At 915am today, the Fourth Sunday of Easter and the 54th World Day of Prayer for Vocations, the Holy Father, Pope Francis presided over a Eucharistic celebration which took place in the Vatican Basilica. During the celebration, he conferred the rites of Presbyteral (Priestly) Ordination on 10 deacons from various seminaries located in Rome (the Pontifical Roman Major Seminary, the Pontifical Roman Minor Seminary, the Redemptoris Mater Diocesan College and the Madonna of Divine Love Seminary), as well as other Colleges.
Present to concelebrate with the Holy Father were Cardinal Agostino Vallini, Vicar General of His Holiness for the Diocese of Rome; His Excellency, Filippo Iannone, Vice-Regent; the Auxiliary Bishops of the Diocese of Rome; Superiors from the various Seminaries involved and the Pastors of those who were Ordained.
The Holy Father's homily, pronounced during the Mass followed the outline of the ritual homily outlined in the Italian edition of the Roman Pontifical for the Ordination of Priests, enriched by some of his own considerations.
Beloved brothers,
These brothers of ours have been called to the Order of the Presbyterate. Let us reflect on the ministry to which they will be elevated in the Church. As you are well aware, brothers, the Lord Jesus is the only High Priest of the New Testament, but in Him all the holy people of God have also been made a priestly people. However, from among all his disciples, the Lord Jesus chose a few in particular to exercise publicly in the Church the priestly office in his name, for the good of all men, continuing his personal mission as teachers, priests and pastors. They were chosen by the Lord Jesus not to make of this gift a career, but rather to live it in service.
In fact, as it was for Him who had been sent by the Father, so He in turn sent out into the world first the Apostles, then the Bishops and their successors to whom, finally, priests were given as collaborators who, together with them are called to the service of the People of God.
After serious reflection and prayer, we are now about to raise these brothers of ours to the order of presbyters, so that in service to Christ, the Teacher, Priest and Shepherd, they may cooperate in the work of edifying the Body of Christ which is the Church, the People of God, the holy Temple of the Holy Spirit.
Truly, they will be configured to Christ the High and Eternal Priest, consecrated as true priests of the New Testament, and to this end, joined in the priesthood of their Bishop, they will be preachers of the gospel, Shepherds of the People of God. They will preside over the worship of the people, especially in the celebration of the Lord's sacrifice.
As for you, beloved sons and brothers, who are to be promoted to the order of presbyters, consider that by practicing the ministry of Holy Doctrine you will be participants in the mission of Christ, the only Master. Give to everyone the Word of God which you yourself have joyfully received from the time of your childhood. Read and meditate assiduously the Word of the Lord in order to believe what you have read, to teach what you have learned in faith and to live what you have taught.
Nourish the People of God with your doctrine, speak simply as the Lord himself spoke, with heartfelt words. Do not speak homilies that are too intellectual and elaborate: speak in simple words, speak to people's hearts. In this way, your preaching will be nourishing. Be joyous as you support the faithful with the perfume of your life, because words without the example of a life lived are useless; it would be better to turn away. A double life is a terrible illness in the Church. You should continue the sanctifying work of Christ. Through your ministry, the spiritual sacrifice of the faithful will be made perfect, joined to the sacrifice of Christ by means of your hands, in the name of the entire Church, and in this way it will be offered on the altar in the celebration of the Sacred Mysteries.
Be conscious therefore of what you do. Imitate that which you celebrate, for by participating in the mystery of the death and resurrection of the Lord, you make Christ's death part of you, bearing it with your limbs, waking with Him in a newness of life. A priest who has perhaps studied a lot of Theology and even one who has one, two, three degrees but who has not learned to carry the cross of Christ, is useless. You would make a good academic, a good professor, but not a good priest.
Through Baptism, you will add new faithful to God's People. With the Sacrament of Reconciliation, you will forgive sins in the name of Christ and of the Church. Please, I ask you in the name of Christ and of the Church to be merciful, always merciful; do not load burdens on the shoulders of the faithful that either they or you would be incapable of carrying. Because of such behaviour, Jesus rebuked the doctors of the law for such behaviour and even called them hypocrites. With holy oil you will grant relief to the sick. One of your tasks - perhaps boring, even painful - is that of seeking out the sick.
Do it, you do it. Yes, it would be good if one of the lay faithful or one of the deacons were to do it, but don't miss out on an opportunity to touch the flesh of the suffering Christ in the sick: this will make you holy, stay close to Christ. By celebrating the sacred rituals and raising prayers of praise and supplication at various hours of the day, you will give voice to the People of God and to all humanity.
