|
The
priesthood as a sign of unity
39. “As a
member of a particular Church, each priest must be a sign of communion with the
Bishop, since he is his immediate collaborator, in union with his brothers in
the priesthood. With pastoral charity, he exercises his ministry, chiefly in
the community entrusted to him, and he leads his community to encounter Christ
the Good Shepherd. His vocation requires him to be a sign of unity. Therefore,
he must avoid any involvement in party politics, since this would divide the
community”. (126) The Synod Fathers call for “a pastoral plan for
diocesan clergy, to strengthen their spirituality and their sense of mission
and identity, centered on following Christ, the eternal High Priest, always
striving to obey the Father's will. Christ is the model of generous dedication,
of austerity of life and of service even unto death. The priest should be
conscious of the fact that, by virtue of the Sacrament of Orders, he is the
bearer of grace, which he communicates to his brothers and sisters in the
sacraments. He himself is sanctified in the exercise of his ministry”.
(127)
The field
in which priests work is vast. Therefore they should concentrate on what is essential
to their ministry: “letting themselves be configured to Christ the Head and
Shepherd, the source of all pastoral charity, offering themselves each day with
Christ in the Eucharist, in order to help the faithful both personally and
communally to experience the living Jesus Christ”. (128) As witnesses
and disciples of the merciful Christ, they are called to be instruments of
forgiveness and reconciliation, putting themselves generously at the service of
the faithful in the spirit of the Gospel.
As
pastors of the People of God in America, priests must also be alert to the
challenges of the world today and sensitive to the problems and hopes of their
people, sharing their experiences and growing, above all, in solidarity towards
the poor. They should be careful to discern the charisms and strengths of the
faithful who might be leaders in the community, listening to them and through
dialogue encouraging their participation and co-responsibility. This will lead
to a better distribution of tasks, enabling priests “to dedicate themselves to
what is most closely tied to the encounter with and the proclamation of Jesus
Christ, and thus to represent better within the community the presence of Jesus
who draws his people together”. (129)
The task
of discerning charisms also includes knowing how best to use those priests who
show an aptitude for special ministries. Moreover, every priest is expected to
offer his fraternal help to other priests and to turn trustingly to them in
time of need.
Given the
outstanding number of priests in America who, by God's grace, strive to meet
the challenges of a truly remarkable workload, I join the Synod Fathers in
acknowledging and praising their “untiring commitment as pastors, preachers of
the Gospel and agents of ecclesial communion, in thanking them and in
encouraging them to continue to offer their lives in service of the Gospel”.
(130)
|