Yesterday morning, in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican, the Holy Father received in audience the Rectors and Students of the Pontifical Colleges and Residences of Rome.
This gathering took the form of a dialogue. For more than an hour, after the words of homage offered by Cardinal Beniamino Stella, Prefect of the Congregation for Clergy, Pope Francis responded to questions which were posed by the students and priests who are currently studying in Rome.
Good morning, and thank you so much for coming. I wish to thank Cardinal Stella for his words, and I'm sorry for arriving late. Yes, because the Mexican bishops are here for their Ad Limina visit ... and when you're with the Mexicans, its so good, such a good experience that the time passes and you don't even notice it!
To the 146 of you who are from the Middle East, and also to those of you who are from Ukraine, I want to say that you are very close to me in this moment of suffering: truly, very close, I am praying for you. There is so much suffering in the Church; so much suffering, the Church, and the suffering Church is also the persecuted Church in some places, and we are united to one another. Thank you. Now, I want to ... There are some questions, I have seen them, but if you want to change them or ask them a bit more spontaneously, that's fine: feel free!
Seminarian
Good morning Holy Father. My name is Daniel; I am from the United States. I am a deacon from the North American College. We came to Rome above all for academic formation and to maintain our commitment to faith. How can we be sure not to overlook an integral approach to priestly formation, both at the personal and community levels? Thank you.
Pope Francis
Thank you for your question. It's true: Your primary concern here is academic formation - to do your best in this respect or that ... But there is always the danger of academicism. Yes, the Bishop sends you here to get a degree, but also so that you can return to your diocese. But in your diocese, you have to work with the priests, as priests, as priests who have degrees, and if you fall prey to the danger of academicism, you will not return as a father but as a doctor - this is very dangerous. There are four pillars to priestly formation: I have spoken about them many times, I'm sure you've heard them. Four pillars: spiritual formation, academic formation, community formation and apostolic formation. It is true that here in Rome, we pay particular attention to intellectual formation, because that's the reason why you were sent here; but you also need to cultivate the other three pillars, and all four of them need to be integrated with each other. I would be worried about a priest who is doing a degree here in Rome who does not have a sense of community, this isn't right. Or one who doesn't cultivate a spiritual life - daily Mass, daily prayer, lectio divina, personal prayer with the Lord ..., or an apostolic life: doing something on weekends, changing the air a little bit, but also being on the lookout for apostolic air - and doing something about it ... It's true that studies have an apostolic dimension, but it's also important to cultivate the other three pillars. Pure academics are not good for us. This is why I'm so happy you asked your question, because it gives me an opportunity to tell you something. The Lord has called you to be a priest, to be a presbyter: this is the fundamental principle. And there is another thing that I want to focus on: if you only consider the academic part, there is a danger of slipping into ideology, and this can make you sick. Even the concepts of the Church can make you sick. In order to truly understand the Church, we need to understand the importance of study, but also the importance of prayer, of community life and of apostolic life. When we slip into ideology, and continue along that path, we end up with a non-christian hermeneutic, a concept of an ideological Church. And this is bad, it is a sickness. Our understanding of the Church should be a conviction that the Church offers herself, that the Church gives of herself. Understand the Church through Christian eyes, understand the Church with a Christian mind; understand the Church with a Christian heart; understand the Church as a Christian activity. On the contrary, the Church cannot be understood, nor can evil be understood. For this reason, it is important to focus, yes, on academic work because this is why you were sent here: but don't neglect the other three pillars: spiritual life, community life and apostolic life. I'm not sure whether I've answered your question ... Thank you.
Seminarian
Good morning, Holy Father. My name is Thomas. I'm from China. I am a seminarian at the Urban College. At times, it's not easy to live in community: what would you suggest, based on your experience, in order to make our communities places for human and spiritual growth and for practicing priestly charity?
Pope Francis
Once, an old bishop from Latin America used to say: The worst seminary is much better than a non-seminary. If someone is preparing for priesthood on his own, without a community, this is not good. Seminary life, and by this I mean community life, is very important. It is very important because it involves sharing among brothers who are journeying together toward priesthood; but there are also problems, there are always struggles: power struggles, struggles with ideas, even hidden struggles; and these give way to deadly sins: envy, jealousy ... And there are also some good things: friendship, the exchange of ideas, and this is important in community life. Community life is not a paradise, at the very least it is purgatory - no, not really (he laughs), but it is not a paradise! A Jesuit saint used to say that his greatest penance, was community life. Isn't it true? I think we need to continue working on community life. But how? There are four or five things that will help. Never, never speak ill of others. If I bear a grudge against someone else, or if we are not in agreement: admit it! But we clerics are tempted not to speak, not to admit such things, we are too diplomatic at times, this clerical language ... But it hurts, it hurts! I remember once, twenty-two years ago, I had just been named a bishop, and I had a secretary in that vicariate - Buenos Aires was divided into four vicariates - in that vicariate there was a young priest who was the secretary, recently ordained. And I, in those first months, I did something, I made a bit of a diplomatic decision - too diplomatic - and there are consequences that come with decisions that are made without the Lord, right? In the end, I said to him: This is a real problem, and I don't know ow to fix it ... And he looked me in the face - a young man! - and said to me: Because you have done wrong - you didn't make a paternal decision, and he told me three or four things like this! Very respectfully, but he told me. And then, when he left, I thought: I should never get rid of this secretary, he is a true brother! There are those who say good things to your face than then behind your back, say other things that are not so good ... This is important ... Idle chatter is dangerous for community; we should always speak face to face. And if you don't have the courage to speak face to face, speak to your superior or to your director, and he will help you. But don't go from one room to another spreading gossip! They say that women gossip, but men do too, even we do! We gossip so much! And this destroys community. Then, another thing is listening, listening to various opinions and discussing them is fine, but try to find out the truth, seek unity: these will help build community. My spiritual father - I was studying philosophy at the time; he was a philosopher, a metaphysician - he was a good spiritual father - I went to him and we discussed a problem I was having. I was angry with someone: But you're angry with that one, why that one, or this one ... said my spiritual father as he pointed out everyone else who was there. He asked me only one question: Tell me, have you prayed for him? Nothing else. And I said: No. And he remained silent. We're finished, he said. Pray, pray for all the members of the community, but pray first and foremost for those with whom you have problems or for those who you don't get along with, because not getting along with people from time to time is a natural thing, instinctive. Pray, and the Lord will do the rest, but pray always. Community prayer. These tow things - don't necessarily say much - but I'm sure that if you do these two things, the community will be better for it, life will be better, conversations will be easier, discussions will be better, prayer in common will be more fruitful. Two little things: don't gossip about others and pray for those with whom I have problems. I can say more, but I think that's enough.
Seminarian
Good morning, Holy Father.
Pope Francis
Good morning.