Knowing that you have been chosen from among men and that you stand in their place to await the things of God, exercise the priestly work of God in sincere joy and charity. Be joyous, never sad - joyous - with the joy of serving Christ, even in the midst of suffering, misunderstanding and your own sinfulness. Hold constantly before your eyes the example of the Good Shepherd, who did not come to be served but rather to serve. Please, don't be lords, don't be State clerics, but rather shepherds, shepherds of God's people.
At noon today, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, the Holy Father, Pope Francis appeared at the window of his study in the Apostolic Palace to recite the Regina Coeli with the faithful and with pilgrims gathered in Saint Peter's Square.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
In the gospel for today (cf Jn 10:1-10), which is known as Good Shepherd Sunday, Jesus presents himself with two images that are complementary. The image of the shepherd and the image of the gate to the fold. The flock, which is all of us, have a sheep fold for our home, which serves as a refuge, where the flock can stay and rest after being tired out by the journey. The sheep fold has a fence with a doorway where there is a guardian. Several people come toward the flock: there are those who enter within the fence, passing through the door and going to another side (Jn 10:1). The first is the shepherd, the second is a stranger, who does not love the flock but wants to enter for other reasons. Jesus identifies himself with the first figure and demonstrates a familial relationship with the flock, expressed through his voice, with which he calls to us and is recognized and followed (cf Jn 10:3). He calls us in order to lead us out into grassy meadows where we can find good nourishment.
The second image that Jesus presents to us is that of the door to the sheep fold (Jn 10:7). He says: I am the door: if someone enters through me, he will be saved (Jn 10:9), which means that he will have life and have it in abundance (cf Jn 10:10). Christ, the Good Shepherd, has become the door that leads to salvation for all of humanity, because he offers life for his flock.
Jesus, the Good Shepherd leads us to the sheep fold. He is a leader whose authority is expressed in service, a leader who commands by giving life and who does not ask others to sacrifice their lives. We can rely on this leader, like the sheep who hear the voice of their shepherd and who know that with him, they will discover good and abundant pastures. All is takes is a signal, a reminder, and they follow him, obedient to him, they walk toward the voice of him who they hear and trust him as a friendly presence, both strong and gentle at the same time, a voice that guides, protects, consoles and soothes.
Christ is this voice for us. This is a dimension of the Christian experience that might leave us in the shadows: the spiritual and affective dimension: feeling that we are bound by a special bond to the Lord like the sheep are bound to their shepherd. Sometimes we try to rationalize our faith too much and we risk loosing the ability to recognize his voice, the voice of Jesus, the good shepherd who is able to attract us and stimulate us: as it was for the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, who experienced their hearts burning while the Risen Christ spoke with them along the way. It is amazing for us to feel that we are loved by Jesus. Let us ask ourselves: Do I feel loved by Jesus? Do I feel loved by Jesus? For him, we are never strangers, but friends and brothers. Yet it is not always easy to distinguish the voice of the good shepherd. Be attentive. There is always a risk of being distracted by the frustrations of so many other voices. Today, we are invited to not become distracted by the false wisdom of the world, but to follow Jesus, the Risen Christ, the only sure guide who can give meaning to our lives.
On this World Day of Prayer for Vocations - especially for priestly vocations, we ask the Lord to send us good shepherds - let us call upon the Virgin Mary: May she accompany the ten new priests who I have just ordained. I asked four of them from the Diocese of Rome to come with me to give their blessings along with me. May Our Lady support with her help all those who call upon her, that they may be ready and generous in following the voice of the good shepherd.
After the recitation of the Regina Coeli, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
Yesterday, in Gerona (Spain) Antonio Arribas Hortigüela and six of his companions were proclaimed Blessed. They were religious members of the Congregation of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. These faithful and heroic disciples of Jesus were killed because of hatred for the faith in a time of religious persecution. Their martyrdom, accepted for love of God and out of fidelity to their vocations awoke within the Church a desire to bear witness with the strength of the gospel of charity.
I greet you all, faithful people of Rome and pilgrims alike, especially those who have come from Warsaw, Aalen (Germany), Liebenau (Austria), from Chennai (India) and from Texas (USA); as well as teachers and students from the Corderius College in Amersfoort (Netherlands).
I greet the members of the Meter Association who for more than twenty years have fought against every form of abuse of minors. Thank you, thank you very much for your commitment to the Church and to society; continue this good work with great courage!
I greet the participants taking part in the National Assembly of the Carabinieri Army, the delegation from Autonomous Police Union, the faithful from Pomezia and Palestrina, the Holy Sepulchre of Foligno Association, the Valsoldese Philharmonic Orchestra and he youth from Modica (the Philharmonic Orchestra began to play and the Pope responded: You are good!)
Tomorrow, we will offer prayers of supplication to Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompei; during this month of May, we pray the rosary especially for peace. I suggest that we pray the rosary for peace, as the Virgin of Fatima asked us to do. I will go to Fatima on pilgrimage in a few days' time, to celebrate the centenary of the first apparition.
