Vatican City, Dec 9, 2019 / 07:24 am
Priests should strive after a strong relationship with Christ, beginning in seminary, in order to be the guides in faith the de-Christianized society needs, Pope Francis said Monday.
To seminarians and priests from northern Italy Dec. 9, he said: "You are called to be evangelizers in your region, also marked by de-Christianization."
"Those who are more exposed to the cold wind of uncertainty or religious indifference need to find in the person of the priest that robust faith which is like a torch in the night and like a rock to which to cling," he stated.
A strong faith, the pope said, "is cultivated above all in a personal relationship, heart to heart, with the person of Jesus Christ." In the seminary, candidates for the priesthood should evaluate their actions "in reference to Christ."