Enacting Mercy: Pope Francis and an Ethics of Institutions

Institutions shape the lives of individuals and coordinate existence, influencing the structures of everyday life. Institutions are morally relevant because they influence people's life worlds and moral aspects of human existence and coexistence in substantial ways. As such, institutions are morally vulnerable--they can destroy the environment and can damage and hurt persons. Institutional structures and rules, and especially humans within institutions, can undermine human dignity. This book directly addresses this moral vulnerability, the risks of disruptions of integrity, and the opportunities that mercy-centered institutions can offer for dignity affirmation and integral human development.