Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV has urged seminarians to make their relationship with Jesus the centre of their preparation for the priesthood, telling them that learning to remain with Christ is at the heart of seminary life.
The Pope made the remarks while addressing seminarians from the Pius XI Regional Seminary in Molfetta in Puglia and the Episcopal Seminary of Aversa in Campania.
He said study, discipline and the different stages of priestly formation are important, but they must be rooted in a relationship with God.
Reflecting on the Gospel account of Jesus choosing the twelve Apostles, Pope Leo described seminary formation as a journey that begins with going up the mountain to be with Jesus.
The mountain, he explained, represents the place where the disciples can encounter Christ and, most importantly, remain with Him. For seminarians, he said, this relationship is the heart of their experience during formation.
Pope Leo also recalled that the call to priesthood is ultimately a free choice made by God. Referring to Jesus calling those whom He wanted, he stressed that the vocation does not come from personal merit, but from God's freely given love.
The Pope told the seminarians that their presence in the seminary is itself a sign of hope for the whole Church. He spoke of the continuing call of young people to consider giving their lives to God and to the Church.
He also defended the importance of a period of seminary formation in today's fast moving and noisy world. Such a period, he said, gives those preparing for the priesthood the time and space needed for discernment.
Community is another important part of this formation, Pope Leo said. Jesus called the Apostles as a community, and seminarians are also formed within a community. Their journey with the Lord, he stressed, is not meant to be a private experience separated from the wider Church.
Instead, seminarians should experience what the Pope described as the beauty of ecclesial mediation, recognising that their vocation is connected to the life and mission of the Church.
Pope Leo then turned to another part of the journey, describing the need to come down from the mountain. The mountain, he said, is not a refuge where seminarians can remain permanently.
After encountering Jesus, they will be called to return to the people of their communities and share the newness of life they have discovered with Him.
The Pope said priests are sent to everyone to proclaim the beauty of faith in Jesus Christ and the good news of salvation, which he described as salvation given through Mary.
He encouraged the seminarians to entrust themselves to Mary and seek the grace to say yes to Jesus each day, following her example.
At the end of his address, Pope Leo thanked the seminarians and also expressed his gratitude to their families, doing so in his own name and on behalf of the entire Church.