Seminarian
My name is Charbelle. I am a seminarian from Lebanon and I am being formed at the Collegio Sedes Sapientiae. Before asking my question, I wish to thank you for your closeness to our people in Lebanon and in all the Middle East. My question is this: last year, you left your land and your country. What would you recommend for us to better manage our arrival and our stay in Rome?
Pope Francis
But, your arrival in Rome is different from mine. I was transferred from one diocese to another. It's a bit different, but ok ... I remember the first time I left my land to come and study here ... At first there is a novelty, everything is new, we need to be patient with ourselves. The first months are like a time of engagement, and all is well, ah, the novelty, so many things ...; but that's not a bad thing, it just is! It happens to everyone, everyone has the same experience. Then returning to one of the pillars, before anything else, integration of life in the community and in the life of studies, these are the main focuses. You came for this, to do this. And then, to find some work for the weekends, some apostolic work, it's important. Don't remain closed in on yourself, don't disappear. But the first months are a time of novelty: I want to do this, go to that museum, or that film, or this or that ... Go on, don't worry. It's normal to do these things. But afterward, be serious. What did you come here to do? To study. Study seriously! And take advantage of the many opportunities that this time permits. The novelty of universality: to meet people from so many different places, from so many different countries, from so many diverse cultures; the opportunity to speak with each other: How is it in your country? And how is this? And my experience is ..., this exchange is so good, so good. I believe that's enough, I won't say any more. But don't be frightened by the joy of novelty: it is the joy of the first engagement, before you start meeting with problems. Go on. Then, be serious.
Seminarian
Good morning, Holy Father. I am Daniele Ortiz from Mexico. Here in Rome I live at the Collegio Maria Mater Ecclesiae. Your Holiness, in faithfulness to our vocation, we need constant discernment, vigilance and personal discipline. How did you do it, when you were a seminarian, when you were a priest, when you were a bishop and now that you are Pontiff? What advice can you offer in this regard? Thank you.
Pope Francis
Thank you. You used the word vigilance. This is a Christian attitude: vigilance. Vigilance over oneself: what's going on in my heart? ... because where my heart is, there will my treasure be. What's going on there? The Eastern Fathers say that I am the best one to know whether my heart is in a state of turbulence or whether it is tranquil. First question: vigilance over your heart: is it in turbulence? If it is, you won't be able to see what is inside. It's like the sea, no? We can't see the fish when the sea is like that ... The first word of advice when your heart is troubled is the wisdom of the Russian Fathers: go under the mantle of the Holy Mother of God. Remember that the first latin antiphon is this: in times of trouble, seek refuge under the mantle of the Holy Mother of God. And the antiphon Sub tuum presidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genetrix is the first Latin antiphon of the Madonna. It's curious, no? Be on guard. Is there any turbulence? First of all, go there, and wait there until there's a bit of calm: with prayer, with confidence in the Madonna ... Some one of you might ask: But Father, in these times of so much modern development, of psychiatry and psychology, during turbulent times wouldn't it be better to consult with a psychiatrist who can help ... Don't waste time on this, but first of all, go to the Mother, because a priest who forgets his mother is truly missing something, especially in times of trouble. He is an orphaned priest, forgotten by his mother! In moments of difficulty, a child will always seek out its mother. We are children in the spiritual life, don't ever forget this! Be vigilant my heart! In times of turbulence, go and find refuge under the mantle of the Holy Mother of God. This is what the Russian monks tell us, and it is true. Then, what are we to do? Seek to understand what is going on, but always in an attitude of peace. Understand in peace. Then, peace will return and you can have a discussion of conscience. When I am at peace, there is no turbulence: What's going on today in my heart? This is what it means to be vigilant. Vigilance does not mean going to the torture chamber, no! It means to look at the heart. We should be guardians of our hearts. What do I feel in my heart, what I am seeking? What made me happy today and what didn't make me happy? Never finish a day without doing this. As bishop, one question that I ask of my priests is: Tell me, how do you go to bed? And often, they don't understand. What do you mean? Yes, how do you finish your day? Oh, Father I am destroyed because there is so much work, the parish, so much ... Then I have supper, then, I take a little drink and I go to bed, I watch television and I relax a bit ... But, you do not spend some time before the tabernacle first? There are some things that help us to see where our hearts are. Never, never - and this is true vigilance! - never finish a day without going to spend a little bit of time before the Lord; look at him and ask him: What's happening in my heart? In moments of sadness, in moments of joy: how was that sadness? how was that joy? This is true vigilance. Be vigilant also about depressions and about enthusiasm. Today, I am feeling down, I don't know what's going on. Be on the lookout: why am I feeling down? Maybe I should go to someone who can help? ... This is true vigilance. Oh, I'm joyful! But why am I joyful today? What's happened in my heart? This is not a sterile introspection, no, no! This is what it means to know the state of my heart, my life, to walk in the way of the Lord. Because if we are not vigilant, our hearts will go in all directions: and imagination can become a god: it goes on and on and then sometimes it can end up in a bad space. I like the question on vigilance. These are not antiquated habits, they are not excessive. They are human things, and like all other human things, they are eternal. They will always be with us. Watch over your heart with the wisdom of the first Christian monks, they taught us this wisdom: watch over your heart.
Can I make a comment? Why did I speak about the Madonna? I advise you to do what I said before, seek refuge ... A good relationship with the Madonna; a relationship with the Madonna will help you to have a good relationship with the Church: they are both Mothers ... You know the beautiful passage from Saint Isaac, the abbot from Stella: whatever can be said of Mary can also be said of the Church and also of our souls. All three are feminine, all three are Mothers, all three give life. A relationship with the Madonna is a relationship of sonship ... Watch out for this: if you don't have a good relationship with the Madonna, there is a part of your heart that has been orphaned. I remember a time, thirty years ago, when I was in Northern Europe. I had to go there to study at the University of Cordova, where I was vice-chancellor at the time. A practicing Catholic family had invited me; it was a little too scholarly of a place. At supper, there were so many children, they were practicing catholics, both of them were university professors, both were also catechists. At a certain point, we were speaking about Jesus Christ - they were excited about Jesus Christ!, I'm speaking about a time thirty years ago - one of them said: Yes, thank God, we have passed the stage of the Madonna ... What do you mean, I said. Yes, we have discovered Jesus Christ, so we don't need her any more. I was a bit saddened by this, I didn't understand. We talked a bit about this. This isn't a mature thing to do. It's not good. It's a terrible thing to forget our mother ... In other words, if you don't want the Madonna as your Mother, how can you be sure you will like your mother-in-law. This is not good! Thank you.
