Pope Francis has repeatedly identified Mercy as a central theme of the gospel. Just as Jesus embodies the mercy of God, so his life and witness model the mercy that should define the church and the practice of all Christians. In that spirit, Pope Francis has declared this a Jubilee Year of Mercy. Marking this occasion, The Way of Mercy features essays and meditations on the theme of mercy, beginning with the text of Pope Francis on the Year of Mercy, as well as reflections by theologians such as Walter Kasper and Jon Sobrino and beloved spiritual writers including Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, Jim Forest, and Joyce Rupp.