Pope Francis told 16 new priests that above all, in their future they had to be merciful.
In his homily at a service of ordination at St Peter's in Rome, the Pope referred to the new priests' coming duties in the sacraments, including penance.
He said: "With Baptism you will aggregate new believers to the People of God. With the Sacrament of Penance you will put your sins back in the name of Christ and of the Church. And here I stop to ask you: please, do not get tired of being merciful. Think of your sins, your miseries that Jesus forgives. Be merciful. With holy oil you will give relief to the sick. Celebrating the sacred rites and raising the prayer of praise and supplication during the various hours of the day, you will make a voice of the People of God and of all humanity."
He urged them to keep studying and learning. "Read and meditate assiduously on the word of the Lord to believe what you have read, to teach what you have learned in faith, to live what you have taught."
He concluded: "Always have before your eyes the example of the Good Shepherd, who did not come to be served, but to serve and to seek and save what was lost."
He spoke as latest figures showed ordinations in the US falling by more than a fifth in one year.
The Center for Advanced Research in the Apostolate released its annual report on this year’s ordination class in the US. The report indicates that 430 men are to be ordained this year, down from 590 in 2017. That number includes both secular and religious clergy.
Ninety per cent of the ordinands were baptised in the Catholic Church as infants, 83 report that both their parents were Catholic when they were children and 35 percent indicated that they have a relative who is a priest or religious.
Seventy-five percent of those being ordained were born in the US, slightly higher than the recent average. Since 1999, 30 percent of most ordination classes consist of those born abroad. Mexico, Vietnam, the Philippines and Colombia account for the largest number of foreign-born ordinands.
The report indicates that the average age of those being ordained has dropped from 36 years to 35 this year. The average age at which most report they first considered a vocation to the prebyterate is 17 years old. 64 percent have worked full-time before entering seminary. One in 20 served in the military but one in eight reported that one or both parents served in the military.
Eighty-six per cent of future priests said they were encouraged to pursue a vocation to the priesthood by a relative or close friend and half indicated they were discouraged by friends or relatives to pursue their vocation. “Although the overall number of ordinations to the priesthood is lower this year, the information gathered from this survey and the generosity of those to be ordained continues to inform the important work of vocations ministry for the future,” said Cardinal Joseph Tobin, CSsr., chair of the bishops’ committee on clergy, consecrated life and vocations. “It is essential that we continue to make the conscious effort to encourage young men to be open to hearing God’s call in their life and assist them in the discernment process.”
Later, Pope Francis told a group of British seminarians that the current "culture of the temporary" makes it more difficult than ever for young people to make lifelong commitments to God (CNS reports).
"It is good to see young people preparing to make a firm and lifelong commitment to the Lord. But this is harder for you than it was for me, because of today's 'culture of the temporary,'" Pope Francis told staff and students from the Venerable English College, the Rome seminary of the bishops' conference of England and Wales.
Pope Francis welcomed the group to the Vatican April 21 as part of the celebrations of the of 200th anniversary of the restoration of the college and the 900th anniversary of the birth of St. Thomas Becket of Canterbury, whose life story Pope Francis cited during the meeting.
Love of God and neighbor are "the two foundation stones of our lives," Pope Francis said before warning the seminarians of the "considerable obstacle that all of us face: fear!"
But, Pope Francis said, "by following the example of your heavenly patron, St. Thomas of Canterbury, who did not allow his past sinfulness or human limitations to stop him from serving God to the very end, not only will you be able to overcome your own fear, you will also help others overcome theirs."
The Pope also encouraged the students to nourish friendships among themselves and with people outside the seminary as they prepare for ordination. "By nurturing friendships, good and wholesome relationships that will sustain you in your future ministry, I trust you will come to cherish your real friends, who are not simply those who agree with us, but are gifts from the Lord to help us on the journey to what is true, noble and good."
Pic: Pope Francis ordains 16 priests at St Peter's. Credit: The Vatican
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