Pope Benedict greets Filipino clergy at start of clergy congress

MANILA, Jan. 25, 2010─The Holy Father conveyed his prayerful wishes to thousands of Filipino and some foreign clergy gathered at the World Trade Center in Pasay City on the start of their national retreat.

In a message sent to Manila Archbishop Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales by the Secretary of State Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone, the Holy Father has assured every participant of his spiritual closeness.
The pope called on the clergy “to embrace ever more fervently the three evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience (as mentioned in the Letter Proclaiming a Year for Priests last June 16, 2009).

He said that on the first centenary of the death of St. John Vianney, Pope John XXIII set the evangelical counsels before priests as “the surest road to the desired goal of Christian perfection.”
The pontiff reiterated that “Poverty enabled the Cure of Ars to give everything over for the good of his church, the poor, and the children he loved so dearly.”

Chastity enabled St. John Vianney to ‘touch’ the Eucharist daily and contemplate it blissfully, the pope added. He also explained that Obedience enabled him to dedicate himself fully to the demands of his daily ministry and prevented him from fleeing his post when faced with difficulties.

Cardinal Bertone said the Holy Father is confident the participants will “shine more brightly as an authentic ‘sacramental representation of Christ, head and Shepherd.”

The Secretary of State also added the priests “renewed in their dignity and refreshed by the font of the Holy Spirit “ will dedicate themselves more vigorously to their mission of preaching the Word of God and offering the Holy Eucharist, uniting themselves ever more clergy closely to the life of the Holy Trinity.”

In closing, the Holy Father conveyed his apostolic blessing to the organizers and the participants to the Second National Congress of the Clergy.

(Melo Acuna)