March 25, 2009

Pope declares year of the priest to inspire spiritual perfection

VATICAN CITY (CNS)—Pope Benedict XVI declared a year of the priest in an effort to encourage “spiritual perfection” in priests. The pope will open the special year with a vespers service at the Vatican June 19—the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the day for the sanctification of priests. He will close the celebrations during a World Meeting of Priests in St. Peter’s Square June 19, 2010. The pope made the announcement during an audience March 16 with members of the Vatican Congregation for Clergy. He met with some 70 participants of the congregation’s March 16-18 plenary assembly, which focused on the missionary identity of the priest and his mission to sanctify, teach and govern. During this jubilee year, the pope will also proclaim St. John Vianney to be patron saint of all the world’s priests. At present he is considered the patron saint of parish priests. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the death of this 19th-century saint who represents a “true example of a priest at the service of the flock of Christ,” the pope said. St. John Vianney is widely known to Catholics as the Cure (parish priest) of Ars who won over the hearts of his villagers in France by visiting with them, teaching them about God and reconciling people to the Lord in the confessional.