POPE BENEDICT ENDS YEAR OF THE PRIEST

……. Says “the Priesthood Is Not Simply Office, But Sacrament”

Chioma Agboh

The Holy Father Pope Benedict the XVI has officially declared the end of the year of the priest with a Holy Mass on the feast of the Sacred Heart and asserted that the priesthood is not simply office, but sacrament.

Addressing faithful, Pope Benedict stated that the year of the priests which was celebrates on the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the death of the holy Cure of Ars, the model of priestly ministry, has guided them to a renewed appreciation of the grandeur and beauty of the priestly ministry, which is not mere an office holder, but one which does something no human being can do of his own power.

Also, His holiness asserted that God makes use of us poor men in order to be, through us, present to all men and women and to act on their behalf. This audacity of God who entrust himself to human beings- who, conscious of our weakness, nonetheless considers men capable of acting and being present in His stead this audacity of God is the true grandeur concealed in the word “priesthood”. More, he stressed that God thinks that men are capable and calls them to His service to bind Himself to them and to demonstrate to young people that the vocation does exist and God is waiting for them to say “yes”.

Continuing, the Holy Father stressed that while the Church begs God for workers and He in turn knocks at the hearts of people who He considers are to do what He considers them able to do, the Pope pointed out that the enemy is not happy and therefore, in the year of the priests, the sins of priests particularly the abuse of the little ones came to light. He further stated that while the Church begs for forgiveness from God and those involved, the Pope promised that they will do everything possible to ensure that such abuse will never occur.

In addition, Pope Benedict asserted that had the year for the priests been a glorification of individual human performance, it would have been ruined by the events. However, priests grew in gratitude for God's gift, which even anew even amid human weakness, makes God's love present in the world and called on all to consider all that happened as “a summons to purification, as a task which we bring to the future and makes us acknowledge and love all the more the great gift we have received from God….”

Referring to the liturgy in Psalm 23, the Holy Father stressed that God is present to and concerned for humanity, pointing out that man is not abandoned or adrift in the universe and society which leaves him lost and bewildered as perceived by the wound's religions that views God as distant and aloof. He further called on priests to realize that God wants them to share His concern about people and “provide them with a concrete experience of God's concern “.

Further, His Holiness reiterated that God points out the right path to those entrusted to Him and shows them the right way to be human so that they do not squander their life in meaninglessness. However, should their path as individual lead them to temptation, discouragement and trial, even there, God will not abandon mankind.

While calling on Christians and priests to become a well spring which gives life to others like Mother Mary who he referred to as “that great woman of faith and love who has become in every generation a well spring of faith, love and life, Pope Benedict XVI thanked Jesus who in His death and resurrection became the source of life and prayed God to give the faithful life and make them live from Him as their source and make them source, while also thanking God for the grace of the priestly ministry.