Pope Leo XIV encouraged the priests of the ecclesiastical province of Paris (France) to root their lives in "a strong, personal, and authentic love for Jesus."
This was stated by Pope Leo in a message sent to the Archbishop of Paris, Mons. Laurent Ulrich, on the occasion of the Priest Meeting of the Ecclesiastical Province of Paris, which is being held at the Notre Dame Cathedral in the French capital.
"I greet all of you, dear priests, gathered at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame on the occasion of your Jubilee of the priests and the 60th anniversary of the Presbyterorum ordinis Constitution, on which you will reflect," wrote the Holy Father.
"I am glad to express my paternal affection to you and to offer my best encouragement so that you may continue your ministry in service to the People of God entrusted to you," the Pope continued.
To achieve this, "in the difficult — and often painful — ecclesial and social conditions you are living, I invite you to root your life and ministry in an ever stronger, personal, and authentic love for Jesus, who has made you His friends and who has conformed you to Him for eternity," emphasized Leo XIV.
The Holy Father also encouraged them to dedicate themselves "to a generous and unreserved love for their communities, a love marked by closeness, compassion, gentleness, humility, and simplicity, as so often reminded to us by our beloved Pope Francis."
In this way, Leo XIV emphasized, "they will be credible, even if they are not yet saints, and they will reach the hearts of those who are distant, gain their trust, and lead them to an encounter with Jesus."
"I invite you to cultivate priestly fraternity among yourselves, to maintain a close bond of charity with your bishops, and to pray incessantly for the unity of the Church. May the Holy Spirit help you renew every day the generous gift you made of yourselves to the Lord on the day of your ordination," he concluded.
This is the second message that Pope Leo XIV has directed to the Catholic Church in France during his pontificate.
On Saturday, May 31, he sent a message to the French bishops on the occasion of the centenary of the canonization of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, St. John Vianney, and St. John Eudes, highlighting the relevance of their testimony in facing the challenges currently presented to the Church in France.
