Pope Francis on Friday
spoke out against self-centered priests and urged bishops to be
discerning in the matter of priestly vocations.
"It's sad when a priest lives only for himself, (within)
the secure fortress of the rectory, the sacristy, or a
restricted group of true believers," he said at a hearing for
participants of a congress on pastoral vocation.
"On the contrary, we are called on to be shepherds among the
people... capable of taking the time to welcome and listen to
everyone, especially the young," he said.
The pontiff urged bishops to scrutinize aspiring Catholic
priests or seminarians.
"I beg you to be discerning in the matter of priestly
vocations and seminary postulants," he said during the hearing.
"Your gaze must be wary and cautious, without being
light-handed or superficial. I say this especially to our
brother bishops: vigilance and prudence".
"The Church and the world need mature, balanced priests, of
brave and generous pastors capable of closeness, of listening,
and of mercy".
The pontiff in particular called on priests to take their
time to "get out", "see" and "call".
He expressed the wish for a Church that is "in movement,
able to broaden its borders, measuring them not on limited human
calculations or on the fear of making a mistake but on the large
scale of God's merciful heart".
The pope also warned "pastors and pastoral operators who are
in a rush, excessively concerned by the things that need to be
done", saying that they "risk falling into an empty
organizational activism, without being able to stop to meet
people".
Francis instead called on priests to be "careful" and able
to enter into "someone else's life without ever making them feel
threatened or judged".
A priest should be able to "spark surprise for the Gospel"
and awaken from "the torpor in which the culture of consumerism
and of superficiality immerses us", sparking an "authentic quest
for happiness, especially in the young".
Earlier on Friday, the pontiff also said helping the young
is "an investment for the future".
"Hope for the future should never be stolen from the young",
the pontiff said at a hearing with members of the St John Paul
II Foundation for Life and Family.
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