Pope Francis delivers a homily directed at priests while celebrating the chrism Mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican April 6, 2023. He delivered another message to priests in a letter dated Aug. 5, 2023, (CNS photo/Vatican Media)
VATICAN CITY — Assuring Rome priests of his gratitude and prayers, Pope Francis asked them to use part of their summer rest to reflect on ways to strengthen the unity of the church and promote greater collaboration with laypeople. “I’m thinking of you at this time when, in addition to summer activities, you also may be having a bit of a rest after the pastoral labors of the last few months,” the pope wrote in the letter dated “Lisbon, Aug. 5,” indicating it was signed while he was in Portugal for World Youth Day. The Vatican published it two days later. As the bishop of Rome, Pope Francis used “our” when referring in the letter to the local church and to the ministries and responsibilities of priests in the diocese while assuring the priests that he is aware of their “joys and sufferings, projects and struggles, your disappointments and pastoral consolations.” “Most of all,” he said, he wanted the priests to know that “I share your desire for communion — affective and effective — while I offer my daily prayer that our mother church of Rome, called to preside in charity, cultivates the precious gift of communion especially internally, making it blossom in the various realities and sensibilities that comprise it.” “May the church of Rome be an example of compassion and hope for everyone,” he continued, “with its pastors always — literally always — ready and available to lavish God’s forgiveness as channels of mercy which quench the aridness of people today.” No matter the limitations of its ministers or the seeming lack of success their projects have, the pope said, they must remember, as the French Jesuit Henri de Lubac had written, no mistake or even infidelity on the part of ministers can stop the church from being God’s church. “Brothers, this is the hope that sustains our steps, lightens our burdens, restores momentum to our ministry,” the pope said. “Let us roll up our sleeves and bend our knees — those of you who can!” add the pope, who cannot kneel because of ongoing knee trouble. Saying he knows he mentions it often, Pope Francis repeated his call for the priests to be wary of “spiritual worldliness” and clericalism. “Spiritual worldliness, in fact, is dangerous because it is a style of living that reduces spirituality to appearances” and “leads us to being ‘merchants of the spirit,’ men clothed in sacred forms who, in reality, continue to think and act according to the ways of the world,” he said. Too often, he said, when a priest is overly rigid about what he thinks is proper doctrine or liturgy, he is seeking his own glory and power, not the Lord’s. Clericalism is a manifestation of spiritual worldliness, Pope Francis said. “As an old man and from the heart,” he wrote, “I must tell you that it worries me when we fall back into forms of clericalism; when, perhaps without realizing it, we make people think we are superior, privileged, placed ‘on high’ and thus separated from the rest of God’s holy people.” The antidote to spiritual worldliness and clericalism, the pope said, is to keep one’s gaze fixed on the crucifix, knowing that Jesus died for everyone’s sins — including the priest’s — and that to minister in his name means emptying oneself as he did. “Let us pray to the Spirit for one another,” Pope Francis told the diocese’s priests. “Let us ask him to help us not to fall, in our personal lives or pastoral activity, into that religious appearance full of many things but empty of God, so as not to be functionaries of the sacred, but passionate proclaimers of the Gospel, not ‘clerics of the state,’ but pastors of the people.”
Archdiocesan priests celebrate jubilee milestone Every year, Chicago Catholic honors archdiocesan priests celebrating jubilees, men who have dedicated themselves to serving the Lord through the Catholic Church. They often wear many hats, such as pastor, administrator, maintenance man, cook, accountant, friend. They have served mostly as parish priests, and some have also served as teachers, chaplains and counselors. Chicago Catholic congratulates and thanks them.
Italian leader says Pope Francis will join G7 discussion on AI Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced that Pope Francis would participate in a G7 “outreach” discussion on artificial intelligence when the leaders of the world’s leading industrialized nations countries meet in southern Italy in mid-June.
Nurses dedicated to improving the health, wellness of priests For advanced practice nurses Mary Kay Gawne and Cathlin Poronsky, a typical day can include everything from health presentations at meetings to unexpected trips to the emergency room. Gawne and Poronsky work out of the Vicar for Priests office, and are tasked with supporting the health of active and retired priests in the archdiocese.