Society
Of The Divine Word

ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIVTO THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE INTERNATIONAL MEETING OF HAPPY PRIESTS “I HAVE CALLED YOU FRIENDS” (Jn 15:15) PROMOTED BY THE DICASTERY FOR THE CLERGY

Dear brothers in the priesthood, queridos hermanos , dear brothers priests ,

Dear formators, seminarians, vocational animators, friends in the Lord!

It is a great joy for me to be here with you today. In the heart of the Holy Year, together we want to testify that it is possible to be happy priests, because Christ has called us, Christ has made us his friends (cf. Jn 15:15): it is a grace that we want to welcome with gratitude and responsibility.

The words of Jesus “I have called you friends” ( Jn 15:15) are not only an affectionate declaration towards the disciples, but a true key to understanding the priestly ministry. The priest, in fact, is a friend of the Lord, called to live with Him a personal and trusting relationship, nourished by the Word, by the celebration of the Sacraments, by daily prayer. This friendship with Christ is the spiritual foundation of the ordained ministry, the meaning of our celibacy and the energy of the ecclesial service to which we dedicate our lives. It sustains us in moments of trial and allows us to renew every day the “yes” pronounced at the beginning of our vocation.

In particular, dearest ones, from this key Word I would like to draw three implications for formation in the priestly ministry.

First of all, formation is a journey of relationship . Becoming friends of Christ means being formed in the relationship, not only in skills. Priestly formation, therefore, cannot be reduced to the acquisition of notions, but is a journey of familiarity with the Lord that involves the whole person, heart, intelligence, freedom, and shapes him in the image of the Good Shepherd. Only those who live in friendship with Christ and are permeated by his Spirit can proclaim with authenticity, console with compassion and guide with wisdom. This requires deep listening, meditation, and a rich and ordered interior life.

Secondly, fraternity is an essential style of priestly life . Becoming friends of Christ involves living as brothers among priests and bishops, not as competitors or individualists. Formation must therefore help build solid bonds in the presbytery as an expression of a synodal Church, in which we grow together by sharing the toils and joys of the ministry. How, in fact, could we ministers be builders of living communities if there did not reign among us first of all an effective and sincere fraternity?

Furthermore, forming priests who are friends of Christ means forming men capable of loving, listening, praying and serving together. For this reason, great care must be taken in the preparation of the formators, because the effectiveness of their work depends first of all on the example of their lives and on the communion between them. The institution of the Seminaries itself reminds us that the formation of future ordained ministers cannot be carried out in isolation, but requires the involvement of all the friends of the Lord who live as missionary disciples at the service of the People of God.

In this regard, I would also like to say a word about vocations. Despite the signs of crisis that are crossing the life and mission of priests, God continues to call and remains faithful to his promises. There must be adequate spaces to listen to his voice. For this reason, environments and forms of youth ministry steeped in the Gospel are important, where vocations to the total gift of self can manifest themselves and mature. Have the courage to make strong and liberating proposals! Looking at the young people who in our time say their generous “here I am” to the Lord, we all feel the need to renew our “yes”, to rediscover the beauty of being missionary disciples following Christ, the Good Shepherd.

Dearest, we celebrate this meeting on the eve of the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus: it is from this “burning bush” that our vocation originates; it is from this source of grace that we want to let ourselves be transformed.

Pope Francis’ Encyclical Dilexit nos , if it is a precious gift for the whole Church, is especially so for us priests. It challenges us strongly: it asks us to preserve together mysticism and social commitment, contemplation and action, silence and proclamation. Our time challenges us: many seem to have distanced themselves from the faith, and yet deep down in many people, especially young people, there is a thirst for the infinite and for salvation. Many experience an absence of God, and yet every human being is made for Him, and the Father’s plan is to make Christ the heart of the world.

For this reason, we want to rediscover the missionary impulse together. A mission that proposes the Gospel of Jesus with courage and love. Through our pastoral action, it is the Lord himself who takes care of his flock, gathers together those who are scattered, bends over those who are wounded, supports those who are discouraged. By imitating the example of the Master, we grow in faith and therefore become credible witnesses of the vocation we have received. When someone believes, it is seen: the happiness of the minister reflects his encounter with Christ, supporting him in the mission and in service.

Dear brothers in the priesthood, thank you who have come from far away! Thank you to each one for your daily dedication, especially in places of formation, in the existential peripheries and in difficult, sometimes dangerous places. As we remember the priests who have given their lives, even to the point of shedding their blood, today we renew our willingness to live without reservations an apostolate of compassion and joy.

Thank you for what you are! Because you remind everyone that it is beautiful to be priests, and that every call from the Lord is first of all a call to his joy. We are not perfect, but we are friends of Christ, brothers among us and children of his tender Mother Mary, and this is enough for us.

Let us turn to the Lord Jesus, to his merciful Heart that burns with love for every person. Let us ask him for the grace to be missionary disciples and shepherds according to his will: seeking those who are lost, serving those who are poor, guiding with humility those entrusted to us. May his Heart inspire our plans, transform our hearts, and renew us in the mission. I bless you with affection and pray for all of you.