Seminarian
Long live Jesus, long live Mary! Thank you, Holy Father for your words about the Madonna. My name is Father Ignacio and I'm from Manila in the Philippines. I am doing doctoral studies in Mariology at the Pontifical Marian Theological Faculty, and living at the Pontifical Filipino College. Holy Father, my question is: the Church needs priests who are able to guide, lead and communicate with the world today. How do we learn to practice leadership in priestly life, assuming the model of Christ who humbled himself and took up his cross, to the point of dying on the cross?, assuming the condition of a servant to the point of dying on the cross? Thank you.
Pope Francis
But your bishop is a great communicator!
Seminarian
It's Cardinal Tagle ...
Pope Francis
Leadership ... this is at the heart of your question ... There is only one way - then I'll speak about pastors - but as far as leadership is concerned, there is only one way: service. There is no other way. You might have all kinds of qualities - communication, etc - but if you are not a servant, your leadership will fail, he who will not serve is incapable of convoking. Only through service: to be in service ... I remember a very good spiritual father, people would go to him, so many of them that sometimes he could not pray all his breviary. And at night, he would go to the Lord and say: Lord, look; I didn't do what you wanted me to do, but rather I did what I wanted to do! I have done the will of others! In this way, both of them - the Lord and he - would console one another. Many times, to serve means that we do the will of others. A priest who worked in a very humble neighbourhood - very humble indeed! - a run down neighbourhood, a ghetto, says: I needed to close the windows, the doors, everything, because at a certain point, there were so so many who would come and ask me: this spiritual thing, that physical thing ... in the end I wanted to close everything. But that is not the Lord's way. It's true: when you are not serving, you cannot guide people. Pastoral service. The pastor must always be at the disposition of his people. The pastor should help people to grow, to walk. Yesterday, in the readings, I was curious because the Gospel used the word compel: the pastor compels his sheep to leave the sheepfold and to go in search of pastures. I was curious: you push them out, you push them out with strength! The original has a certain tone like this: to push out, with force. It's as though he's chasing us away: go, go! The pastor who helps his people to grow always walks with his people. Sometimes, the pastor has t go ahead, to indicate the way; at other times, he needs to walk in the middle, to know what's going on; many times, he has to lag behind, to help the last in line and to follow the instinct of the sheep who know where there is good grass. The pastor ... Saint Augustine, taking his lead from Ezekiel, says that he must be at the service of the sheep and he highlights two dangers: the pastor who takes advantage of the sheep so that he can eat, so that he can make money, for economic or material reasons, and the pastor who takes advantage of the sheep in order to dress himself well. The flesh and the wool, Saint Augustine says. Read the beautiful sermon De pastoribus. You need to read and re-read it. Yes, there are two sins particular to pastors: money, those who become rich and do things for money - pastoral businessmen - and vanity: there are pastors who believe themselves to be of a superior status compared to their people, detached ... let us think about, the princely pastors. The pastoral businessman and the princely pastor. These are the two tendencies which Saint Augustine, speaking about the passage from the book of Ezekiel, speaks about in his sermon. It's true, a pastor who seeks his own interest, either following the path of money or the path of vanity, is not a true servant, he doesn't have true leadership. Humility should be the armour of the pastor: humility, always ready to serve. We must always strive to be of service. It's not easy to be humble, no, it's not easy! The monks in the desert say that vanity is like an onion: when you take an onion and start to peel it, and you start to feel vain and you start to peel away the vanity. Slowly, you keep going and going, you remove another layer, and another, and another, and another ... finally, you arrive at ... nothing. Ah, thanks be to God, I peeled the onion, I've peeled away all the vanity. Do this and you'll end up smelling like an onion! This is what the desert fathers say. Vanity is like this. I once heard a Jesuit - a good man - but he was vain, so vain ... All of us would say to him: You are vain! but he was so good that he would pardon everyone. He went to do the spiritual exercises, and when he came back he said to us, in the community: What beautiful exercises! I did eight days of Heaven, and I found that I was so vain! But thanks be to God, I overcame all my passions! Vanity is like that! It is so hard to. It's so difficult to remove vanity from a priest. But the people of God forgive us for so many things: they forgive us if we have made mistakes, they are ready to forgive. They will forgive us if we have a little slip with a bit too much wine, they are ready to forgive. But they will not forgive us if we are preoccupied with money, or if we are vain and don't treat people well. Because the vain priest will not treat people well. Money, vanity and pride. The three scandals that lead to all other sins. The people of God know our weaknesses and they forgive; but these two, they cannot forgive. Attachment to money is unforgivable in a pastor. And if we do not treat people well, this too is unpardonable. It's curious, no? These two defects, we must fight against them. Then, leadership should be based in service, with a personal love for people. From a pastor, I once heard this: That man knew the names of all the people in his neighbourhood, even the names of the dogs! That's good! He was close to them, he knew everyone, he knew the histories of all the families, he knew everything. He would help them. He was so close to them. Closeness, service, humility, poverty and sacrifice. I remember the elderly parishioners in Bueons Aires, if there was no cell phones, the secretary would call: they would sleep with the telephone near to them. No one died without the Sacraments. They would call at all hours of the day and night: the priests would get up and go. Service, service. And the bishop, I would suffer if I called a parish and I got an answering machine ... This is not leadership! How can we lead people if we don't listen to them, if we are not at their service? These are the things that come to mind, a little ... not in any order, but I hope they answer your question ...
Seminarian
Good morning, Holy Father.
Pope Francis
Good morning.
Seminarian
My name is Father Serge; I am from Cameroon. My formation is taking place at the Collegio San Paolo Apostolo. Here is my question: when we return to our dioceses and communities, we will be called to new ministerial responsibilities and new formative challenges. How can we live together, in a balanced way, all the dimensions of the ministerial life: prayer, pastoral responsibilities and formative tasks without neglecting any of them? Thank you.
Pope Francis
There was a question I did not answer: it must have gotten away - the unconscious is dishonest! - and I want to connect to this. They asked me: As Pope, how do you do all those things? Your question too ... I will respond to it, by telling you in all simplicity, what I do so as not to forget things. Prayer. I try, every morning, to pray Lauds and also to do a little praying, lectio divina, with the Lord. When I get up. First, I read the cifrati, and then I do this. Then, I celebrate mass. Then, work begins: one day there is a certain type of work, another day, there is another ... I try to do things in order. At midday, there is lunch, then a little siesta; after the siesta, around three - excuse me - I say Vespers, at three ... If I don't say it at that hour, I will never say it! Yes, and also some reading, the Office of readings for the following day. Then the afternoon work, the things that have to be done ... then, I spend a little time in adoration and I pray the rosary; supper and it's done. This is the schedule. But sometimes I can't do everything, because I let myself get carried away with less prudent choices: too much work, or I think ... if I don't do this today, I won't do it tomorrow ... adoration gets left behind, my siesta gets left behind, this or that is forgotten ... Even here, vigilance: you will return to your dioceses, and you will see that the same will happen to you that is happening to me; it's normal. Work, prayer, a bit of space for a rest, get out of the house, go for a walk, all of this is important ... but it must be controlled with vigilance and with counsel ... The idea is to be tired at the end of each day: this is the ideal. There would be no need then to take sleeping pills: we would already be tired. But with a good tiredness, not with an imprudent weariness, because that would be bad for our health and in the long run we have to pay dearly. I look at Sandro's face, he laughs and says: But you are not doing this! He's right. This is the ideal, but I don't always do it, because I too am a sinner, and I'm not always so well organized. But we should do these things ...
