and tenderness, away from all forms of violence, extremism and
terrorism.
He added: “In line with the Pope’s repeated insistence that he wants
“a poor church that serves the poor” in all its institutions including
universities, schools, educational institutions, hospitals and others,
he launched a reform plan in the Vatican Curia. He fought corruption and
reaffirmed that the Church serves as a “field hospital” for all
patients, and for all those who seek a panacea by all the available
means.”
Concluding, Patriarch Twal said: “Let us in this Year of Mercy,
willingly forgive the abuses and the harm inflicted on us by others. Let
us console and pacify all those who suffer from injustice as well as
those who sustained the world’s violence and cruelty so that they can
see the face of the Merciful God, Whose mercies endure forever, because
the name of God is Mercy.”
Professor Nida Zaqzouq of the Sharia Faculty at the University of
Jordan said is her address: “Mercy is the tenderness of the heart and
its steering in a direction that necessitates charity. When we say “in
the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate” at the start of every
work and every saying, this has importance as it indicates the need to
keep in mind the quality of mercy in all our deeds.” She stressed that
God is merciful towards the faithful and unfaithful, the oppressed and
even the oppressor.
On his part, Director of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media
Fr. Rif’at Bader said: “We meet today to launch a book whose title
adequately reflects the depth of faith in the Merciful One God, ‘The
Name of God is Mercy.’ This is the one God whom we worship, follow and
try all the time to fulfill His will. The name of the Almighty is Mercy
and nothing else, which forms a bridge linking the world’s Muslims with
the Christians because they worship the same God, called Mercy.”
He also thanked all those who worked hand-in-hand and contributed to the issuance of this book.
Italian journalist Andrea Tornielli, who wrote the book based on
interviews he had conducted with the Pope, said: “the Church goes forth
toward those who are ‘wounded,’ who are in need of an attentive ear,
understanding, forgiveness and love... This is the face of a Church that
doesn’t reproach people for their fragility and their wounds but heals
them with the medicine of mercy. We live in a society that discourages
us from recognizing and assuming our responsibilities. It is always
others who make mistakes. It is always others who are immoral. It’s
always someone else’s fault, never our own. And sometimes we even
experience a return to a kind of clericalism, always intent on building
borders, ‘regulating’ the lives of people through imposed prerequisites
and prohibitions that make our already difficult lives even harder. It
is an attitude of being always ready to condemn and unwilling to accept.
Ready to judge but not to bow down with compassion for mankind’s
sufferings. The message of mercy swept all those stereotypes away.”
Paying tribute to the Muslims who positively reacted to the book
since its issuance in January 2016, he quoted The Pope’s Letter
“Miericordiae vultus”: “Among the privileged names that Islam attributes
to the Creator are ‘Merciful and Kind’. This invocation is often on the
lips of faithful Muslims who feel themselves accompanied and sustained
by mercy in their daily weakness. They too believe that no one can place
a limit on divine mercy because its doors are always open. I trust that
this Jubilee year celebrating the mercy of God will foster an encounter
with these religions and with other noble religious traditions; may it
open us to even more fervent dialogue so that we might know and
understand one another better; may it eliminate every form of
closed-mindedness and disrespect, and drive out every form of violence
and discrimination.”
www.en.abouna.org
* The Catholic Center for Studies and Media in Amman