...”It’s often hard for people to accept God’s mercy ... especially God’s mercy toward other people”....
Pope Francis nor the Catholic Church is God. Christians speak directly with God regarding forgiveness .... they do not need the Popes announcement, of all things, or the catholic church approval........ nor accept that it matters one iotta.
True.
"Christians speak directly with God regarding forgiveness ...."
True as well.
"they do not need the Popes announcement, of all things, or the catholic church approval........ nor accept that it matters one iotta."
Not true, because the Sacraments Christ has given us are not irrelevant.
When Christ said to His disciples, " Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained" on the evening of His resurrection, He was instituting a merciful way for people to know through person-to-person communication (actual, audible confession and absolution) that their sins have been forgiven. By whom? By God.
This sacrament is rooted in the mission God gave to Christ in his capacity as the Son of man on earth to go and forgive sins (cf. Matt. 9:6). Thus, the crowds who witnessed this new power "glorified God, who had given such authority to men" (Matt. 9:8; note the plural "men"). After his resurrection, Jesus passed on His mission to forgive sins to His ministers.
I am grateful for the sacrament of Confession. It touches my heart. Thank you, Jesus.
I’m sorry, I don’t understand what you’re saying. Pope Francis is God? I also don’t understand how this is responsive to my post.