@gladys Lopes The reason I speak so much about mercy is because this particular Encyclical is focused on mercy.

As for referring to Pope Francis, I explain that in the video. I was trying to show that his emphasis on mercy - which many people erroneously think is some new thing for popes to emphasize - is simply, I believe, a repeating of what John Paul the Great says in Dives in Misericordia.

Gladys, you said: "We must not assume that we can keep on sinning because God is merciful." I say this in the video. I'm surprised you didn't hear me say that. Did you listen to the entire talk? Did you hear the part about the Sacrament of Reconciliation? Also, I did explain the difference between justice and mercy. Did you the hear the part about exterior values and interior values?

Also, I know I could have produced a more comprehensive study of this encyclical. One could even conduct a university-level class on this. However, please understand this: I'm a priest assigned to three parishes. We have tons of funerals here. I also teach in the school. And we must attend to the several nursing homes all over the place. And we have marriage preparation, home visits, confessions, hospital visits, parish and school activities, and on and on and on... I simply did not have the time to dictate the entire encyclical to the people. I just wanted to give an overview and explain *some* of the points in the encyclical. Thanks for your understanding!

Perhaps you should read the Encyclical itself. You will find it here: w2.vatican.va/…/hf_jp-ii_enc_30…

Uncle Joe,

I believe that somehow, according to God's will, our prayers can affect the past. For example, in the Extraordinary Form, after the Our Father, the priest prays that God will deliver us from all evil "past, present, and future." That is a most interesting prayer.

I get your point, Abramo. Maybe we could look at it this way: In the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, the priest makes the sign of the cross over the Consecrated Host several times. Even though the Host is already consecrated, and the "blessing" of the priest can add nothing to it, it is still done. Or perhaps we could look at it another way: the things of God transcend time. So when a priest blesses the body of a Saint, perhaps the blessing can touch the life of that saint in the past, before his canonization!!!