Violence & Forgiveness

In his homily on the Gospel of Mat 5: 20-26, during the Friday Mass on 15 March, Fr. Dom highlighted the exemplary path to forgiveness by Pope John Paul II. An attempt was made on life of St. John Paul II in 1981 at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican. The Pope was shot and wounded by a Turkish man named Mehmet Ali Agca. Following the incident, the Pope asked the people to pray and he forgave the assailant. In 1983, the Pope met Mehmet in prison and Mehmet experienced forgiveness. He was imprisoned in Turkey was later released in 2010. He converted to Christianity and came back to Rome in 2014 and laid 2 dozen roses on the pope’s tomb.

Fr. Dom said, everyone has a choice:

When there is violence, we become angry and can choose revenge. By doing so, we make enemies of the perpetrator.

Or when there is violence, we are angry but choose forgiveness and in that way we have chosen the path to friendship as in case of Pope John Paul II.

We have the choice forgive and heal or take revenge and bear the burden of grudge.

He then asked the parishioners to close their eyes and recall a person they are angry with and ask in the name of Jesus to forgive them. He urged them to keep praying until the anger subsides and sets them free.

Holding on to anger imprisons us but letting go sets us free.