Encouragement to Mercy & Spiritual Direction: Pope's Latest!

The Pope’s Latest Encouragement to Mercy and Spiritual Direction

A recurring theme is emerging in Pope Benedict’s pontificate: the importance of mercy and spiritual direction. His latest encouragement of this practice is his most significant. In Sussidio per Confessori (The Priest, Minister of Divine Mercy: An Aid for Confessors and Spiritual Directors) is a beautiful call for priests to reflect on how to more effectively minister grace and mercy through confession and spiritual direction. This important document comes at a critical time of preparation for World Youth Day and the anticipated work of the Holy Spirit in this significant gathering of the faithful. I heartily recommend this insightful and encouraging document to priests, religious, lay spiritual directors, and all who desire to more fully engage Christ and his grace in confession and spiritual direction. The document is offered through the Vatican’s Congregation for the Clergy and can be found in full here.

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Dan Burke

Dan Burke is the past President and C.O.O. of EWTN's worldwide news
network. He is presently the founder and President of the Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation, which offers graduate and personal enrichment studies in spiritual theology to priests, deacons, religious, and laity in 90 countries and prepares men for seminary in over 40 dioceses.

Dan is the author and editor of numerous books on authentic Catholic spirituality and hosts the Divine Intimacy Radio show with his wife, Stephanie, which is broadcast weekly on EWTN Radio. Past episodes can be found, along with thousands of articles on the interior life, at SpiritualDirection.com.

In his deep commitment to the advancement of faithful Catholic spirituality, he is also the founder of Apostoli Viae, a world-wide, private association of the faithful dedicated to living and advancing the authentic spiritual patrimony of the Church.

Most importantly, Dan is a blessed husband, father of four, grandfather of one—and grateful to be Catholic.