Vatican City, Jun 18, 2009 / 09:35 am
In preparation for the Year of Priests, Pope Benedict XVI has sent a Letter to the priests of the world, calling on them to live out the words of St. John Vianney, “The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus.”
The Holy Father will inaugurate the Year of Priests during Vespers at St. Peter's Basilica tomorrow, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The celebratory year marks the 150th anniversary of the death of St. John Mary Vianney, the patron saint of priests worldwide, and is intended to “deepen the commitment of all priests to interior renewal for the sake of a more forceful and incisive witness to the Gospel in today's world.”
In his letter, the Holy Father praised “the courageous fidelity of so many priests who, even amid difficulties and incomprehension, remain faithful to their vocation.” Speaking of he great role of the priesthood, he recalled the words of St. John Vianney, “O, how great is the priest!...If he realized what he is, he would die.”
The Pope pointed to the example of St. John Vianney, who “devoted himself completely to his parish's conversion” by living a holy and dedicated life of poverty, chastity, and obedience.