Italy
The spiritual Work of mercy «admonishing sinners» through some masterpieces
Domenico Fetti (1589-1623), an early Baroque Italian painter, executed this work in 1619, preserved in the Metropolitan Museum, relating to «admonishing sinners» according to what is recounted in the Gospel.
Fraternal correction demands human balance, inner cultivation steeped in a profound sense of faith and mercy. Pope Francis, in a homily at Santa Marta regarding fraternal correction, observes: if you cannot do it with love, with charity in truth and with humility, you will cause an offense… as Jesus says: «Hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye»; acknowledge that you are more of a sinner than the other, but that you, as a brother, must help correct the other!
Correction often must be exercised with firmness and resolve by someone endowed with specific authority, such as that demonstrated by Jesus when he drove the merchants from the temple with vehement force, restoring the sacredness of the sanctuary and reaffirming the primacy of God’s will.
In the 1872 painting by C. H. Bloch, amid the tumultuous bustle of a marketplace, among vendors in vibrant attire, astonished yet not rebellious, Jesus raises his arm to admonish without striking anyone, pointing instead toward the exit and turning over the tables. The Master from whom to learn how to resolve every circumstance in life, even the most formidable, is Jesus, from whom many great saints drew wisdom. The Gospel abounds with episodes concerning sin and sinners.
Jesus says: «Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come… Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven». He admonishes and points toward the path of conversion.
Domenico Piola, in his seventeenth-century painting housed at Palazzo Spinola in Genoa, sets the Master in the center of the scene, seated among an assembly of listeners, pointing out a child to those present who, gesturing animatedly, surround him while paying close heed to his teachings.
The characters’ faces are masterfully rendered, from the child’s countenance radiating serene innocence to those of the adults, capturing the psychological reverberations stirred by those words, designed to prompt deep contemplation in everyone.
Exquisite are several parables where his attitude toward those who had visibly erred remained one of loving admonition. One of the most sublime encounters narrated by the evangelists, wherein we learn to act with mercy, is undoubtedly Jesus’ meeting with a sinner and her accusers.
Pieter Van Lint, a seventeenth-century painter from Antwerp, rendered literally the account from John’s Gospel in which Jesus, inside the temple, bends down to write on the ground while an adulteress faces condemnation to death. The onlookers wear flamboyant garments signaling high social rank, while the woman, seeking refuge behind him, weeps in hope of his intervention, as young and old converse quietly and gradually depart.
Yet the master who captured the gentleness of the encounter is Caliari, known as Veronese (1528-1588). In his canvas at the National Gallery in London, the viewer is guided by two counterpoints: the dignified Christ approaching the woman with tender care, and the sinner on the floor, supported by her companions, awaiting the outcome. The artist portrays the moment when Jesus asks: «Has no one condemned you?… Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on do not sin again».
The light and pastel tones, blending harmoniously, generate luminous nuances, serving as vital elements that elevate the theological core of the episode. Each figure is distinct in stance, demeanor, and emotion, reflecting the splendor of divine mercy revealed in Christ’s gentle visage and the compassionate gesture of his hands pointing to his heart and pardon.
Being Witnesses of Mercy – ILLUMINATE
2 February 2026