Jesus' call is a call to joy and friendship, pope tells priests

ROME (CNS) -- When a priest has experienced the joy of truly believing in Jesus Christ and embracing him as a friend, it shows, Pope Leo XIV told priests.

"The priest's happiness reflects his encounter with Christ, sustaining him in mission and service," he said during a meeting that was part of the Jubilee of Priests.

Hundreds of priests and people involved in priestly formation and vocations took part in a gathering at the Conciliazione Auditorium in Rome June 26, titled, "Happy Priests: 'I have called you friends,'" referring to Jesus' union with his disciples in the Gospel of St. John (15:15).

Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik, prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy, welcomed the pope, saying, "We are here because we know that a happy priest is the best proclamation of the Gospel."  

"In the heart of the Holy Year, we want to testify together that it is possible to be happy priests," the pope said to applause. Their joy is rooted in Christ calling them and making them his friends: "a grace we want to welcome with gratitude and responsibility."

Jesus' words, "I have called you friends," are the key to understanding priestly ministry, Pope Leo said.

"The priest is a friend of the Lord, called to live with him in a personal and trusting relationship, nourished by the Word, the celebration of the sacraments and daily prayer," he said.

"This friendship with Christ is the spiritual foundation of ordained ministry, the meaning of our celibacy and the energy of the ecclesial service to which we dedicate our lives," he said. "It sustains us in times of trial and enables us to renew each day the 'yes' uttered at the beginning of our vocation."

Pope Leo underlined the importance of Pope Francis' 2024 encyclical, "'Dilexit Nos' ('He Loved Us'): on the Human and Divine Love of the Heart of Jesus Christ" for the whole church and for their vocation.

It is from this "burning" heart that "our vocation takes its origin; it is from this source of grace that we want to allow ourselves to be transformed," he said. 

"Many seem to have drifted away from faith, yet deep inside many people, especially young people, there is a thirst for the infinite and for salvation," he said.

"Therefore, we want to rediscover missionary momentum together," he said, in a mission that "boldly and lovingly proposes the Gospel of Jesus."

"Through our pastoral action, it is the Lord himself who cares for his flock, gathers those who are scattered, kneels before those who are wounded and supports those who are discouraged," the pope said. "Imitating the master's example, we grow in faith and thus become credible witnesses to the vocation we have received."

"When one believes, it shows," he said.

The pope thanked them "for who you are! For you remind everyone that it is good to be priests, and that every call from the Lord is first and foremost a call to his joy." 

"We are not perfect, but we are Christ's friends, brothers to one another and sons of his gentle Mother Mary, and that is enough for us," he said.

Speaking off-the-cuff before giving his final blessing, Pope Leo encouraged priests to know they are never alone, even if they are ministering in remote places.

Their spiritual life needs nurturing, so "when we need help, look for a good 'companion,' a spiritual director, a good confessor," he said.

"Try to live what Pope Francis so many times called 'closeness': closeness with the Lord, closeness with your bishop, or religious superior, and closeness among yourselves, too, because you really have to be friends, brothers," he said.

"Live this beautiful experience of walking together, knowing that we are called to be disciples of the Lord. We have a great mission, and together we can all do it. Let us always count on God's grace, closeness from me as well, and together we can really be this voice in the world," he said.