The Holy See Press Office has released a transcript of Pope Francis’s
impromptu December 10 remarks to seminarians from the Pius XI
Pontifical Regional Seminary of Puglia.
The press office previously released the Pope’s prepared address, in
which he emphasized belonging to Christ, relationships with others, and
reaching out to the excluded.
In his extemporaneous remarks, Pope Francis spoke on a variety of
topics, including spiritual fatherhood, the importance of poverty, the
tabernacle, and wearing oneself in service to others.
“To be close like Jesus, it is necessary to know Jesus,” he said.
“But I would ask: how much time do you stay seated before the tabernacle
each day? At least spend a moment by the tabernacle.”
The Pope recalled a priest whom “I saw as a boy very often: the
telephone, because there was no answering machine, there were no
cellphones, just the telephone on the priest’s bedside table. These good
priests, who get up at any hour of the night to go to a sick person, to
give the sacraments … This [willingness] is apostolic zeal, this is
what it means to spend your life in the service of others. And at the
end, what remains to you? The joy of service to the Lord!”
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