Photo by Alison Girone
Pope Leo XIV ordained 32 men to the priesthood June 27, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and he urged all priests to find unity and renewal in the Heart of Christ.
The Mass, celebrated at the Altar of the Confession in Saint Peter’s Basilica, marked a significant moment in the Jubilee of Priests and the Church’s Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests, Vatican News reported.
“Reconciled with one another, united and transformed by the love that flows abundantly from the Heart of Christ, let us walk together humbly and resolutely in his footsteps, firm in faith and open to all in charity,” the Pope said during his homily.
He invited priests to become signs of unity and communion, echoing his earlier call at the start of his pontificate for a “a united Church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes a leaven for a reconciled world.”
Drawing from readings in Ezekiel, Romans, and Luke, Pope Leo reflected on the themes of divine mercy and pastoral care. He described God as a shepherd who binds up the wounded and seeks the lost, calling on priests to imitate that same tireless love.
“We are called to let ourselves be embraced and shaped by that love,” he said, “and to realize that in God’s eyes — and our own as well — there is no place for division and hatred of any kind.”
He stressed that priestly ministry must remain rooted in the Eucharist, sacramental life, and the daily pursuit of holiness.
“Our hope is grounded in the knowledge that the Lord never abandons us: he is always at our side,” he said. “At the same time, we are called to cooperate with him, above all by putting the Eucharist at the center of our lives, inasmuch as it is ‘the source and summit of the Christian life.’”
Pope Leo also addressed the new priests directly.
“Love God and your brothers and sisters, and give yourselves to them generously,” he told them.
He called on them to remain fervent in prayer and sacraments, to serve without partiality, and to draw inspiration from the saints.
“Remember that the Church, in the two thousand years of her history, has had — and today continues to have — wonderful examples of priestly holiness,” he said, later adding, “Cherish this treasure: Learn their stories, study their lives and work, imitate their virtues, be inspired by their zeal, and invoke their intercession often and insistently.”
