Patriarch Daniel of Romania said that forgiving others is essential for experiencing God’s mercy and becoming more like Him.
The Patriarch spoke on Sunday, August 16, 2026, at the Chapel of the Holy Great Martyr George in the Patriarchal Residence, following the Gospel reading for the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost.
“The Gospel shows us that forgiving our neighbour makes us merciful like God,” Patriarch Daniel said.
He highlighted three main teachings from the Gospel passage: God forgives sinners who ask for mercy; He corrects those who receive forgiveness but refuse to forgive others; and people become merciful by forgiving those who have wronged them.
According to the Patriarch, God is both forgiving and just. When people refuse to forgive others, he said, they fail to follow the example of the mercy they have received from God.
“All people are created in the image of God, but only those who live in communion with Him through prayer and fulfil His will by being good and merciful attain likeness to God,” he said.
“A person who does not forgive the faults of others cannot attain the holiness that comes from God.”
Patriarch Daniel also noted that forgiving one’s neighbour is a condition for receiving the Holy Eucharist.
“The Church calls us to forgive all the faults of our fellow human beings,” he said. “In this way, we free our souls from the painful bonds of selfishness and revenge so that we may receive the Holy Eucharist.”
Acknowledging that sincere forgiveness can be difficult, the Patriarch encouraged the faithful to seek God’s help through prayer.
“Complete forgiveness—not the kind that says, ‘I forgive you, but I do not forget’—can be offered only if we ask God for His grace,” he said.
Patriarch Daniel referred to the Holy Martyrs as examples of forgiveness, recalling that they prayed for those who persecuted and killed them. He said they overcame hatred, revenge and malice through the merciful love of Christ.
The Patriarch concluded by underlining the wider impact of forgiveness on families, communities and society.
“By forgiving those who have wronged us, violence is stopped, hatred is extinguished, evil is replaced by goodness, and the life of the family, the community and society is renewed,” he said.
He called on the faithful to pray for the strength to forgive sincerely and from the heart, so that they may experience the merciful love of Jesus Christ.
Source: Basilica.ro
Photo credit: Ziarul Lumina
