By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY — At a time when so much pressure and so many demands are placed on priests, they should find support, freedom and relief in recognizing the gifts of laypeople and collaborating with them, Pope Leo XIV said.
“The ministry of the priest must move beyond the model of exclusive leadership, which leads to the centralization of pastoral activities and the burden of all responsibilities entrusted to him alone,” the pope wrote in an apostolic letter titled, “A Fidelity that Generates the Future.”
The letter, released Dec. 22, marked the 60th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council’s decrees on priestly formation and on the life and ministry of priests.
Pope Leo used the letter to express his “gratitude for the witness and dedication of all priests throughout the world who offer their lives in celebrating the sacrifice of Our Lord in the Eucharist, proclaiming the Word and absolving sins, as well as devoting themselves generously each day to their brothers and sisters, fostering communion and unity among them and taking special care of those who suffer most and are in need.”
The pope did not ignore the clerical sexual abuse crisis and said that, too, showed the importance of a thorough preparation for ministry.
Most of the letter focused on fidelity, missionary outreach and recognizing that a priest’s vocation flows from his baptism, a sacrament he shares with all Catholics.
Pope Leo told the priests that nothing can take the place of devoting time to personal prayer, the celebration of the sacraments and cultivating a bond of brotherhood with one’s fellow priests, but that never should lead to a sense of superiority over laypeople.
“Even before dedicating himself to guiding the flock,” the pope wrote, “every priest must constantly remember that he himself is a disciple of the Master, just like his brothers and sisters.”
The pope insisted in the letter on the importance of getting priests on board with efforts to create a more synodal church, one marked by listening to each other, discerning God’s will together and recognizing that every baptized Catholic has something to contribute to the church’s mission.