Seminarian
Good morning, Holy Father, I am Fernando Rodriguez. I am a new priest from Mexico. I was ordained one month ago, and I'm living at the Mexican College. Holy Father, you said that the Church needs a new evangelization. Even in Evangelii gaudium, you focused on preparation for preaching, on the homily and on proclamation as forms of impassioned dialogue between a pastor and his people. Why do you return to this theme of the new evangelization? And also, Holiness, if we may ask, what does the new evangelization mean for priests? What should priests' characteristic features look like? Thank you.
Pope Francis
When Saint John Paul II spoke - I believe it was the first time - but afterward they told me that it wasn't the first time - about the new evangelization, it was in Santo Domingo in 1992. He said that we should be new in our methodologies, in our ardour, in our apostolic zeal, and another that I don't remember ... Do you remember? The expression! Find an expression that fits with the times. And for me, in the Aparecida Document it is very clear. This Aparecida Document develops the question well. For me, evangelization requires us to go outside of ourselves; it requires a dimension of the transcendental: the transcendence of the adoration of God, in contemplation, and transparency toward our brothers, toward all people. Go out, go out! For me, this is like the essential root of evangelization. Going out means arriving at, being close by. If you don't go outside of yourself, you will never be close to anyone else! Closeness. Being close to people, being close to everyone, to all those to whom we need to be close. All people. Go out. Closeness. We cannot evangelize without being close. Close by, but cordial, close to in love, also physically close; being near to. And you connected the homily there. The problem with boring homilies - so to speak - the problem with boring homilies is that they do not draw people close. Especially in the homily, we an measure the closeness of a pastor with his people. If you speak in the homily, let's say, 20, 25 or 30, even 40 minutes - these are not fantasies; it happens - and if you speak of abstract things, of truths of the faith, you are not preaching a homily, you are in school! That's a different thing. You aren't close to your people. The homily is an important part of being close - it's important to calibrate in order to appreciate how close the priest is. I believe that in general our homilies are not good, not exactly the homiletic genre: they are conferences, or they are lectures, or they are reflections. But the homily - and for this we should ask professors of theology - the homily at Mass, the Word of God is strong, it is a sacrament. For Luther, it was almost a sacrament, it was ex opere operato, the preached Word; for some it is only ex opere operantis. But I think that at the heart of it, it's a bit of both. The theology of the homily is like a quasi sacramental. It's different from speaking a few words on a given theme. It's something else. It supposes prayer, it supposes study, it presumes knowledge of the persons to whom you are speaking, it supposes closeness. For a homily to be good at evangelization, we must go far enough, and we're already late. This is one of the points of the conversation that is necessary for the Church today: work hard on your homilies, so that people will understand them. Then, after eight minutes, attention is gone. A homily that lasts more than eight or ten minutes is too long. It should be brief, it should be strong. I recommend two books, from my time, but they are good, for this aspect of homilies, because they are so helpful. First: The Theology of Preaching by Hugo Rahner. Not by Karl, but by Hugo. Yes, you can read Hugo well, Karl is difficult to read. This is a gem: The Theology of Preaching. The other is by Father Domenico Grasso; it introduces us to what a homily is. I believe that it has the same title: The Theology of Preaching. It will help you. Closeness, the homily ... There is another thing that I want to say ... Go out, be close, the homily as a measure of how close I am to the people of god. And another category that I like is that of the periphery. When someone goes out, we should not only go only halfway, but we should go all the way. Some say that we should begin evangelization from far away, like the Lord did. These are my thoughts in response to your question. But this aspect about the homily is true: for me it is one of the problems that the Church should study and change. Homilies, homilies: don't think that you're in school, they are not conferences, they are something else. I am happy when priests get together for two hours to prepare the homily for the following Sunday, because they create a climate of prayer, of study, of an exchange of ideas. This is good. Prepare your homilies with someone else, this is very good.
Seminarian
Praise be to Jesus Christ! My name is Voicek. I live at the Pontifical Polish College, and I am studying Moral theology. Holy Father, the presbyteral ministry in service to our people, following the example of Christ and according to his mission, what would you recommend in order to remain open and happy in service to the people of God? What human qualities would you advise and recommend that we cultivate in order to live in the image of the Good Shepherd and to live what you have called the mystique of encounter?
Pope Francis
I spoke about a few things that we should do about prayer, mainly. But I take this last word to speak about one thing, to add to all those others that I have spoken about, things that have been spoken about and that lead to your question. The mystique of encounter, you said. Encounter. The capacity for meeting. The ability to feel, to listen to the other person. The capacity to explore the path together, the method, many things. This encounter. It also means that we should not be afraid, that we should not be afraid of things. the good shepherd should not be afraid. Maybe he is inwardly afraid, but he should never be afraid. He knows that the Lord helps him. The encounter with people for which you have been given pastoral responsibility; the encounter with your Bishop. Meetings with your Bishop are important. It is also important that the Bishop leaves himself open to encounters. It's important ... because, yes, sometimes you hear: You said that to your Bishop? Yes, I asked for an appointment, but for four months I've been asking for an appointment. I'm still waiting! This is not good, no. Go, meet the Bishop, I hope that your Bishop welcomes you. Dialogue. But above all I want to speak about one thing: the encounter between priests, between you. Priestly friendship, this is a treasure, a treasure that you should cultivate between you. Friendship among you. Priestly friendship. Not everyone can be intimate friends. But how beautiful it is to have a priestly friendship! When priests, like two brothers, three brothers, four brothers know each other, speak to one another about their problems, about their joys, about their hopes, about so many things ... Priestly friendship. Try it, it's important to be friends. I think it helps us a great deal to live the priestly life, to live the spiritual life, the apostolic life, the community life and also the intellectual life; priestly friendship. If I were to find a priest who said to me: I have never had a friend, I would think that this priest had never experienced one of the most beautiful joys of the priestly life, priestly friendship. This is what I wish for you. I wish that you would be a friend to those who the Lord puts in your path. I wish you this blessing for life. Priestly friendship is a strength that helps us persevere in apostolic joy, with courage and also with a sense of humour. It is good, beautiful! This is what I think.
I thank you for your patience! Now, we can pray to the Madonna, and ask for her blessing. Regina Caeli ...
