Pope Francis: Priests need to pray constantly, strive for closeness

Source: Vatican News

Seminaries must teach student priests to pray constantly, Pope Francis advised seminary rectors and formators from Latin America, on Friday. The Pope also warned of the dangers of "rigidity" in seminaries. He stressed that they should strive for "closeness" in four different ways.

The first form of closeness Pope Francis identified was intimacy with God in prayer. "You 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."

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

Next, the Pope said closeness with one's bishop is "non-negotiable." Perhaps "he is a wretch", the Holy Father said, but "you are also a wretch. That is to say, as two wretches, you'll understand one other."

The bishop "is your father", so "look for him, be near him, not in order to flatter him, so he'll give you that parish you like or that other one you like better. No. Feel the father, discern with the father."

Thirdly, the Pope stressed the importance of closeness between priests. "One of the ugliest vices we, the clerical race, have is gossip … We speak ill of companions. They are your brothers! … 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."

He then said priests must be also be close to their parishioners, to the people of God. Pope Francis explained: "I'm 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."

"Teach the young to feel love for their people, where they came out from. They shouldn't show off like they're extraterrestrials because they're studying philosophy, theology, or whatever, because they're going to become priests who are separated. Don't let them forget the smell of God's people, which is why they're there."

Pope Francis spoke at length about the danger of "rigidity" in seminary formation.

"In my time, we were all put in a row, and the formation was by series: 'Today we have this, this, this...'. 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't work, because it's a different time … there are other young people, other concerns; so, well, we are there to form those young people."

He added: "One 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 … Religious congregations have arisen that are a disaster, which had to be closed little by little, congregations of rigid 'no, no, no, no...'. And that in the background, behind that rigidity, there is real rottenness hidden … 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."