Pope Francis seldom misses an opportunity to explain the meaning of mercy. A Toronto cop recently demonstrated what it looks like.

Regardless of where you stand on the nasty public spat involving the president of the University of St. Michael’s College and some school faculty, it seems fundamentally obvious that a Catholic institution of higher education should promote a visible and distinctly Catholic identity.

Let’s face it, we live in a world of complainers.

The $10.5-million takeaway from the sordid affair of Omar Khadr is that all of society loses when its leaders fail to stand in vigorous defence of God-given human dignity and fundamental human rights.

When Canada became a nation 150 years ago there was little debate about the prominent place of faith in society. Canada was to be built on Christian values. The founders rejected names such as Kingdom of Canada and Republic of Canada in favour of Dominion of Canada, a tribute to Psalm 72:8: “He shall have dominion from sea to sea.”

It’s common for popes to search far and wide for their cardinals, but none has searched farther and wider than Pope Francis.

One year, perhaps 2,000 deaths and several unresolved issues.

The Church, like the world, needs heroes. We call them saints, people of heroic virtue who walk humbly and faithfully in the footsteps of Jesus.

They call it the Summer of Sorrow.

Oh, to be a fly on the wall when Pope Francis welcomes Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a papal audience in coming days.