Vatican City: In a heartfelt message to Latin American priests, seminarians, and consecrated men and women studying in Rome, Pope Leo XIV called on them to reaffirm their commitment to Christ and place God at the center of their lives, especially in a society marked by noise, confusion, and distractions. The message was released on Friday, December 12, coinciding with the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and ahead of a gathering organized by the Pontifical Commission for Latin America titled “Mary: Star of Evangelization and Mission for Latin America Today.”
“Today more than ever, we need servants and disciples who proclaim the absolute primacy of Christ and who keep His voice clearly in their ears and hearts,” the Pope said, emphasizing the need for courage and clarity in a world where distractions abound.
Reflecting on Christ’s invitation to His disciples, “Follow me,” Pope Leo described this as the central purpose of the life of every seminarian, priest, and consecrated person. He encouraged them to remain faithful in both joy and adversity, nurturing their relationship with God through Scripture, prayer, guidance from pastors, and the wisdom offered by the Church.
“In joys and in difficulties, our motto must be: if Christ went through it, then we too must live what He lived,” the Pope wrote. He urged clergy to avoid clinging to fleeting applause or dwelling solely on past crises, framing both triumphs and trials as formative elements of their vocation. “If God has willed it for me, I too will it,” he said, drawing an analogy to Christian spouses: “for poorer, for richer, in sickness and in health.”
Pope Leo reminded the clergy that their vocation originates from “the absolute initiative of the Lord,” calling them without merit on their part. He described this calling as a mission to bring the Gospel to the weak and the sinner, making disciples instruments of God’s plan for salvation.
Yet, he stressed, this vocation demands a radical commitment: placing God above all else, detaching from human securities, and pursuing both theoretical and practical understanding of divine law. Citing St. Ambrose, he explained that this call is not to escape natural duties but to embrace a new life in which nothing no matter how good it may seem can come before God. This entails dying to sin and the worldly self while living in communion with others through Christ, united not by convenience or sympathy, but by belonging to God’s redeemed people.
Highlighting the Gospel of John, Pope Leo reflected on Christ’s repeated call to Peter, which underscores God’s patience and intimate knowledge of human frailty. The first call, following Peter’s triple denial, demonstrates God’s foresight in Peter’s eventual sacrifice. The second call, when Peter inquires about John, reminds believers that following Christ requires focus on Him alone and that personal failings often pose greater obstacles than external trials. “The dialogue with the Apostle shows us how easily we judge our brother and even God, without docilely accepting His will in our lives,” the Pope explained.
Concluding his message, Pope Leo entrusted the Latin American seminarians, priests, and religious to the care of Our Lady of Guadalupe, asking her to inspire courage and to nurture the memory of Christ’s works in their hearts. “May we go forth without delay to proclaim the joy of having found Him, of being one in the One, and living stones of a temple for His glory,” he said, highlighting Mary’s role as a guiding star in their evangelizing mission.
The Pope’s message called on Latin American clergy to embrace their vocation fully, remain steadfast in faith, and courageously proclaim Christ’s message of love and salvation amid the challenges of a modern, noisy, and often confusing world.