Rome, Italy, Jun 2, 2010 / 15:12 pm
The Congregation for Clergy has revealed significant details about the upcoming International Meeting of Priests that will be held in Rome next week. A Wednesday statement from the Vatican dicastery announced that the 9,000 priests are scheduled to attend and that the Pope will proclaim St. Jean Vianney the Patron of all Priests at the closing Mass.
The Year for Priests was inaugurated by Pope Benedict XVI on June 19 of last year and will be closed by him with a Mass in St. Peter’s Square on June 11. Last spring, he defined the year-long initiative as a “time 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.”
A June 2 statement from the Vatican’s Congregation for Clergy detailed the events set to take place in Rome from June 9 -11, marking the final days of the special year.
According to the prefect of the Vatican congregation, Cardinal Claudio Hummes, the objective of the initiative is to highlight a “spiritual renewal,” a new beginning and not a “conclusion.” He also said he hopes closing events will lead to a “rediscovery of the grandeur of the sacrament that configures to Christ, High Priest.”