Merciful Justice October 19, 2025

Source: https://catholicgentleman.com (an excerpt)

The traditional definition of justice is rendering to each his rightful due. Thus, in a human legal framework, if you commit a specific crime, you are “owed” a specific punishment. For example: john steals. The punishment for stealing is flogging. Therefore, john deserves flogging.

A hallmark of human justice is impartiality. “Justice is blind,” goes the saying, and the more impartial human justice is, the better. Much of this legal strictness is due to our limited understanding. We cannot see all the circumstances that led john to his crime. We don’t know if he were stealing for the thrill of it or stealing to feed his family. We simply see the crime and deem it worthy of punishment. We cannot play favorites.

But God is not bound by our human limitations. He sees all and knows all. And further, God is not impartial in the sense of a blind judge. He is not detached, but rather personally invested in each of us—because he created us and loves us. “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us,” St. Paul says. He knows we are not so much as criminals in need of punishment, but rather wounded and sick souls in need of healing. He can no more judge impartially any more than a father can judge his children impartially. Love is not blind, love is bound.