Posted on 12/09/2016 5:40:46 PM PST by marshmallow
VATICAN CITY – Priests are called to be mediators between God and God's people, offering their time and their very lives in service; they are not God's "intermediaries" or functionaries, who go to work to get paid or, worse, enter the priesthood in search of status, Pope Francis said.
Priests who only want to dress the part end up looking ridiculous, he said Dec. 9 during his homily at Mass in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae.
Looking at the day's Gospel reading, Mt 11:16-19, where Jesus talks about people who are never satisfied and always judge others, Pope Francis related those attitudes to what is seen in the lives of priests.
For a priest, he said, satisfaction comes only from acting according to "the heart of Christ," the mediator between God and humanity.
"The mediator loses himself to unite the two sides, he gives his life, himself," the Pope said. "That's the price: you pay with your very life, your tiredness," in order to "unite the flock, unite the people and bring them to Jesus."
An authentic priest, he said, is close to the life of his people, while a functionary "does not know what it means to get his hands dirty."
Serving as a mediator, immersing oneself in the joys and sorrows of the people is the most satisfying part of being a priest, he said. Those who are functionaries, on the other hand, are not happy, but seek happiness "in being noticed, in feeling like an authority."
"To make themselves important, they take the path of rigidity," he said. "Many times, detached from the people, they have no idea what human pain is. They have lost what they learned at home from the work of their dad, mom, grandparents, siblings," he said. "Those rigid ones heap.....
(Excerpt) Read more at catholicregister.org ...
"To make themselves important, they take the path of rigidity," he said. "Many times, detached from the people, they have no idea what human pain is. They have lost what they learned at home from the work of their dad, mom, grandparents, siblings," he said. "Those rigid ones heap upon the faithful many things that they cannot carry."
Is the Pope Catholic?
The quotes are right on.
Priests job is to save souls....If the pope was catholic,he would know that...
In what fantasy world are the priests of the current day church ogres terrorizing people? All I ever heard from modern priests is a thousand variations of “God loves you unconditionally” and barely a mention of sin.
Stop pinching off african welfare, deny islam filth refuge, quit funding illegals and we’ll talk. Until then ESAD morons, retards and stupid.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.