The pontiff told the clergy of Rome to “rekindle the fire” of their ministry.
Pope Leo XIV encouraged young priests on Wednesday to continue to serve the Lord with enthusiasm, even if they do not immediately see the results of their work, and to share their difficulties with other priests.
“Above all, I urge you never to close yourselves off: Don’t be afraid to talk to others, even about your fatigue and your crises, especially with brother priests whom you believe can help you,” the pope said in a Feb. 19 meeting with clergy of the Diocese of Rome.
During the meeting in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican, the Holy Father exhorted Rome’s priests to pursue greater creativity in their service and not fall into passivity.
He also urged them to renew the proclamation of the Gospel, to work together in communion, and to remain close to young people.
Addressing young priests specifically, Leo noted that they “often experience firsthand the potential and struggles of their generation and of this era.”
“In a more difficult and less rewarding social and ecclesial context, there is a risk of quickly exhausting one’s energy, accumulating frustration, and falling into loneliness. I urge you to be faithful every day in your relationship with the Lord and to work with enthusiasm even if you do not see the fruits of your apostolate now,” he added.
The pope’s advice to all of the clergy was to “rekindle the fire” of their ministry, especially when they experience fatigue, discouragement, or spiritual and moral decline.
“Pressed by sudden cultural changes and the scenarios in which our mission takes place, sometimes assailed by fatigue and the weight of routine, or discouraged by the growing disaffection with faith and religious practice, we feel the need for this fire to be fed and rekindled,” he said.
Putting evangelization back at the center
To achieve this rekindling of their priestly vocations, Leo first emphasized the urgency of “proclaiming the Gospel anew” and the need to change direction in the ordinary pastoral life of parishes, particularly in the relationship between Christian initiation and evangelization.
He explained that it is not enough merely to ensure the administration of the sacraments — as proposed by the classic model of ordinary pastoral care — but that it is essential to place proclamation back at the center, “seeking ways and means to help people reconnect with the promise of Jesus.”
The pope stressed that Christian initiation must be reexamined and affirmed that “we need to experiment with other ways of transmitting the faith, even outside the traditional paths, in order to try to engage children, young people, and families in new ways.”
The Holy Father also advised the priests of his diocese to work together, avoiding solitary action and the temptation of self-referentiality, and to foster greater coordination among neighboring parishes.
Welcoming young people
The pontiff turned his attention to the challenges facing young people, inviting the clergy of Rome to try “understanding and interpreting the profound existential unease that inhabits them, their confusion, their many difficulties, as well as the phenomena that involve them in the virtual world and the symptoms of a worrying aggressiveness, which sometimes leads to violence.”
He also asked them to remain attentive to young people, to be present, to welcome them, “to share a little of their lives,” and to engage in dialogue with local institutions.
At the end of his address, Leo spoke especially to the youngest priests. Aware of the reality they face, marked by a social and ecclesial context that is “more difficult and less rewarding,” he warned that there is a risk of “quickly exhausting one’s energies, accumulating frustration, and falling into loneliness.”
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, and has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