This gathering took the form of a dialogue. For more than an hour, after the words of homage offered by Cardinal Beniamino Stella, Prefect of the Congregation for Clergy, Pope Francis responded to questions which were posed by the students and priests who are currently studying in Rome.
Dialogue between the Holy Father, Pope Francis
and seminarians and priests
Good morning, and thank you so much for coming. I wish to thank Cardinal Stella for his words, and I'm sorry for arriving late. Yes, because the Mexican bishops are here for their Ad Limina visit ... and when you're with the Mexicans, its so good, such a good experience that the time passes and you don't even notice it!
To the 146 of you who are from the Middle East, and also to those of you who are from Ukraine, I want to say that you are very close to me in this moment of suffering: truly, very close, I am praying for you. There is so much suffering in the Church; so much suffering, the Church, and the suffering Church is also the persecuted Church in some places, and we are united to one another. Thank you. Now, I want to ... There are some questions, I have seen them, but if you want to change them or ask them a bit more spontaneously, that's fine: feel free!
Seminarian
Good morning Holy Father. My name is Daniel; I am from the United States. I am a deacon from the North American College. We came to Rome above all for academic formation and to maintain our commitment to faith. How can we be sure not to overlook an integral approach to priestly formation, both at the personal and community levels? Thank you.
Pope Francis
Thank you for your question. It's true: Your primary concern here is academic formation - to do your best in this respect or that ... But there is always the danger of academicism. Yes, the Bishop sends you here to get a degree, but also so that you can return to your diocese. But in your diocese, you have to work with the priests, as priests, as priests who have degrees, and if you fall prey to the danger of academicism, you will not return as a father but as a doctor - this is very dangerous. There are four pillars to priestly formation: I have spoken about them many times, I'm sure you've heard them. Four pillars: spiritual formation, academic formation, community formation and apostolic formation. It is true that here in Rome, we pay particular attention to intellectual formation, because that's the reason why you were sent here; but you also need to cultivate the other three pillars, and all four of them need to be integrated with each other. I would be worried about a priest who is doing a degree here in Rome who does not have a sense of community, this isn't right. Or one who doesn't cultivate a spiritual life - daily Mass, daily prayer, lectio divina, personal prayer with the Lord ..., or an apostolic life: doing something on weekends, changing the air a little bit, but also being on the lookout for apostolic air - and doing something about it ... It's true that studies have an apostolic dimension, but it's also important to cultivate the other three pillars. Pure academics are not good for us. This is why I'm so happy you asked your question, because it gives me an opportunity to tell you something. The Lord has called you to be a priest, to be a presbyter: this is the fundamental principle. And there is another thing that I want to focus on: if you only consider the academic part, there is a danger of slipping into ideology, and this can make you sick. Even the concepts of the Church can make you sick. In order to truly understand the Church, we need to understand the importance of study, but also the importance of prayer, of community life and of apostolic life. When we slip into ideology, and continue along that path, we end up with a non-christian hermeneutic, a concept of an ideological Church. And this is bad, it is a sickness. Our understanding of the Church should be a conviction that the Church offers herself, that the Church gives of herself. Understand the Church through Christian eyes, understand the Church with a Christian mind; understand the Church with a Christian heart; understand the Church as a Christian activity. On the contrary, the Church cannot be understood, nor can evil be understood. For this reason, it is important to focus, yes, on academic work because this is why you were sent here: but don't neglect the other three pillars: spiritual life, community life and apostolic life. I'm not sure whether I've answered your question ... Thank you.
Seminarian
Good morning, Holy Father. My name is Thomas. I'm from China. I am a seminarian at the Urban College. At times, it's not easy to live in community: what would you suggest, based on your experience, in order to make our communities places for human and spiritual growth and for practicing priestly charity?
Pope Francis
Once, an old bishop from Latin America used to say: The worst seminary is much better than a non-seminary. If someone is preparing for priesthood on his own, without a community, this is not good. Seminary life, and by this I mean community life, is very important. It is very important because it involves sharing among brothers who are journeying together toward priesthood; but there are also problems, there are always struggles: power struggles, struggles with ideas, even hidden struggles; and these give way to deadly sins: envy, jealousy ... And there are also some good things: friendship, the exchange of ideas, and this is important in community life. Community life is not a paradise, at the very least it is purgatory - no, not really (he laughs), but it is not a paradise! A Jesuit saint used to say that his greatest penance, was community life. Isn't it true? I think we need to continue working on community life. But how? There are four or five things that will help. Never, never speak ill of others. If I bear a grudge against someone else, or if we are not in agreement: admit it! But we clerics are tempted not to speak, not to admit such things, we are too diplomatic at times, this clerical language ... But it hurts, it hurts! I remember once, twenty-two years ago, I had just been named a bishop, and I had a secretary in that vicariate - Buenos Aires was divided into four vicariates - in that vicariate there was a young priest who was the secretary, recently ordained. And I, in those first months, I did something, I made a bit of a diplomatic decision - too diplomatic - and there are consequences that come with decisions that are made without the Lord, right? In the end, I said to him: This is a real problem, and I don't know ow to fix it ... And he looked me in the face - a young man! - and said to me: Because you have done wrong - you didn't make a paternal decision, and he told me three or four things like this! Very respectfully, but he told me. And then, when he left, I thought: I should never get rid of this secretary, he is a true brother! There are those who say good things to your face than then behind your back, say other things that are not so good ... This is important ... Idle chatter is dangerous for community; we should always speak face to face. And if you don't have the courage to speak face to face, speak to your superior or to your director, and he will help you. But don't go from one room to another spreading gossip! They say that women gossip, but men do too, even we do! We gossip so much! And this destroys community. Then, another thing is listening, listening to various opinions and discussing them is fine, but try to find out the truth, seek unity: these will help build community. My spiritual father - I was studying philosophy at the time; he was a philosopher, a metaphysician - he was a good spiritual father - I went to him and we discussed a problem I was having. I was angry with someone: But you're angry with that one, why that one, or this one ... said my spiritual father as he pointed out everyone else who was there. He asked me only one question: Tell me, have you prayed for him? Nothing else. And I said: No. And he remained silent. We're finished, he said. Pray, pray for all the members of the community, but pray first and foremost for those with whom you have problems or for those who you don't get along with, because not getting along with people from time to time is a natural thing, instinctive. Pray, and the Lord will do the rest, but pray always. Community prayer. These tow things - don't necessarily say much - but I'm sure that if you do these two things, the community will be better for it, life will be better, conversations will be easier, discussions will be better, prayer in common will be more fruitful. Two little things: don't gossip about others and pray for those with whom I have problems. I can say more, but I think that's enough.
Seminarian
Good morning, Holy Father.
Pope Francis
Good morning.
