Pope to seminarians: 'A priest not close to his bishop is lame'

By Kielce Gussie

“Good day. How quiet you are!” With these words, Pope Francis greeted a group from a seminary in Toledo, Spain. He jokingly asked them if they traveled to Rome to make a visit for tourism or as a penance.

“Priests must be close” to four groups

Challenging the bishops, formators, staff and seminarians present to develop a simple spirituality, the Pope urged them to foster closeness with four groups of people. First, they must be close to God, so “that there is the ability to find the Lord.” The second group is a reciprocal closeness, one between the priests and bishops. “A priest who is not close to his bishop,” Pope Francis warned, “is ‘lame’ and he is missing something.”

Moreover, he reminded the group that they must have a sense of solidarity among each other, “which starts already in the seminary.” The final group priests should be close with are the laity, “the holy and faithful People of God.”

“A priest who is not close to his bishop,” Pope Francis warned, “is ‘lame’ and he is missing something.”

A Eucharistic feast

Pope Francis reflected on the seminary group preparing for an ancient tradition that commemorates the first time the Eucharist was kept in the Tabernacle, which he called “procession of the 'Reserved' feast.” He highlighted three important moments in the tradition: the Mass, the exposition of the Holy Eucharist throughout the day, and the closing procession. The Pope underscored that this commemoration highlights fundamental aspects of the priesthood.

The first being the Mass as it is the moment Jesus comes into our lives. “Jesus calls us, as Church,” Pope Francis said, “to make Himself present in the priesthood and in the people, in the sacrament and in the Word.” After the Mass, the Eucharist is exposed in the monstrance for the entire day. The Pope encouraged the seminarians and priests to spend time in front of the Eucharist as an opportunity to listen to God. He said, it is “only a personal encounter, a loving encounter, with Jesus illuminate, sustain, and support the course of our earthly day.”

The Pope urged the group to foster closeness with four groups of people as priests.

The third and final part of the feast is the procession of the monstrance. Pope Francis used this is as a reminder that the priestly ministry is to bring Christ to His people. He closed the meeting leaving the group with his wish for them. “I hope that, without taking our eyes off the One who leads us,” he said, “we learn to walk together in the hope of the encounter  that we already taste here sacramentally.”