2023-08-12 20:10:05
Joswin Kattoor
VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis thanks the priests of the Diocese of Rome for their valuable services. The Pope said that the ministries of priests are often hidden and, therefore, neglected. The Pope assured them that he was with them in their joys and sufferings. The Pope also warned priests against showmanship in spirituality and the temptation to desire glory from men instead of God’s glory.
The Holy Father said these things in his letter to the priests, as Bishop of the Diocese of Rome, on the occasion of the dedication day of the famous Basilica of Mary Major in Rome. The vigilance of a shepherd and the care of a father can be seen throughout the letter. The Pope reminded them of the various temptations to which they may fall in their priestly ministry. The Pope called on the priests to carry out their ministry shoulder to shoulder with the laity with a synodical spirit.
In this letter, as he has pointed out on several occasions in the past, the Pope has highlighted the frustration that priests may experience in their vocation and ministry. The Pope reminded them that they have to bear the burdens of others and are often misunderstood in the rush of responsibilities.
Secularism and Vedic supremacy
The Pope warned the clergy about the danger of spirituality relegating itself to mere performance due to the intrusion of worldliness into the spiritual realm. Perhaps, we are becoming addicted to the world without knowing it. We must combat this by deepening our prayer. “Don’t become spiritual merchants dressed in holy clothes,” the Pope instructed.
Pope Francis continued: “Attracted by the transient, chasing after power and fame, we end up in self-aggrandizement, self-worship, theoretical snobbery, and liturgical decadence.” These cannot be hidden behind pseudo-religion for long.
The Pope wrote to them that we should be more aware of the domineering attitude we unconsciously express, and accept this as a request from the heart of an elderly person. Because it is this kind of attitude that separates us from God’s people and causes us to place ourselves on a higher level than them.
If only one’s self-image and success are pursued, the awareness of inner hypocrisy and lack of modesty may never arise. It will make us like the shepherds in the book of Ezekiel who ‘drink the milk of the sheep’ and become fat, seeking only personal gain – the Pope reminded.
Look to Jesus
With a heart full of praise and thanksgiving, and experiencing the wonderful love of God who has given everything as a gift, we can nip in the bud the tendencies of clerical dominance. Above all, the daily remedy for this is to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus crucified. This will take us from the form of a master to the form of a servant and to the level of foot washing. Don’t be discouraged
We have many weaknesses and limitations. But never be discouraged by them. With girded loins, bent knees, let us pray to the Holy Spirit in submission to one another. Let us pray to Him for the grace not to fall away in pastoral ministry or personal life. Let us give up religious expressions that leave no room for God. Be zealous preachers of the gospel rather than handlers of sacred things. The Pope inspired and counseled them to be shepherds of the people rather than being ‘priests of the kingdom’.
I begged the Mother of God to protect you and to wipe away your tears that are shed in secret – the Pope recalled in his letter that he had prayed for the priests of Rome in front of the famous image of our Lady in Rome, ‘Salus Populi Romani’. The Pope concluded the letter by once again thanking them for their services and asking for continued prayers for him.
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