Pope, in message, calls on the world’s priests to be holy
June 13, 2026
In a message for the Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests, which takes place each year on the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Pope Leo XIV addressed the world’s priests with the “words that God spoke to the people of Israel: ‘Be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy’“ (Lev 19:2; cf. 1 Pt 1:16).
“This divine call echoes down the ages,” Pope Leo wrote. “Even today it resonates strongly with every believer and, in a particular way, with us priests. Holiness is neither one option among many nor an abstract ideal, for it involves the very identity of every person who wishes to share in the life of the risen One.”
The brief message has three sections:
- Holiness is sharing in Christ’s mystery
- A journey toward union
- The Heart of Christ is the heart of the saints
The Pontiff concluded:
Dear priests, renew each day your “Here I am” before Christ’s pierced Heart. Give yourselves entirely to him, so that you may love his people with the same love with which he loves them. And joyfully remember how the saintly Curé of Ars loved to say that “the priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus.”
This love is a pledge and a guarantee that, if we surrender and offer ourselves completely, nothing of us will be lost. I entrust each and every one of you to the Virgin Mary, Mother of Priests. May she, who cherished the mystery of her Son in her heart, also teach us to keep alive and make the Heart of Christ, Savior of the world, beat within us.
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
