Pope Francis emphasizes the permanent formation of priests

This morning, Pope Francis received the participants in the Plenary Assembly of the Dicastery for the Clergy at the Vatican, reminding them of the importance of priests receiving ongoing formation.

After welcoming them, the Holy Father thanked them for the work they do every day, “often in silence and clandestinity, at the service of ordained ministers and seminaries.”

In particular, he wanted to convey his gratitude, affection and closeness “to the priests and deacons around the world.”

“Many times I have warned against the dangers of clericalism and spiritual worldliness, but I am very aware that the vast majority of priests work with great generosity and a spirit of faith for the good of the holy People of God, carrying the weight of so many fatigue and facing pastoral and spiritual challenges that are sometimes not easy,” he noted.

Next, Pope Francis reflected on 3 “areas of attention” that were addressed during the Plenary Assembly: the ongoing formation of priests, the promotion of vocations and the permanent diaconate.

The ongoing formation of priests

The Holy Father stressed that the formation of priests must be continuous and recalled that “the priest is also a disciple in following the Lord and, therefore, his formation must be a permanent path.”

This is especially necessary “if we consider that today we live in a world marked by rapid changes, in which new questions and complex challenges always arise to respond.”

Therefore, he assured that “we cannot deceive ourselves into thinking that training in the seminary can be enough to lay a secure foundation.”

The Pontiff also pointed out that priests are called to “consolidate, strengthen and develop what we have in the seminary, in a path that helps us to mature in the human dimension, to grow spiritually, to find the appropriate languages ​​for evangelization and to deepen in what we need to adequately confront the new issues of our time.”

Likewise, he reiterated that “the path is not done alone” and lamented the priests who do not have “the grace of accompaniment, without that sense of belonging that is like a life preserver in the often stormy sea of ​​personal and pastoral life.” ”.

“Weaving a solid network of fraternal relationships is a priority task of ongoing formation: the bishop, priests among themselves, communities in relation to their pastors, religious men and women, associations, movements: it is essential that priests feel at home” he explained.

Along these lines, he urged them to work creatively “so that this network is strengthened and offers support to priests.”

Caring for vocations

Pope Francis referred to this task as “one of the great challenges for the People of God.”

As he stated, “in more and more areas of the world, vocations to priestly ministry and consecrated life are in sharp decline, and in some countries they are almost disappearing.”

He also highlighted that the vocation to marriage is in crisis, due to the sense of commitment and mission it requires.

For this reason, he explained that in the last Messages for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, he expanded “the view to all Christian vocations” and addressed in particular “to that fundamental vocation which is discipleship, as a consequence of baptism.” .

“We cannot resign ourselves to the fact that for so many young people the hypothesis of a radical offer of life has disappeared from the horizon,” he stated.

He therefore invited them to “reactivate this reality, in a way appropriate to our time, perhaps by networking with local Churches and identifying good practices to circulate them. “It is important work,” he highlighted.

The permanent diaconate

Finally, the Holy Father highlighted that “even today questions are often raised about the specific identity of the permanent diaconate.”

“As you know, the Synthesis Report of the First Session of the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, last October, recommended carrying out an evaluation of the application of the diaconal ministry after the Second Vatican Council,” he recalled.

He also commented that the report “also asks that, among the various tasks of deacons, more determined attention be paid to the diakonia of charity and the service of the poor.”

For Pope Francis, “accompanying these reflections and developments is a quite important task” of the Dicastery for the Clergy, and for this reason he encouraged them to work and “deploy all the necessary forces.”

“Always work so that the people of God have pastors according to the heart of Christ and grow in the joy of discipleship,” the Holy Father said finally.