Forgiveness without forgetting: mercy, justice and the way of the Cross

Father Dominik Domagala explains that Christian forgiveness does not mean ignoring evil or abandoning justice. Writing on the eve of the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Domagala notes that while the Gospel calls for forgiving others without keeping count, this does not require victims to pretend that exploitation or humiliation was harmless.

Domagala states that forgiveness is the refusal of vengeance rather than the abolition of justice. He suggests that a victim may properly seek justice, but forgiveness prevents another person's sin from controlling the victim's own heart. He describes this type of forgiveness as a costly love modeled by the Cross rather than mere sentimental generosity.