Pope Speaks to future diplomats of the Holy See

(June 9, 2008) Pope Benedict XVI offered the Sacred of Jesus as a model to the future diplomats of the Holy See, reminding them that before being diplomats they are primarily priests called to witness to the tenderness of God’s love,. He was speaking on Monday to some 30 staff and students of the Pontifical Ecclesiatical Academy, the Vatican institute that trains priests for the Holy See’s diplomatic missions. Currently 25 priests from some 15 countries are training at the academy. The Pope said that he was meeting them in the month of June dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the inexhaustible furnace of love and mercy which we must bear witness to and spread among the People of God. “We priest,” he said, “above all need to drink from this font in order to be able to communicate God’s tenderness to others while carrying out the various ministers entrusted to us by Providence.” Immersed in the spiral of unbridled activity, Pope Benedict said, humanity often risks losing the meaning of existence, while at the same time a certain contemporary culture puts to doubt every absolute value, even the possibility of knowing the truth and goodness. In this situation, the Pope said, one needs to witness to the presence of God – a God who understand and speaks to man in his heart. While carrying out their duties in foreign lands Vatican diplomats should be particularly attentive to their priestly witness, the Pope said. Besides the juridical, theological and diplomatic preparation, what is needed most is that their life and activities be marked by fidelity to Christ and the Church, which calls for an all-embracing pastoral concern for all. This call to be a pastor after the heart of Christ requires daily, personal colloquy with Him. This union with Him, the Pope said, will guarantee them the serenity and peace even in very complex and difficult moments. For this, the Holy Father said, their daily bread should be prayer, meditation and listening to the Word of God, all built around the celebration of the Eucharist, which should be the heart and centre of their daily life and ministry.