Seminarian
My name is Charbelle. I am a seminarian from Lebanon and I am being formed at the Collegio Sedes Sapientiae. Before asking my question, I wish to thank you for your closeness to our people in Lebanon and in all the Middle East. My question is this: last year, you left your land and your country. What would you recommend for us to better manage our arrival and our stay in Rome?
Pope Francis
But, your arrival in Rome is different from mine. I was transferred from one diocese to another. It's a bit different, but ok ... I remember the first time I left my land to come and study here ... At first there is a novelty, everything is new, we need to be patient with ourselves. The first months are like a time of engagement, and all is well, ah, the novelty, so many things ...; but that's not a bad thing, it just is! It happens to everyone, everyone has the same experience. Then returning to one of the pillars, before anything else, integration of life in the community and in the life of studies, these are the main focuses. You came for this, to do this. And then, to find some work for the weekends, some apostolic work, it's important. Don't remain closed in on yourself, don't disappear. But the first months are a time of novelty: I want to do this, go to that museum, or that film, or this or that ... Go on, don't worry. It's normal to do these things. But afterward, be serious. What did you come here to do? To study. Study seriously! And take advantage of the many opportunities that this time permits. The novelty of universality: to meet people from so many different places, from so many different countries, from so many diverse cultures; the opportunity to speak with each other: How is it in your country? And how is this? And my experience is ..., this exchange is so good, so good. I believe that's enough, I won't say any more. But don't be frightened by the joy of novelty: it is the joy of the first engagement, before you start meeting with problems. Go on. Then, be serious.
Seminarian
Good morning, Holy Father. I am Daniele Ortiz from Mexico. Here in Rome I live at the Collegio Maria Mater Ecclesiae. Your Holiness, in faithfulness to our vocation, we need constant discernment, vigilance and personal discipline. How did you do it, when you were a seminarian, when you were a priest, when you were a bishop and now that you are Pontiff? What advice can you offer in this regard? Thank you.
Pope Francis
Thank you. You used the word vigilance. This is a Christian attitude: vigilance. Vigilance over oneself: what's going on in my heart? ... because where my heart is, there will my treasure be. What's going on there? The Eastern Fathers say that I am the best one to know whether my heart is in a state of turbulence or whether it is tranquil. First question: vigilance over your heart: is it in turbulence? If it is, you won't be able to see what is inside. It's like the sea, no? We can't see the fish when the sea is like that ... The first word of advice when your heart is troubled is the wisdom of the Russian Fathers: go under the mantle of the Holy Mother of God. Remember that the first latin antiphon is this: in times of trouble, seek refuge under the mantle of the Holy Mother of God. And the antiphon Sub tuum presidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genetrix is the first Latin antiphon of the Madonna. It's curious, no? Be on guard. Is there any turbulence? First of all, go there, and wait there until there's a bit of calm: with prayer, with confidence in the Madonna ... Some one of you might ask: But Father, in these times of so much modern development, of psychiatry and psychology, during turbulent times wouldn't it be better to consult with a psychiatrist who can help ... Don't waste time on this, but first of all, go to the Mother, because a priest who forgets his mother is truly missing something, especially in times of trouble. He is an orphaned priest, forgotten by his mother! In moments of difficulty, a child will always seek out its mother. We are children in the spiritual life, don't ever forget this! Be vigilant my heart! In times of turbulence, go and find refuge under the mantle of the Holy Mother of God. This is what the Russian monks tell us, and it is true. Then, what are we to do? Seek to understand what is going on, but always in an attitude of peace. Understand in peace. Then, peace will return and you can have a discussion of conscience. When I am at peace, there is no turbulence: What's going on today in my heart? This is what it means to be vigilant. Vigilance does not mean going to the torture chamber, no! It means to look at the heart. We should be guardians of our hearts. What do I feel in my heart, what I am seeking? What made me happy today and what didn't make me happy? Never finish a day without doing this. As bishop, one question that I ask of my priests is: Tell me, how do you go to bed? And often, they don't understand. What do you mean? Yes, how do you finish your day? Oh, Father I am destroyed because there is so much work, the parish, so much ... Then I have supper, then, I take a little drink and I go to bed, I watch television and I relax a bit ... But, you do not spend some time before the tabernacle first? There are some things that help us to see where our hearts are. Never, never - and this is true vigilance! - never finish a day without going to spend a little bit of time before the Lord; look at him and ask him: What's happening in my heart? In moments of sadness, in moments of joy: how was that sadness? how was that joy? This is true vigilance. Be vigilant also about depressions and about enthusiasm. Today, I am feeling down, I don't know what's going on. Be on the lookout: why am I feeling down? Maybe I should go to someone who can help? ... This is true vigilance. Oh, I'm joyful! But why am I joyful today? What's happened in my heart? This is not a sterile introspection, no, no! This is what it means to know the state of my heart, my life, to walk in the way of the Lord. Because if we are not vigilant, our hearts will go in all directions: and imagination can become a god: it goes on and on and then sometimes it can end up in a bad space. I like the question on vigilance. These are not antiquated habits, they are not excessive. They are human things, and like all other human things, they are eternal. They will always be with us. Watch over your heart with the wisdom of the first Christian monks, they taught us this wisdom: watch over your heart.
Can I make a comment? Why did I speak about the Madonna? I advise you to do what I said before, seek refuge ... A good relationship with the Madonna; a relationship with the Madonna will help you to have a good relationship with the Church: they are both Mothers ... You know the beautiful passage from Saint Isaac, the abbot from Stella: whatever can be said of Mary can also be said of the Church and also of our souls. All three are feminine, all three are Mothers, all three give life. A relationship with the Madonna is a relationship of sonship ... Watch out for this: if you don't have a good relationship with the Madonna, there is a part of your heart that has been orphaned. I remember a time, thirty years ago, when I was in Northern Europe. I had to go there to study at the University of Cordova, where I was vice-chancellor at the time. A practicing Catholic family had invited me; it was a little too scholarly of a place. At supper, there were so many children, they were practicing catholics, both of them were university professors, both were also catechists. At a certain point, we were speaking about Jesus Christ - they were excited about Jesus Christ!, I'm speaking about a time thirty years ago - one of them said: Yes, thank God, we have passed the stage of the Madonna ... What do you mean, I said. Yes, we have discovered Jesus Christ, so we don't need her any more. I was a bit saddened by this, I didn't understand. We talked a bit about this. This isn't a mature thing to do. It's not good. It's a terrible thing to forget our mother ... In other words, if you don't want the Madonna as your Mother, how can you be sure you will like your mother-in-law. This is not good! Thank you.
