.- During his remarks at the opening of the Plenary Assembly of the Council of Episcopal Conferences of Europe, council president Cardinal Peter Erdö of Esztergom-Budapest called for a greater effort to foster vocations in Europe, which he said is need of more priests who will give people the sustenance that “God himself wishes to give to all.”
Referring to the Year for Priests decreed by Pope Benedict XVI, the cardinal thanked “all the priests who in Europe continually proclaim the Word of God, accompany communities and offer forgiveness and sustain the Body of Christ through the sacraments.”
Without the work of priests, the cardinal said, “often amidst great difficulties, temptations and misunderstandings, the People of God would not have that sustenance that God himself wants to give to all.”
For this reason, he explained, “I feel that this year can be a privileged occasion for strengthening our efforts in vocational ministry” because “Europe needs more priests.”
Cardinal Erdö also said that the Church in Europe “needs the laity, families and people who, in their places of work, at home, in politics, in the culture, in the social institutions, at schools and universities can truly be the face of Christ.”
Experience shows that “the harder the laity work, the more they see the lack of priests. We hope therefore that this year will be for the entire Church, as the Pauline Year was, a time of grace.”
