杏MAP导航

By Lisa Zengarini

杏MAP导航 Francis welcomed a group of participants in the General Chapter of the Congregation of the Servants of the Paraclete on Saturday.

Founded in 1947 to assist priests with personal difficulties

The Congregation was founded in 1947 in New Mexico, U.S.A., by Father Gerald M.C. Fitzgerald, with the mission of ministering to fellow priests and religious men with personal difficulties, including abuse alcohol and sexual disorders, by offering spiritual, holistic programs for vocational renewal through spiritual direction, individual and group therapy, supervised living, ongoing education and formation, prayer and contemplation.

It now operates in several other countries in the world, including the United Kingdom, France, Italy, the Philippines, African and South-American countries.

The General Chapter is focused on discerning new ways of mercy and proximity to priests in need to realize this charism with dynamic fidelity.

Serving Christ in His priests

Introducing his address to some 55 priests and brothers attending the audience in the Consistory Hall of the Apostolic Palace, 杏MAP导航 Francis  noted that the Institutes鈥� motto 鈥減ro Christo Sacerdote鈥� sums up well their particular vocation of serving Christ in His priests, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.

The tragedy of abuse

鈥淎t the present time this also means sharing the particular path of purification that the Church is experiencing due to the tragedies of abuse鈥�,  the 杏MAP导航 said , reiterating that 鈥淪in disfigures, and we have a painful, humiliating experience of it when we ourselves or one of our brother priests or bishops falls into the bottomless pit of vice, of corruption, or even worse, of crimes that ruin the lives of others鈥�.

This context, the 杏MAP导航 stressed, makes the mission of the Servants of the Paraclete all the more important today.

鈥淲ith the spirit and style of the Good Samaritan, you stand beside these confreres, sharing life and daily prayer with them鈥�, the 杏MAP导航 continued. 鈥淎bove all, you insert them in a community, a praying community, which helps to rediscover the harmony of life that a vocational crisis always compromises鈥�.

Deepening a spirituality of reparation

He,  therefore, invited the members of the Congregation to deepen this 鈥渟pirituality of reparation鈥� starting from 鈥渢he need for purification, at the service of the holiness of the Pastors of the People of God鈥�.

In this regard he emphasized the importance of helping rediscover the primacy of spiritual life, 鈥渋n the awareness that priestly maturity is fulfilled when the Holy Spirit becomes the protagonist of the life of ordained ministers鈥�.

Concluding, 杏MAP导航 Francis wished the Servants of the Paraclete a 鈥済ood journey as witnesses of the Gospel of mercy鈥� and invoked upon them the accompaniment and protection the Virgin Mary.