Pope Leo XIV offered three brief suggestions to two groups of priests who received Friday morning, stating that a “solid and integral formation” is essential for all Catholic faithful, but especially for those who teach Christian formation.
In his July 25 speech to the priests belonging to the Society of San Javier and the participants of a one -month course for seminary trainers in the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum, the Holy Father said that the main objective of the formation is to have “the same feelings” as Jesus Christ and “reflect the gospel.”
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“Indeed, it is necessary that the ‘house’ of our life and vocational path, whether priestly or laical, is founded on the ‘rock’,” said the Pope on Friday.
The formation of priests, laity and consecrated men and women, said León, is not “limited to specialized knowledge”, but implies “a continuous path of conversion.”
The first suggestion of the Holy Father to build a solid formation such as the rock was to cultivate a “friendship with Jesus.”
“This is the basis of the house, which must be in the heart of all vocation and apostolic mission,” he said. “We need to personally experience the closeness of the teacher; know that we have been seen, loved and chosen by the Lord for pure grace and without merit of us.”
The second suggestion of Pope Augustine for Catholic trainers was to live an “effective and affective fraternity” with others.
“It is necessary to learn to live as brothers within the presbytery, as well as in religious communities and with our bishops and superiors,” he said.
“We must work hard on ourselves to overcome individualism and the desire to surpass others, which makes us competitors, so that we gradually learn to build human and spiritual relationships that are healthy and fraternal,” he continued.
Before concluding his Friday meeting with the group of priests, the Holy Father gave his third and final suggestion: “Share the mission with all the baptized.”
The Pope said the priests should not see themselves as “lonely leaders” or live their ordered ministry with a “sense of superiority”, but to be pastors who are “immersed in the reality of God’s people.”
“During the first centuries of the Church, it was usual for all the faithful to be as missionary disciples and personally commit themselves to evangelization,” León explained. “The ordered ministry was at the service of this mission shared by all.”
“Today we feel strongly that we must return to this participation of all those baptized in the testimony and the proclamation of the Gospel,” he said.
Translated and adapted by the ACI Press team. Originally published in CNA.
Kristina Millare
Kristina Millare is an independent journalist with professional experience in communications in the humanitarian aid sector and development, news journalism, entertainment, politics and government, business and entrepreneurship.