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‘Shun mediocrity,’ Pope tells seminarians
November 06, 2025
» Continue to this story on Dicastery for Communication
CWN Editor's Note: In a letter marking the 400th anniversary of the major seminary in Trujillo, Peru, Pope Leo XIV reflected on the formation of seminarians and urged them to “shun mediocrity.”
“Your first task remains the same: to be with the Lord, to let Him form you, to know and love Him, so that you may become like Him,” Pope Leo wrote. “Before anything else, it is necessary to allow the Lord to clarify one’s motivations and purify one’s intentions.”
The Pope spoke of the importance of the spiritual life, of study that is “always in full communion with the Magisterium,” and of the self-giving of celibacy, obedience, and poverty. “In these, the priest is recognized as a true father, capable of guiding His spiritual children towards Christ with firmness and love. There is no such thing as half-hearted fatherhood, nor half-hearted priesthood.”
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