Pope Francis ordains 9 new priests in St. Peter's Basilica

The first times that the central nave has been filled with the faithful, well-spaced out and wearing masks. The new priests also wore masks throughout the celebration. Being ordained is not an "ecclesiastical career", but "a service to the holy people of God".

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - On so-called "Good Shepherd Sunday", the fourth Sunday of Easter, and the 58th World Day of Prayer for Vocations, Pope Francis has ordained nine new priests, six from the Roman seminary, two from the Redemptoris Mater college, one from the seminary of Our Lady of Divine Love.

The ordination mass took place at the altar of confession, while the faithful - albeit spaced out according to anti-Covid rules - occupied the large main nave. It is one of the first times the basilica has been used since the pandemic, or almost: even the nine candidates for the priesthood kept their masks on until the end and remained at a perfect distance even when they were prostrate during the singing of the litanies of the saints.

In his homily, the pontiff referred in part to the homily provided by the Roman missal, in the ordination of priests, but he made many personal digressions.

He emphasized that ordination is not a step on an "ecclesiastical career", but the assumption of "a service like that of God towards His people; it is a service to the Holy People of God.”

He then expressed his wish that the new priests will always live "closeness, compassion, tenderness".

The first and “most important” closeness is that “with God in prayer. If you do not pray, you extinguish the spirit within you”. The second closeness is to the bishop, a sign of unity: "You - he said - are collaborators with the bishop, even in difficult moments". The third is "closeness among you". The Pope asked them to "make a resolution today: never speak ill of a brother priest", but accompany each other in their vocation and dialogue with each other and the bishop.

He continued, “the most important [closeness]: closeness to the holy people of God. You have been elected by that people. Don't forget where you came from. Priests of the people, not clerics of the state”.

On the theme of "compassion", Francis exhorted them to "waste time listening to and comforting" people, remembering that "God forgives everything".

Finally, he strongly emphasized that priests must not "cling to money". “Be poor - he said - like your people… An tycoon priest is not poor, and is far from the poverty of God's people”.