Pope emeritus writes to Polish bishops on birth centenary of Pope St John Paul II

St John Paul II

Source: Vatican News

Pope emeritus Benedict XVI has written a letter to the Bishops of Poland for the centenary of the birth of his predecessor, Pope St John Paul II.

"The whole of the Pope's life was centred on subjectively assimilating the objective centre of the Christian faith - the teaching of salvation - and allowing others to accept it," the Pope emeritus wrote.

"Thanks to the risen Christ, the mercy of God is for all... everyone must know that the mercy of God will eventually prove stronger than our weakness."

"It is here that we must find the inner unity of John Paul II's message and the fundamental intentions of Pope Francis: contrary to what is sometimes said, John Paul II is not a moral rigourist. By demonstrating the essential importance of divine mercy, he gives us the opportunity to accept the moral demands placed on man, even though we can never fully satisfy them. Our moral efforts are undertaken in the light of the mercy of God, which reveals itself as strength that heals our weakness."