杏MAP导航 Francis: Priests who don鈥檛 pray 'live in the bin of mediocrity'

杏MAP导航

In off-the-cuff remarks to seminary rectors and formators from Latin America, 杏MAP导航 Francis says they should teach student priests to pray constantly, and also warns of the dangers of 鈥渞igidity鈥� in seminaries.

By Joseph Tulloch

杏MAP导航 Francis has emphasised the dangers of 鈥渞igidity鈥� in the formation of priests, and stressed that they should strive for 鈥渃loseness鈥� in four different ways.

Speaking to a group of seminary rectors and formators from Latin America on Thursday, the 杏MAP导航 laid aside his prepared remarks and spoke off-the-cuff on themes that he said were close to his heart.

The necessity of 鈥渃loseness鈥�

The first form of closeness 杏MAP导航 Francis identified was intimacy with God in prayer.

鈥淵ou must know that a priest who does not pray goes into the rubbish bin. Perhaps he perseveres until he grows old, but in the bin, that is to say, in mediocrity.鈥�

While 鈥渕ortal sin scares you, and you go to confession right away鈥�, he said, mediocrity is 鈥渁 way of life鈥� that a "priest who does not pray falls into.鈥�

Next, the 杏MAP导航 turned to consider closeness with one鈥檚 bishop, which is 鈥渘on-negotiable.鈥� Perhaps "he is a wretch", the Holy Father said, but 鈥測ou are also a wretch. That is to say, as two wretches, you鈥檒l understand one other.鈥�

The bishop 鈥渋s your father鈥�, so 鈥渓ook for him, be near him, not in order to flatter him, so he鈥檒l give you that parish you like or that other one you like better. No. Feel the father, discern with the father.鈥�

Thirdly, the 杏MAP导航 stressed the importance of closeness between priests. 鈥淥ne of the ugliest vices we, the clerical race, have is gossip 鈥� We speak ill of companions. They are your brothers! 鈥� There are too many gossips even in the Church; there are too many everywhere. Let's not educate more gossipers, because this ruins our life.鈥�

He also said that priests must be close to their parishioners, to the people of God.

鈥淚鈥檓 really sorry when I see priests who are so 'polished' that they have forgotten the people from whom they were taken. What Paul says to Timothy: 'Remember your mother and grandmother.' That is, think about where you came from, that you were taken from the flock. Don't forget about your people.鈥�

鈥淭each the young to feel love for their people, where they came out from. They shouldn鈥檛 show off like they鈥檙e extraterrestrials because they鈥檙e studying philosophy, theology, or whatever, because they鈥檙e going to become priests who are separated. Don鈥檛 let them forget the smell of God's people, which is why they鈥檙e there.鈥�

Dangers of rigidity

杏MAP导航 Francis also spoke at length about the danger of 鈥渞igidity鈥� in seminary formation.

鈥淚n my time, we were all put in a row, and the formation was by series: 鈥楾oday we have this, this, this...鈥�. And whoever lasted until the end was ordained, and the others would fall by the wayside or leave," he said. "At that time, excellent priests came out that way, excellent priests. Today this doesn鈥檛 work, because it鈥檚 a different time 鈥� there are other young people, other concerns; so, well, we are there to form those young people.鈥�

He added: 鈥淥ne of the most serious temptations that the Church faces today, as you know better than me, is when they come to you with rigid formation schemes 鈥� Religious congregations have arisen that are a disaster, which had to be closed little by little, congregations of rigid 鈥榥o, no, no, no...鈥�. And that in the background, behind that rigidity, there is real rottenness hidden 鈥� Nowadays, ready-made answers are of no use to the young; we have to accompany them, with clear doctrine, of course, but we have to accompany them in different situations.鈥�

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