The message of the Jubilee of the Missionaries of Mercy is fully, vibrantly, and urgently relevant.

This event was designed to be not only a jubilee but also the fourth world gathering of the Missionaries of Mercy for their specific formation and to meet with the Pope.

For the first time, and due to his convalescence, the Vicar of Christ could not be present. That is, he was not physically present, but very present, very close. I believe this is an essential fact, one that should not be forgotten, because it provides a very important key to the meeting.

Indeed, according to Monsignor Rino Fisichella, the Pope prayed for the Missionaries of Mercy and for each one of them. Bishop Fisichella also pointed out how moving it is that the Pope’s message to the Missionaries of Mercy dates from March 19, when the Holy Father was ill at the Gemelli Polyclinic. There, the Pope expressed his desire to attend this Jubilee ceremony. On this occasion, as he had done in two previous meetings, the Successor of Peter presented us, the Missionaries of Mercy, with a stole. In it, he manifests the special authority, received directly from the Supreme Pontiff, that we Missionaries of Mercy have regarding the sacrament of confession, also called the sacrament of mercy.

In turn, the Supreme Pontiff has been very present in the minds and hearts of the Missionaries of Mercy. Thus, for example, Pope Francis praised the Holy Rosary, prayed by Bishop Fisichella and all of us in the Vatican Gardens.

In a word, it was a filial-paternal gathering of ecclesial communion around Peter, at the Rock on which the Church is built. Thus, this event, in which hundreds of priests from around the world participated, can help us love the Pope more, especially in this time of his convalescence.

This closeness of His Holiness is also closely related to his insistence on the great importance of the sacrament of confession for the lives of Catholics, since we missionaries of mercy are, above all, confessors. This is a very prominent element of his pontificate. It is also very important because this sacrament is being very controversial, there is much confusion about it, and many do not sufficiently value it.

In practical matters, the proposed goal is of utmost importance. Now, as Vatican News rightly stated, “the objective of this event is to put the sacrament of reconciliation back at the center of the Church’s pastoral life.” This is something we should not forget.

In this sixth major event of the current Holy Year, and as is customary in these global gatherings, the Missionaries of Mercy, with the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar solemnly exposed, confessed to one another, so that priests from all over the world bore witness to the holy sacrament of confession. This is nonetheless important, since contemporary man tends to value testimony more than words.

The event also coincided with the twelfth celebration of the twenty-four hours with the Lord, instituted by the will of the Pope. This is a global initiative that promotes adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and the administration of the sacrament of forgiveness throughout the world, and which we Missionaries of Mercy are called to promote.

In this year’s training for the Missionaries of Mercy, which includes the international conference, special emphasis has been placed on the relationship between the sacrament of confession and hope. Jesus is our hope. The sacrament opens us to wonderful hope, as it opens the gates of heaven and renews our lives in a most beautiful way. This most desirable re-flowering of our existence is achieved through the merciful love of the Lord, who embraces us in a very special way in this holy sacrament. The confessor is called to be the charity of Christ, who welcomes, who loves, who helps, who encourages, who inspires, who is God’s instrument for that hopeful, beautiful, and new life. As Pope Francis noted, “Mercy inspires joy, because the heart opens to the hope of a new life.” The sacrament of confession is the sacrament of peace and joy. A great treasure! Beautiful music! Delicious honey!

The beauty of forgiveness is also clearly evident in the beautiful parable of the prodigal son, which was the Gospel reading of the Mass presided over by Monsignor Rino Fisichella, Pro-Prefect of the Holy See’s principal dicastery for Evangelization, and which we, the Missionaries of Mercy, concelebrated.

In short, the main message of this event is the importance and necessity of confession, the wonder and beauty of confession, and its profound connection with hope. We must not forget that a Jubilee without confession would be an empty Jubilee. So, in this Jubilee Year, what is now called for is confession.