Dives in Misericordia - Background in The Old Testament

Background in The Old Testament

The Pope traces the message of divine mercy back to earlier books in the Bible. He discusses the repeated instances of God returning to his people after their abandoning him.

John Paul also takes of the issue of contrasting mercy with justice: "in many cases is shown to be not only more powerful than that justice but also more profound." He writes that Scripture shows that "Mercy differs from justice, but is not in opposition to it, if we admit in the history of man ... the presence of God, who already as Creator has linked Himself to His creature with a particular love."