A newly appointed archbishop in Belgium has said “mercy” seems somewhat condescending and he prefers terms like “respect” and “esteem for man”.
Archbishop Jozef De Kesel of Mechelen-Brussels reportedly told Kerknet that the Church should not be marking time after the synod on the family.
“Mercy is an important word for me, but in one way or another it is still somewhat condescending,” Archbishop De Kesel said.
“I like to take words like respect and esteem for man as my starting point.
“And that may be a value that we, as Christians, share with prevailing culture.”