In any case, rationality does not seem to be the only resource of human beings, at least if we consider it as calculation or reflection, both on the theoretical and practical levels. Capacities such as intuition, empathy, a sense of opportunity, good taste or a sense of humor do not seem to be identified with rationality in the aforementioned sense.
Therefore, it seems to us that the call to a "revolution of tenderness" is not an invitation to sentimentality or irrationality, but to build our own humanity from the "love of God poured into our hearts" (Rom 5:5).
Undoubtedly, this way of understanding and proposing charity is not a novelty in the Pope's preaching. Already as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, he referred abundantly to tenderness in his preaching. The references are innumerable and share some notes in common, without being identical. In speaking of tenderness, Cardinal Bergoglio alluded above all to God's love for us, which is especially evident at Christmas, "God made tenderness". In the same vein, he referred to a "God who always forgives" as a synthesis of tenderness and fidelity. Along with this, he also pointed to "tenderness as a human attitude" in response to God's tenderness.
The revolution of tenderness
However, although tenderness already had an important prominence in his previous preaching, perhaps the most novel note of his pontifical magisterium is the programmatic proposal of tenderness as a "revolution". The following words of the Evangelii gaudium are eloquent: "The Son of God, in his incarnation, invited us to the revolution of tenderness" (EG 88). In the simplicity of this phrase is contained the key to understanding the "revolution" that Pope Francis proposes to us. It is not, of course, an isolated or anecdotal indication, but an idea that will appear in several moments and contexts of the same Evangelii Gaudium, as well as in other interventions.
In this proposal, two complementary perspectives are intertwined. On the one hand, it highlights the relationship between the tenderness of God's love and the tenderness of the human heart beyond all circumstances, since the former is, in every age, the model and cause of the latter. But, in addition, there is a particular invitation addressed to man today, a stimulus and a pressing proposal in our particular situation. For this reason, the formula - so to speak - used by the Holy Father highlights the intertwining of the divine and the human, of the eternal and the temporal. The center of these two lines is undoubtedly Jesus Christ, God incarnate, "the face of the Father's mercy" (Misericordiae vultus, 1), "the same today, yesterday and forever" (Heb. 13:8).
The articulation of these two approaches is perhaps best understood if we recognize their convergence in the virtue and sentiment of the mercy. There are, in fact, two levels or spheres connected to each other: the free gift of God to humanity and the communion of affection between human beings, "compassion" (The name of God is mercy, VIII). In turn, both aspects belong essentially to charity (mercy is its fruit or "interior effect": cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1829; St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, II-II, q. 28, prologue), and concretely challenge the sensibility of today's man, especially in need of deep and stable bonds "in these times of frenetic and superficial relationships" (Amoris laetitia, 28; cfr. Evangelii gaudium, 91).
The tenderness of God
In this regard, there is a phrase from the Book of Sirach that the Roman Pontiff quotes on several occasions (Evangelii gaudium, 4 y Amoris laetitia, 149) and which evidently belongs to his personal prayer: "Son, treat yourself well [...] Do not deprive yourself of a happy day" (Sir 14:11,14). In these words, the Pope discovers the tenderness of God the Father, who approaches his creatures with a language accessible to the human heart, "like a child being comforted by his mother" (cf. Is 6:13). He is the "God of all consolation" (II Cor 1:3) and his tenderness warms the hearts of his creatures (Homily 7.VII.2013). "Mercy also has the face of consolation" (Misericordia et misera, 13).
Eminent expression of divine tenderness is the forgiveness of sins (Homily 20.XI.2013), "the most visible sign of the Father's love, which Jesus wanted to reveal throughout his life" (Misericordia et misera, 2). This manifestation of divine tenderness is paradigmatically embodied in the encounter between Mercy and misery, between Jesus and sinners (the adulteress, the sinner who anoints his feet): Misericordia et misera, 1-2).
Thus, the tangible love of the Father is perfectly communicated to us in Jesus Christ, God and man, whose manifestations of affection fill the pages of the Gospel. Pope Francis points out that the Lord's mercy is not just a sentiment (Angelus 9.VI.2013), but is expressed in a concrete "sensitivity" to human needs (Misericordiae vultus, 7). In continuity with the tenderness of the Savior, the Church as Mother transmits God's love to humanity, so that "everything in her pastoral action should be clothed with the tenderness with which she addresses the faithful" (Misericordiae vultus, 10).
Human tenderness
An essential element of this vision is the connection of God's tenderness with human tenderness. If God's tenderness "reaches down and teaches me how to walk" (Homily 12.VI.2015), human tenderness is a filial correspondence to this gift, the appropriate response to His merciful love. The first modality of this response is acceptance, the "not being afraid of His tenderness" (cfr. Ibidem); but it is also expressed as a gift to others. Therefore, insofar as it is guided by divine love, human tenderness "is not the virtue of the weak, but rather the opposite: it denotes strength of spirit and capacity for attention, compassion, true openness to others, love" (Homily 19.III.2013).