Seminarian
Long live Jesus, long live Mary! Thank you, Holy Father for your words about the Madonna. My name is Father Ignacio and I'm from Manila in the Philippines. I am doing doctoral studies in Mariology at the Pontifical Marian Theological Faculty, and living at the Pontifical Filipino College. Holy Father, my question is: the Church needs priests who are able to guide, lead and communicate with the world today. How do we learn to practice leadership in priestly life, assuming the model of Christ who humbled himself and took up his cross, to the point of dying on the cross?, assuming the condition of a servant to the point of dying on the cross? Thank you.
Pope Francis
But your bishop is a great communicator!
Seminarian
It's Cardinal Tagle ...
Pope Francis
Leadership ... this is at the heart of your question ... There is only one way - then I'll speak about pastors - but as far as leadership is concerned, there is only one way: service. There is no other way. You might have all kinds of qualities - communication, etc - but if you are not a servant, your leadership will fail, he who will not serve is incapable of convoking. Only through service: to be in service ... I remember a very good spiritual father, people would go to him, so many of them that sometimes he could not pray all his breviary. And at night, he would go to the Lord and say: Lord, look; I didn't do what you wanted me to do, but rather I did what I wanted to do! I have done the will of others! In this way, both of them - the Lord and he - would console one another. Many times, to serve means that we do the will of others. A priest who worked in a very humble neighbourhood - very humble indeed! - a run down neighbourhood, a ghetto, says: I needed to close the windows, the doors, everything, because at a certain point, there were so so many who would come and ask me: this spiritual thing, that physical thing ... in the end I wanted to close everything. But that is not the Lord's way. It's true: when you are not serving, you cannot guide people. Pastoral service. The pastor must always be at the disposition of his people. The pastor should help people to grow, to walk. Yesterday, in the readings, I was curious because the Gospel used the word compel: the pastor compels his sheep to leave the sheepfold and to go in search of pastures. I was curious: you push them out, you push them out with strength! The original has a certain tone like this: to push out, with force. It's as though he's chasing us away: go, go! The pastor who helps his people to grow always walks with his people. Sometimes, the pastor has t go ahead, to indicate the way; at other times, he needs to walk in the middle, to know what's going on; many times, he has to lag behind, to help the last in line and to follow the instinct of the sheep who know where there is good grass. The pastor ... Saint Augustine, taking his lead from Ezekiel, says that he must be at the service of the sheep and he highlights two dangers: the pastor who takes advantage of the sheep so that he can eat, so that he can make money, for economic or material reasons, and the pastor who takes advantage of the sheep in order to dress himself well. The flesh and the wool, Saint Augustine says. Read the beautiful sermon De pastoribus. You need to read and re-read it. Yes, there are two sins particular to pastors: money, those who become rich and do things for money - pastoral businessmen - and vanity: there are pastors who believe themselves to be of a superior status compared to their people, detached ... let us think about, the princely pastors. The pastoral businessman and the princely pastor. These are the two tendencies which Saint Augustine, speaking about the passage from the book of Ezekiel, speaks about in his sermon. It's true, a pastor who seeks his own interest, either following the path of money or the path of vanity, is not a true servant, he doesn't have true leadership. Humility should be the armour of the pastor: humility, always ready to serve. We must always strive to be of service. It's not easy to be humble, no, it's not easy! The monks in the desert say that vanity is like an onion: when you take an onion and start to peel it, and you start to feel vain and you start to peel away the vanity. Slowly, you keep going and going, you remove another layer, and another, and another, and another ... finally, you arrive at ... nothing. Ah, thanks be to God, I peeled the onion, I've peeled away all the vanity. Do this and you'll end up smelling like an onion! This is what the desert fathers say. Vanity is like this. I once heard a Jesuit - a good man - but he was vain, so vain ... All of us would say to him: You are vain! but he was so good that he would pardon everyone. He went to do the spiritual exercises, and when he came back he said to us, in the community: What beautiful exercises! I did eight days of Heaven, and I found that I was so vain! But thanks be to God, I overcame all my passions! Vanity is like that! It is so hard to. It's so difficult to remove vanity from a priest. But the people of God forgive us for so many things: they forgive us if we have made mistakes, they are ready to forgive. They will forgive us if we have a little slip with a bit too much wine, they are ready to forgive. But they will not forgive us if we are preoccupied with money, or if we are vain and don't treat people well. Because the vain priest will not treat people well. Money, vanity and pride. The three scandals that lead to all other sins. The people of God know our weaknesses and they forgive; but these two, they cannot forgive. Attachment to money is unforgivable in a pastor. And if we do not treat people well, this too is unpardonable. It's curious, no? These two defects, we must fight against them. Then, leadership should be based in service, with a personal love for people. From a pastor, I once heard this: That man knew the names of all the people in his neighbourhood, even the names of the dogs! That's good! He was close to them, he knew everyone, he knew the histories of all the families, he knew everything. He would help them. He was so close to them. Closeness, service, humility, poverty and sacrifice. I remember the elderly parishioners in Bueons Aires, if there was no cell phones, the secretary would call: they would sleep with the telephone near to them. No one died without the Sacraments. They would call at all hours of the day and night: the priests would get up and go. Service, service. And the bishop, I would suffer if I called a parish and I got an answering machine ... This is not leadership! How can we lead people if we don't listen to them, if we are not at their service? These are the things that come to mind, a little ... not in any order, but I hope they answer your question ...
Seminarian
Good morning, Holy Father.
Pope Francis
Good morning.
Seminarian
My name is Father Serge; I am from Cameroon. My formation is taking place at the Collegio San Paolo Apostolo. Here is my question: when we return to our dioceses and communities, we will be called to new ministerial responsibilities and new formative challenges. How can we live together, in a balanced way, all the dimensions of the ministerial life: prayer, pastoral responsibilities and formative tasks without neglecting any of them? Thank you.
Pope Francis
There was a question I did not answer: it must have gotten away - the unconscious is dishonest! - and I want to connect to this. They asked me: As Pope, how do you do all those things? Your question too ... I will respond to it, by telling you in all simplicity, what I do so as not to forget things. Prayer. I try, every morning, to pray Lauds and also to do a little praying, lectio divina, with the Lord. When I get up. First, I read the cifrati, and then I do this. Then, I celebrate mass. Then, work begins: one day there is a certain type of work, another day, there is another ... I try to do things in order. At midday, there is lunch, then a little siesta; after the siesta, around three - excuse me - I say Vespers, at three ... If I don't say it at that hour, I will never say it! Yes, and also some reading, the Office of readings for the following day. Then the afternoon work, the things that have to be done ... then, I spend a little time in adoration and I pray the rosary; supper and it's done. This is the schedule. But sometimes I can't do everything, because I let myself get carried away with less prudent choices: too much work, or I think ... if I don't do this today, I won't do it tomorrow ... adoration gets left behind, my siesta gets left behind, this or that is forgotten ... Even here, vigilance: you will return to your dioceses, and you will see that the same will happen to you that is happening to me; it's normal. Work, prayer, a bit of space for a rest, get out of the house, go for a walk, all of this is important ... but it must be controlled with vigilance and with counsel ... The idea is to be tired at the end of each day: this is the ideal. There would be no need then to take sleeping pills: we would already be tired. But with a good tiredness, not with an imprudent weariness, because that would be bad for our health and in the long run we have to pay dearly. I look at Sandro's face, he laughs and says: But you are not doing this! He's right. This is the ideal, but I don't always do it, because I too am a sinner, and I'm not always so well organized. But we should do these things ...
