Compassion is the dynamic force of all pastoral engagement. Without it, Salvation is impossible. With it, the salvation of the human person both spiritually and materially is assured. It is a deep natural, philosophical, theological and religious value. The proper assimilation of this value with all its implications, marks a turning point in one's life. It opens up one, not only to love and to be loved, but also to see things, not as they are, but as they should be. It marks one's entry into the crusade of the universal-pastor-hood; a heart-driven crusade that abhors all forms of exploitation and abuses. A crusade of socio-political wellbeing realized through politics of compassion.
Edwin Ikechukwu Ozioko, Dr. theol., is a Catholic Priest of Nsukka Diocese of Nigeria. He studied in Nigeria and Germany (2010 - 2016). He obtained his doctorate in Pastoral Theology from the University of Muenster, Germany. Presently he is working in the Diocese of Regensburg, Germany.