God's love purifies human love and makes it similar to His to make us "merciful like the Father" (Homily 13.III.2015; cf. Lk. 6:36), capable of "giving comfort to every man and woman of our time" (ibidem). Thus, human tenderness becomes "respectful" (Amoris laetitia, 283) and "is freed from the desire for selfish possession" (ibidem, 127). In this regard, Pope Francis makes abundant reference to the catechesis of St. John Paul II on human love (ibidem, 150 et seq.).
Charity made flesh
Tenderness is thus a dimension of charity: the concrete and unfailing expression of God's mercy and the human response to this gift with an integral love, in body and spirit. For this reason, the Holy Father affirms that Christians of our time are called to make "God's mercy, his tenderness towards every creature, visible to the men and women of today" (Discourse 14.X.2013).
This visibility signifies the real, tangible and all-embracing character of charity, and finds its full manifestation in Jesus Christ, "Mercy made flesh" (General Audience 9.XII.2015). As a disciple of Christ, the Christian is called to incarnate God's love in his life and in the lives of those around him, for they are for him "the flesh of Christ" (Words 18.V.2013). The Pope often refers to this idea of the "flesh of the brother" to underline the real and close nature of charity. It is precisely through the flesh of our brothers and sisters, the poor and the needy, that we come "into contact with the flesh of the Lord" (Homily 30.VII.2016).
From the theme of the "flesh of the brother", we can understand some indications that the Roman Pontiff formulates in words that are profoundly close to us. Thus, he speaks of "the tenderness of the embrace" (Amoris laetitia, 27-30), emotions and physical enjoyment in marital relationships (ibidem, 150-152), of the expressions of conjugal charity in the "hymn to charity" (ibidem, 89-141), affective wounds (ibidem, 239-240), of the civility of language in the family (General Audience 13.V.2015), etc.
The "new sensibility
To what extent is this invitation of the Holy Father appropriate for contemporary man? It is worth asking, in fact, if this proposal reaches the sensibility of the present historical moment. In this sense, it is an open secret that we live in an increasingly complex and variable society, a globalized and - in a certain sense - uprooted society. The Pope points to this context on countless occasions.
From this situation, what some thinkers have called "new sensibility" has been generated (see A. Llano, The new sensibility, Espasa Calpe, Madrid 1988). It is obviously a markedly relative category -like everything that is "new" or "modern"- but it reflects, in its very provisional nature, a concrete positioning in an ever-changing world (what Zygmunt Bauman calls "liquid society").
I think that the Roman Pontiff's invitation to a "revolution of tenderness" is in tune with this way of looking at reality. To show this, it is necessary to characterize the "new sensibility" in its essential outlines. The philosopher Alejandro Llano has pointed out five inspiring principles of this mentality: the principle of gradualism, the principle of pluralism, the principle of complementarity, the principle of integrality and the principle of solidarity. Let us briefly describe each of them.
- The principle of gradualism implies recognizing that reality is not exhausted in the alternative of "black or white", but is full of nuances and is always in a process of change. It is therefore necessary to recognize that cultural and scientific achievements, etc., are always framed in a historical context - they are not intelligible separated from their history; hence the importance of cultivating traditions, working in groups and networks, and valuing the so-called "soft skills", particularly the ability to communicate.
- The principle of pluralism is in continuity with the previous one, since the understanding of an ever-changing reality requires a flexibilization and modulation of knowledge: the convergence of different points of view, but, above all, of diverse or analogical forms of rationality (Daniel Goleman speaks of "emotional intelligence" and Howard Gardner of "multiple intelligences"). This elasticity is opposed to a single, homogeneous point of view, in favor of the inclusion of different visions and aptitudes.
- The principle of complementarity is a further consequence of the preceding ones. If reality is changeable and requires a breadth of perspectives, one discovers that among things there are not only differences, but also complementarity. That is to say, there are harmonious relations and not simple irreducibility between singular events. This implies that one should not confuse the different with the opposite, but seek the "com-possibility of differences". This has important consequences in various fields: for example, in economics (transforming limits into opportunities), in politics (transforming dialectics into dialogue), etc.
- The principle of integrality expresses that the human being is a unity in his spiritual-corporeal structure and in his activity. Therefore, this proposal leads to overcome fragmentation in the various spheres of life. Concretely, in the face of the compartmentalization of knowledge and excessive specialization, the antidote of interdisciplinarity is proposed. In general, this principle proposes an "integral humanism" as opposed to any one-dimensional reduction of human life (as would be, for example, to consider man as a mere producer or consumer).
