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Catholic World News News Feature

Papal advice for Roman priests March 02, 2006

Pope Benedict XVI met with priests of the Rome diocese on March 2. During a 2-hour session the Pontiff responded to questions from 15 priests, covering subjects such as family life, pastoral care for young people, and priestly formation.

Pope Benedict was following a practice established by Pope John Paul II in meeting with Roman clergy on the second day of Lent. Cardinal Camillo Ruini, the papal vicar for the Rome diocese, served as moderator for the session, held in Hall of Blessings of the apostolic palace.

The Pope's detailed responses to the priests' questions have not yet been released by the Vatican; they are scheduled for publication in L'Osservatore Romano. In addition to providing advice on pastoral concerns, the Pope also encouraged the Roman priests to give him their own thoughts and reflections.

Especially during Lent, the Pontiff said, priests should renew their dedication to their calling, "which is the fundamental option for life." As pastors they should lead all believers to a deeper sense of God's presence, he said, adding that this sense is particularly important in a society that seems fearful of recognizing a transcendent dimension to life. "Whoever forgets God loses life and falls into the culture of death," the Pope warned.

Pope Benedict asked priests to be humble in their service to the faithful. "We must accept our imperfections," he said, "in order to welcome the God who is love." He called upon the priests to encourage strong family life, and especially family prayer. Eucharistic adoration "should be ever more encouraged," he continued. Citing his encyclical Deus Caritas Est he also called for practical efforts to help those who are in need.

The Pope's meeting with the Roman clergy was cordial and candid. Several of the priests who spoke paid tribute to Father Andrea Santoro, the Roman priest who was killed early in February while serving on a missionary assignment in Turkey.