I wish you all a good Sunday. Please don't forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch and good bye!
Present to concelebrate with the Holy Father were Cardinal Agostino Vallini, Vicar General of His Holiness for the Diocese of Rome; His Excellency, Filippo Iannone, Vice-Regent; the Auxiliary Bishops of the Diocese of Rome; Superiors from the various Seminaries involved and the Pastors of those who were Ordained.
The Holy Father's homily, pronounced during the Mass followed the outline of the ritual homily outlined in the Italian edition of the Roman Pontifical for the Ordination of Priests, enriched by some of his own considerations.
Homily of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
for the Ordination of Priests
Beloved brothers,
These brothers of ours have been called to the Order of the Presbyterate. Let us reflect on the ministry to which they will be elevated in the Church. As you are well aware, brothers, the Lord Jesus is the only High Priest of the New Testament, but in Him all the holy people of God have also been made a priestly people. However, from among all his disciples, the Lord Jesus chose a few in particular to exercise publicly in the Church the priestly office in his name, for the good of all men, continuing his personal mission as teachers, priests and pastors. They were chosen by the Lord Jesus not to make of this gift a career, but rather to live it in service.
In fact, as it was for Him who had been sent by the Father, so He in turn sent out into the world first the Apostles, then the Bishops and their successors to whom, finally, priests were given as collaborators who, together with them are called to the service of the People of God.
After serious reflection and prayer, we are now about to raise these brothers of ours to the order of presbyters, so that in service to Christ, the Teacher, Priest and Shepherd, they may cooperate in the work of edifying the Body of Christ which is the Church, the People of God, the holy Temple of the Holy Spirit.
Truly, they will be configured to Christ the High and Eternal Priest, consecrated as true priests of the New Testament, and to this end, joined in the priesthood of their Bishop, they will be preachers of the gospel, Shepherds of the People of God. They will preside over the worship of the people, especially in the celebration of the Lord's sacrifice.
As for you, beloved sons and brothers, who are to be promoted to the order of presbyters, consider that by practicing the ministry of Holy Doctrine you will be participants in the mission of Christ, the only Master. Give to everyone the Word of God which you yourself have joyfully received from the time of your childhood. Read and meditate assiduously the Word of the Lord in order to believe what you have read, to teach what you have learned in faith and to live what you have taught.
Nourish the People of God with your doctrine, speak simply as the Lord himself spoke, with heartfelt words. Do not speak homilies that are too intellectual and elaborate: speak in simple words, speak to people's hearts. In this way, your preaching will be nourishing. Be joyous as you support the faithful with the perfume of your life, because words without the example of a life lived are useless; it would be better to turn away. A double life is a terrible illness in the Church. You should continue the sanctifying work of Christ. Through your ministry, the spiritual sacrifice of the faithful will be made perfect, joined to the sacrifice of Christ by means of your hands, in the name of the entire Church, and in this way it will be offered on the altar in the celebration of the Sacred Mysteries.
Be conscious therefore of what you do. Imitate that which you celebrate, for by participating in the mystery of the death and resurrection of the Lord, you make Christ's death part of you, bearing it with your limbs, waking with Him in a newness of life. A priest who has perhaps studied a lot of Theology and even one who has one, two, three degrees but who has not learned to carry the cross of Christ, is useless. You would make a good academic, a good professor, but not a good priest.
Through Baptism, you will add new faithful to God's People. With the Sacrament of Reconciliation, you will forgive sins in the name of Christ and of the Church. Please, I ask you in the name of Christ and of the Church to be merciful, always merciful; do not load burdens on the shoulders of the faithful that either they or you would be incapable of carrying. Because of such behaviour, Jesus rebuked the doctors of the law for such behaviour and even called them hypocrites. With holy oil you will grant relief to the sick. One of your tasks - perhaps boring, even painful - is that of seeking out the sick.
Do it, you do it. Yes, it would be good if one of the lay faithful or one of the deacons were to do it, but don't miss out on an opportunity to touch the flesh of the suffering Christ in the sick: this will make you holy, stay close to Christ. By celebrating the sacred rituals and raising prayers of praise and supplication at various hours of the day, you will give voice to the People of God and to all humanity.
Knowing that you have been chosen from among men and that you stand in their place to await the things of God, exercise the priestly work of God in sincere joy and charity. Be joyous, never sad - joyous - with the joy of serving Christ, even in the midst of suffering, misunderstanding and your own sinfulness. Hold constantly before your eyes the example of the Good Shepherd, who did not come to be served but rather to serve. Please, don't be lords, don't be State clerics, but rather shepherds, shepherds of God's people.