Seminarian
Good morning, Holy Father, I am Fernando Rodriguez. I am a new priest from Mexico. I was ordained one month ago, and I'm living at the Mexican College. Holy Father, you said that the Church needs a new evangelization. Even in Evangelii gaudium, you focused on preparation for preaching, on the homily and on proclamation as forms of impassioned dialogue between a pastor and his people. Why do you return to this theme of the new evangelization? And also, Holiness, if we may ask, what does the new evangelization mean for priests? What should priests' characteristic features look like? Thank you.
Pope Francis
When Saint John Paul II spoke - I believe it was the first time - but afterward they told me that it wasn't the first time - about the new evangelization, it was in Santo Domingo in 1992. He said that we should be new in our methodologies, in our ardour, in our apostolic zeal, and another that I don't remember ... Do you remember? The expression! Find an expression that fits with the times. And for me, in the Aparecida Document it is very clear. This Aparecida Document develops the question well. For me, evangelization requires us to go outside of ourselves; it requires a dimension of the transcendental: the transcendence of the adoration of God, in contemplation, and transparency toward our brothers, toward all people. Go out, go out! For me, this is like the essential root of evangelization. Going out means arriving at, being close by. If you don't go outside of yourself, you will never be close to anyone else! Closeness. Being close to people, being close to everyone, to all those to whom we need to be close. All people. Go out. Closeness. We cannot evangelize without being close. Close by, but cordial, close to in love, also physically close; being near to. And you connected the homily there. The problem with boring homilies - so to speak - the problem with boring homilies is that they do not draw people close. Especially in the homily, we an measure the closeness of a pastor with his people. If you speak in the homily, let's say, 20, 25 or 30, even 40 minutes - these are not fantasies; it happens - and if you speak of abstract things, of truths of the faith, you are not preaching a homily, you are in school! That's a different thing. You aren't close to your people. The homily is an important part of being close - it's important to calibrate in order to appreciate how close the priest is. I believe that in general our homilies are not good, not exactly the homiletic genre: they are conferences, or they are lectures, or they are reflections. But the homily - and for this we should ask professors of theology - the homily at Mass, the Word of God is strong, it is a sacrament. For Luther, it was almost a sacrament, it was ex opere operato, the preached Word; for some it is only ex opere operantis. But I think that at the heart of it, it's a bit of both. The theology of the homily is like a quasi sacramental. It's different from speaking a few words on a given theme. It's something else. It supposes prayer, it supposes study, it presumes knowledge of the persons to whom you are speaking, it supposes closeness. For a homily to be good at evangelization, we must go far enough, and we're already late. This is one of the points of the conversation that is necessary for the Church today: work hard on your homilies, so that people will understand them. Then, after eight minutes, attention is gone. A homily that lasts more than eight or ten minutes is too long. It should be brief, it should be strong. I recommend two books, from my time, but they are good, for this aspect of homilies, because they are so helpful. First: The Theology of Preaching by Hugo Rahner. Not by Karl, but by Hugo. Yes, you can read Hugo well, Karl is difficult to read. This is a gem: The Theology of Preaching. The other is by Father Domenico Grasso; it introduces us to what a homily is. I believe that it has the same title: The Theology of Preaching. It will help you. Closeness, the homily ... There is another thing that I want to say ... Go out, be close, the homily as a measure of how close I am to the people of god. And another category that I like is that of the periphery. When someone goes out, we should not only go only halfway, but we should go all the way. Some say that we should begin evangelization from far away, like the Lord did. These are my thoughts in response to your question. But this aspect about the homily is true: for me it is one of the problems that the Church should study and change. Homilies, homilies: don't think that you're in school, they are not conferences, they are something else. I am happy when priests get together for two hours to prepare the homily for the following Sunday, because they create a climate of prayer, of study, of an exchange of ideas. This is good. Prepare your homilies with someone else, this is very good.
Seminarian
Praise be to Jesus Christ! My name is Voicek. I live at the Pontifical Polish College, and I am studying Moral theology. Holy Father, the presbyteral ministry in service to our people, following the example of Christ and according to his mission, what would you recommend in order to remain open and happy in service to the people of God? What human qualities would you advise and recommend that we cultivate in order to live in the image of the Good Shepherd and to live what you have called the mystique of encounter?
Pope Francis
I spoke about a few things that we should do about prayer, mainly. But I take this last word to speak about one thing, to add to all those others that I have spoken about, things that have been spoken about and that lead to your question. The mystique of encounter, you said. Encounter. The capacity for meeting. The ability to feel, to listen to the other person. The capacity to explore the path together, the method, many things. This encounter. It also means that we should not be afraid, that we should not be afraid of things. the good shepherd should not be afraid. Maybe he is inwardly afraid, but he should never be afraid. He knows that the Lord helps him. The encounter with people for which you have been given pastoral responsibility; the encounter with your Bishop. Meetings with your Bishop are important. It is also important that the Bishop leaves himself open to encounters. It's important ... because, yes, sometimes you hear: You said that to your Bishop? Yes, I asked for an appointment, but for four months I've been asking for an appointment. I'm still waiting! This is not good, no. Go, meet the Bishop, I hope that your Bishop welcomes you. Dialogue. But above all I want to speak about one thing: the encounter between priests, between you. Priestly friendship, this is a treasure, a treasure that you should cultivate between you. Friendship among you. Priestly friendship. Not everyone can be intimate friends. But how beautiful it is to have a priestly friendship! When priests, like two brothers, three brothers, four brothers know each other, speak to one another about their problems, about their joys, about their hopes, about so many things ... Priestly friendship. Try it, it's important to be friends. I think it helps us a great deal to live the priestly life, to live the spiritual life, the apostolic life, the community life and also the intellectual life; priestly friendship. If I were to find a priest who said to me: I have never had a friend, I would think that this priest had never experienced one of the most beautiful joys of the priestly life, priestly friendship. This is what I wish for you. I wish that you would be a friend to those who the Lord puts in your path. I wish you this blessing for life. Priestly friendship is a strength that helps us persevere in apostolic joy, with courage and also with a sense of humour. It is good, beautiful! This is what I think.
I thank you for your patience! Now, we can pray to the Madonna, and ask for her blessing. Regina Caeli ...
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