The Metropolitan Archbishop of Monrovia, Most Rev. Dr. Gabriel Blamo Snosioh Jubwe, has called on Liberians to embrace compassion, forgiveness, and reconciliation as the nation begins the 2026 Lenten season, warning that justice without mercy risks deepening social wounds rather than healing them.
In a Lenten pastoral message issued Sunday, February 22, 2026, the First Sunday of Lent, Archbishop Jubwe urged the faithful to reflect deeply on Christ’s command in Luke 6:36: “Be compassionate, as your Heavenly Father is compassionate.” He described mercy not only as a divine virtue but also as a civic duty in a society still grappling with questions of justice and national healing.
“Prayer links us with our Creator; fasting gives us mastery over our senses; and almsgiving demonstrates love for our brothers and sisters, stressing that Lent is far more than ritual observance,” the Archbishop wrote. Also, the head of the Catholic Church in Monrovia characterized the 40-day penitential period as a time of interior conversion rooted in prayer, fasting and acts of charity.
Drawing from Scripture, he reflected on the biblical account of the golden calf in Exodus, pointing to God’s self-revelation as “gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love,” as even in the face of human rebellion, divine mercy does not negate justice but rather perfects it.
Quoting St. Thomas Aquinas, the Archbishop cautioned: “Justice without mercy is cruelty, while mercy without justice is dissolution.” He encouraged Liberians, whether in homes, schools, courtrooms, or public offices, to temper the pursuit of justice with compassion in its application.
The Archbishop underscored that forgiveness does not excuse wrongdoing but opens the door to healing and grace. He urged Catholics to take advantage of the Sacrament of Reconciliation during Lent, echoing St. Paul’s appeal to “be reconciled to God.”
Referencing the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy proclaimed in 2016, Jubwe reiterated the late Pope Francis’ exhortation for Christians to be “merciful as the Father,” presenting mercy as a transformative force capable of renewing both individual hearts and national life.
Concluding his message, Archbishop Jubwe invoked the intercession of the Virgin Mary, the “Mother of Mercy,” and prayed for a spiritually fruitful Lenten Season 2026 for all the faithful. As Liberia joins Catholics worldwide in observing the solemn season leading to Easter, the Archbishop’s message places mercy at the heart of both personal conversion and social transformation, a timely appeal in a country where reconciliation and restorative justice remain central to public discourse.