At noon today, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, the Holy Father, Pope Francis appeared at the window of his study in the Apostolic Palace to recite the Regina Coeli with the faithful and with pilgrims gathered in Saint Peter's Square.
Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
prior to the recitation of the Regina Coeli
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
In the gospel for today (cf Jn 10:1-10), which is known as Good Shepherd Sunday, Jesus presents himself with two images that are complementary. The image of the shepherd and the image of the gate to the fold. The flock, which is all of us, have a sheep fold for our home, which serves as a refuge, where the flock can stay and rest after being tired out by the journey. The sheep fold has a fence with a doorway where there is a guardian. Several people come toward the flock: there are those who enter within the fence, passing through the door and going to another side (Jn 10:1). The first is the shepherd, the second is a stranger, who does not love the flock but wants to enter for other reasons. Jesus identifies himself with the first figure and demonstrates a familial relationship with the flock, expressed through his voice, with which he calls to us and is recognized and followed (cf Jn 10:3). He calls us in order to lead us out into grassy meadows where we can find good nourishment.
The second image that Jesus presents to us is that of the door to the sheep fold (Jn 10:7). He says: I am the door: if someone enters through me, he will be saved (Jn 10:9), which means that he will have life and have it in abundance (cf Jn 10:10). Christ, the Good Shepherd, has become the door that leads to salvation for all of humanity, because he offers life for his flock.
Jesus, the Good Shepherd leads us to the sheep fold. He is a leader whose authority is expressed in service, a leader who commands by giving life and who does not ask others to sacrifice their lives. We can rely on this leader, like the sheep who hear the voice of their shepherd and who know that with him, they will discover good and abundant pastures. All is takes is a signal, a reminder, and they follow him, obedient to him, they walk toward the voice of him who they hear and trust him as a friendly presence, both strong and gentle at the same time, a voice that guides, protects, consoles and soothes.
Christ is this voice for us. This is a dimension of the Christian experience that might leave us in the shadows: the spiritual and affective dimension: feeling that we are bound by a special bond to the Lord like the sheep are bound to their shepherd. Sometimes we try to rationalize our faith too much and we risk loosing the ability to recognize his voice, the voice of Jesus, the good shepherd who is able to attract us and stimulate us: as it was for the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, who experienced their hearts burning while the Risen Christ spoke with them along the way. It is amazing for us to feel that we are loved by Jesus. Let us ask ourselves: Do I feel loved by Jesus? Do I feel loved by Jesus? For him, we are never strangers, but friends and brothers. Yet it is not always easy to distinguish the voice of the good shepherd. Be attentive. There is always a risk of being distracted by the frustrations of so many other voices. Today, we are invited to not become distracted by the false wisdom of the world, but to follow Jesus, the Risen Christ, the only sure guide who can give meaning to our lives.
On this World Day of Prayer for Vocations - especially for priestly vocations, we ask the Lord to send us good shepherds - let us call upon the Virgin Mary: May she accompany the ten new priests who I have just ordained. I asked four of them from the Diocese of Rome to come with me to give their blessings along with me. May Our Lady support with her help all those who call upon her, that they may be ready and generous in following the voice of the good shepherd.
After the recitation of the Regina Coeli, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
Yesterday, in Gerona (Spain) Antonio Arribas Hortigüela and six of his companions were proclaimed Blessed. They were religious members of the Congregation of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. These faithful and heroic disciples of Jesus were killed because of hatred for the faith in a time of religious persecution. Their martyrdom, accepted for love of God and out of fidelity to their vocations awoke within the Church a desire to bear witness with the strength of the gospel of charity.
I greet you all, faithful people of Rome and pilgrims alike, especially those who have come from Warsaw, Aalen (Germany), Liebenau (Austria), from Chennai (India) and from Texas (USA); as well as teachers and students from the Corderius College in Amersfoort (Netherlands).
I greet the members of the Meter Association who for more than twenty years have fought against every form of abuse of minors. Thank you, thank you very much for your commitment to the Church and to society; continue this good work with great courage!
I greet the participants taking part in the National Assembly of the Carabinieri Army, the delegation from Autonomous Police Union, the faithful from Pomezia and Palestrina, the Holy Sepulchre of Foligno Association, the Valsoldese Philharmonic Orchestra and he youth from Modica (the Philharmonic Orchestra began to play and the Pope responded: You are good!)
Tomorrow, we will offer prayers of supplication to Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompei; during this month of May, we pray the rosary especially for peace. I suggest that we pray the rosary for peace, as the Virgin of Fatima asked us to do. I will go to Fatima on pilgrimage in a few days' time, to celebrate the centenary of the first apparition.
I wish you all a good Sunday. Please don't forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch and good bye!
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