I’m amazed at all who know more than the Pope enough to admonish him on his instructions.
It's not that - it's that the Pope is telling Christians to be merciful.
They hate that. They all fear that in the remembrance of mercy, someone might forget that the alternative to strict obedience is dying and going to hell and burning and screaming and there's never any escape because you deserve it forever and forever and forever.
But as long as you remember that, every moment of every day, it's okay to be merciful the rest of the time.
Just don't screw up, or you're going to HELL.