- The principle of solidarity is a certain application of the previous one to the exchange of goods between individuals, so that they are approached as interpersonal relationships and not as gears of production and consumption. Some desirable consequences of this approach are the humanization of the market and of the economy in general, various forms of development cooperation, the consolidation of peaceful coexistence and the formation of an ecological conscience.
Tenderness and contemporary man
As we have noted, the Holy Father understands tenderness as charity "made flesh," mercy made visible. To my mind, however, his vision does not end there, but adds an element of novelty or, if one prefers, of "contemporaneity". This means that his proposal for a "revolution of tenderness" is a message particularly suited to today's man and finds in it a profound resonance.
This contemporaneity is evident in many elements of Pope Francis' magisterium. First of all, he insists on "starting from our misery" and remembering "where we come from, what we are, our nothingness". From this, he concludes: "it is important not to think of ourselves as self-sufficient" (The name of God is mercy, VI). Indeed, "we do not live, either individually or as national, cultural or religious groups, as autonomous and self-sufficient entities, but we depend on one another, we are entrusted to one another's care" (Address 21.IX.2014).
From this arises the need to accompany each person, in his or her journey of response to God, "without the need to impose oneself, to force oneself on the other", because "the truth has its own power of irradiation" (Address, 21.IX.2014). For this reason, he will affirm that, "despite our different creeds and convictions, we are all called to seek the truth, to work for justice and reconciliation, and to respect, protect and help one another as members of a single human family" (Address 27.XI.2015).
In continuity with this approach, the Holy Father maintains that "the diversity of points of view must enrich Catholicity, without harming unity" (Discourse 5.XII.2014). Indeed, the communion of the members of the Church depends on the unity of faith, and this is not opposed to freedom of thought, but "precisely in love it is possible to have a common vision" (Lumen fidei, 47). For this reason, dialogue between different positions must have at least three characteristics: it must be based on an identity, it must be open to reciprocal understanding and it must be oriented to the common good. On these bases, the very diversity of perspectives - not only good, but necessary - is considered by him as an enrichment (Speech 11.VII.2015).
But dialogue is not just a method; it becomes a culture and constitutes the very basis of "living together within peoples and among peoples", "the only way to peace". It is what the Holy Father calls the "culture of encounter" (Angelus 1.IX.2013). This culture is not based on uniformity, but on the harmony of differences, which is the work of the Paraclete (Audience with all Cardinals 15.III.2013). founding
On the other hand, if unity is lost sight of, the difference of perspectives can lead to a sectoralization of knowledge. Indeed, although "the fragmentation of knowledge has its function when it comes to achieving concrete applications", in reality "it often leads to losing the sense of totality" (Laudato si', 110). The Pope thus advocates a "Christian humanism", a "humanism that springs from the Gospel", which "summons the various fields of knowledge, including economics, to a more integral and integrating vision" (ibidem, 141). This approach is particularly applicable to education and work, areas in which it is necessary "not only to teach some technique or learn notions, but to make ourselves and the reality around us more human" (Speech, 16.I.2016).
Integral human development" is opposed to "a wasteful and consumerist overdevelopment, which contrasts in an unacceptable way with persistent situations of dehumanizing misery" (Laudato si', 109; quoted from Caritas in veritate, 22). The consequence of this situation is that "great masses of the population are excluded and marginalized" and, at the same time, "the human being in himself is considered a consumer good, to be used and then thrown away. In this way, we arrive at what the Holy Father called the "throwaway culture".
On the contrary, to make God's tenderness reach all people means to achieve integral development for everyone, especially "the most distant, the forgotten, those in need of understanding, consolation and help" (Homily 27.III.2013). It is a matter of reaching the "peripheries of the world and of existence" (Homily 24.III.2013), that is, those people who find themselves in "persistent situations of dehumanizing misery".
The proposal of a "revolution of tenderness" thus becomes "contemporary" and touches the sensitivity of today's man. It becomes sensitive, but overcomes the narrowness of sentimentalism and opens itself to the totality of the person and to all persons.
This revolution implies a paradigm shift. It does not entail a denial of general norms of conduct, in accordance with the human good; but it does reject the identification of this good with universal formulations. Hence, the encouragement to understand the good as the good of the concrete person, who is always in situations that "demand attentive discernment and accompaniment with great respect" (Amoris laetitia, 243). For this reason, making room for tenderness in one's own life and in human relationships does not mean denying justice or the demands of the Gospel, but welcoming "the invitation to go through the via caritatis" (Amoris laetitia, 306), which is precisely the fullness of justice and what disposes us to receive God's mercy.
Associate Professor of Ethics. Pontifical University of the Holy Cross.
