Pope Leo XIV held an audience with the teachers from the Pontifical Athenaeum in Rome and with members of the General Chapter of the Xaverian Fathers.
In his address, he spoke about the importance of solid formation, fraternity, and mission:
POPE LEO XIV
It is necessary that the ‘house’ of our life and our journey—whether priestly or lay—be built on the ‘rock,’ that is, on solid foundations that allow us to face the human and spiritual storms from which the life of the Christian, the priest, and the missionary is not exempt.
He also spoke directly to them, offering advice about their daily lives, where working together as brothers is essential.
LEO XIV
In the lands where you, Xaverian brothers, carry out your mission, you have undoubtedly experienced firsthand how important it is to work alongside the sisters and brothers of those Christian communities. At the same time, I would like to tell the teachers that it is necessary to train priests in this mindset: not to see themselves as solitary leaders, not to assume ordained priesthood from a sense of superiority.
Finally, Pope Leo emphasized that mission is not the exclusive task of the clergy. He stressed that the formation of future priests must take place in dialogue with priests, laypeople, and consecrated persons—both men and women—fostering a truly synodal and missionary Church.
BAM
Trans. CRT
