Vatican City, Feb 28, 2010 / 17:25 pm
Following the final meditation of a week of Lenten spiritual exercises, Pope Benedict XVI addressed the Roman Curia on Saturday. He welcomed the week as an opportunity to renew their priestly vocations and looked to the example of Mary as a major lesson from the retreat.
The Holy Father first thanked Fr. Enrico dal Covolo, the Salesian Father of Don Bosco who led the series of 17 meditations along the course of the week. He praised him for the "passionate and very personal way he guided us in the path towards Christ, in the path of renewal of our priesthood."
The theme of this year's meditations, taking place within the Year of the Priest, was "Lessons from God and the Church on the Priestly Vocation."
Reflecting on Fr. dal Covolo's insistence during the reflections on the importance of "a listening heart," the Pope said, "In reality, it seems to me that this might summarize the entire Christian vision of man."