As the Year for Priests draws to a close, Pope Benedict XVI said a priest's foremost role is to be a shepherd to his flock, and he asked the faithful to support their priests in their task of bringing people closer to God.At his regular weekly audience in St. Peter's Square May 26, the pope said priests should follow Jesus, who he called the "supreme shepherd of souls," in their mission to "take care of the people of God, be teachers of the faith, animating and sustaining the community of Christians."
The pope quoted St. Augustine in pointing out that "it is a labor of love to graze the flocks of the Lord," and that love should act as the "supreme guide in conduct for the ministers of God."
By following this guide, the pope said, a priest should show "unconditional love, be full of joy and open to all; be attentive to those around him, gentle to children, to the weak and to the simple; and show the infinite mercy of God with encouraging words of hope."
Because of the world wars and the rise of dictatorial leaders in Europe in the last century, the pope said, many people today still have a deep mistrust of authority of all types. The church, he said, is called to offer an authority based on service, "not in its own right but in the name of Jesus, who in the name of the Father received all authority in heaven and on earth."
Each priest in turn receives that responsibility, the pope said. "The spiritual authority conferred in Holy Orders should be matched by the priest's interior fidelity to his pastoral mission and his personal readiness to follow obediently the lead of Christ," he said.
In living for the benefit of his flock, the priest-shepherd must dedicate himself totally, "often going against the current, and remembering that he who is big must act like the smallest, and he who governs must act like the servant."
The pope said that leading others does not mean domination but is rather illustrated in the humble act of Jesus Christ's washing of the feet of the apostles and in the wood of the cross.
The pope asked the faithful to "support your priests in their ministry of leading men and women to God, bearing witness to the truth of the Gospel and its message for hope."
Pope Benedict also asked for prayers "for my own ministry of governance in the church."
The pope called the special year for priests last June to encourage "spiritual perfection" in clergy.
The current scandal regarding priestly sexual abuse had not yet exploded in all its force, involving several European countries and the United States.
Pope Benedict did not specifically mention the issue, although he has made several declarations in recent months abhorring sexual abuse of minors and asking forgiveness from victims on some occasions.
The pope will mark the closing of the Year for Priests with a Mass at the Vatican June 11.
SIC: CNS