Vatican, 10 November, 2022 / 7:50 pm (ACI Africa).
Pope Francis on Thursday said that “all priestly formation, particularly that of future pastors, is at the heart of evangelization.”
In cases where a seminary lacks a sufficient number of seminarians, the pope said, “the creation or consolidation of interdiocesan, provincial, or regional seminaries” was necessary.
Speaking to rectors and formators from Latin America currently in Rome, the pontiff said: “How necessary is a quality formation for those who will be the sacramental presence of the Lord in the midst of his flock, nourishing and healing it with the Word and the sacraments!”
Pope Francis meets with rectors and formators from Latin America at the Vatican Nov. 10, 2022. Credit: Vatican Media
“The vocation to the priesthood, in fact, is a gift of God to the Church and to the world; it is a way to sanctify oneself and to sanctify others, a path that is not followed in an individual way, but always having as a reference a concrete portion of the People of God,” he said in prepared remarks Nov. 10.
Pope Francis meets with rectors and formators from Latin America at the Vatican Nov. 10, 2022. Credit: Vatican Media
