Vatican City, Mar 17, 2004 / 22:00 pm
Pope John Paul this morning welcomed authorities and seminarians of Rome’s “Redemptoris Mater” seminary, and described it as “a new and meaningful experience, in view of the formation of priests for the new evangelization.” More than 30 “Redemptoris Mater” seminaries, whose students were formed in the Neocatechumenal Way, have been established worldwide.
The Pope said he thanked God for “the abundant good fruits” and “for the Neocatechumenal Way within which your vocations were born and grew.”
“In the past 16 years a great number of enthusiastic priests have come from your seminary,” he added, noting that they are “priests dedicated in part to the pastoral service in the diocese of Rome and in part to the mission in every corner of the world as ‘fidei donum’ priests.”
“The common priesthood of the faithful and the ministerial priesthood are in fact ordained one for the other and intimately linked, both participating, each in its own Way, in the one priesthood of Christ. They differ, however, essentially, and not just by degree,” said the Pope.