(art: Siblings, Paul Klee, 1930) The REACH Forgiveness Process developed by Everett Worthington and taught through Live and Forgive is a research-validated individual level approach to forgiveness. A critical component of the REACH process is having the forgiving person cultivate empathy for the person they are forgiving based on their basic human sameness. The idea … Continue reading Forgiveness is Seeing Fraternity with Love of Christ
General Audience
Acceptance is Engagement with Reality of Forgiveness
(art: God Answering Job from the Whirlwind, William Blake, 1805 to 1806) Acceptance of a hurtful event or transgression is so important for forgiveness that it can be truly be said that forgiveness is not possible without acceptance. In the forgiveness process, acceptance in terms of "yes, this is what really happened," is involved in … Continue reading Acceptance is Engagement with Reality of Forgiveness
Pope Leo Delivers Message of Hope for the Downcast, Weary, and Suffering
(photo: Pope Leo XIV, Edgar Beltran, 2025) Forgiveness offers both the forgiver and forgiven a relief from the painful and burdensome negative emotions that are experienced when forgiveness has not happened. Particularly when someone has experienced moral distress and moral injury in a hurtful event, we know that these events are commonly followed by: guilt … Continue reading Pope Leo Delivers Message of Hope for the Downcast, Weary, and Suffering
Pope Leo Explains the Resurrection as Cause and Model for Forgiveness
(photo: Edgar Beltran, 2025) Pope Leo XIV had important things to say about forgiveness in his General Audience on Wednesday of this week. His remarks linked forgiveness to the example of Jesus Christ when he appeared to the disciples after his resurrection (John 20:19-31), and how Jesus appears without anger or desire for revenge, but … Continue reading Pope Leo Explains the Resurrection as Cause and Model for Forgiveness
Live and Forgive 