Love and the law

June 20, 2022 in Featured News, News, Year of Mercy

Richard Leonard SJ gives traditional church teaching on gospel values a modern-day make-over in his latest book The Law of Love: Modern Language for Ancient Wisdom, published by Paulist Press.

In this interview with Pat Coyle of Irish Jesuit Communications, he explains how in writing this, his 12th book, he is trying to find fresh modern language to illuminate and enliven traditional truths that for many may seem jaded or out of date.

He also says that the book came about partially as a response to critics of Pope Francis who, shockingly he says, thought the Jubilee Year of Mercy was a softening or undermining of Church teaching.

Also in the interview, part one of a series on the book, he talks about reconciling the oft times contradictory biblical terms ‘law’ and ‘love’ by invoking as an example what he calls “the greatest Council of all’ – the Council of Jerusalem (circa 50 AD) which saw Peter and Paul initially at loggerheads.

The author of the best-selling book Where the Hell is God also talks about the return of ‘purgatory’ to the popular lexicon and explains how acting tough can be an act of love.