St. John Eudes - focus of Pope’s General Audience of Aug. 19
Every week on Wednesday, the Pope holds a public meeting, called the general audience,
during which pilgrims and tourists who come to Rome have a chance of seeing and hearing
him speak. The Holy Father delivers a spiritual reflection and greets various groups
in their languages. Normally the weekly General Audience is held in the Vatican,
but since his annual vacation in Val D’Aosta in the Italian Alps in July, Pope Benedict
has been passing his summer at the papal summer residence of Castel Gandolfo, south-east
of Rome, where has been holding the general audiences. As the Holy Father appeared
at the balcony overlooking the courtyard of the summer palace on Wednesday, a large
crowd greeted him with cheers. Pope Benedict first delivered his reflection
in Italian during which he focussed on the figure of the 17th century French priest
St. John Eudes, whose feast this year fell on Wednesday. Speaking in the context
of the Year for Priests, which he inaugurated on June 19th, Pope Benedict said St.
John Eudes was an untiring apostle of the devotion to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and
Mary which began in France in the 17th century. Pope Benedict underscored the apostolic
zeal of St. John Eudes, especially his efforts towards the formation of the diocesan
priest. Just as in the years after the Council of Trent, even today priests need
be formed well in heart and soul, the Pope said. The 16th century Council, the Pope
noted, had issued norms for setting up seminaries and the formation of priests because,
he said, the Reformation crisis was also conditioned by inadequate formation of priests
who were unprepared intellectually and spiritually. As the norms were slow to execution,
St. John Eudes saw the inadequacy of a large number of the clergy and thus started
a congregation for the formation of priests and established a seminary. Even today,
Pope Benedict said, there is need for priests to be witnesses of the mercy of God
with a life completely conquered by Christ. After his discourse in Italian, the
Holy Father imparted on all his blessing and then delivered summaries of his reflection
in several languages. Here is what he said in English: I offer a warm
welcome to the English-speaking visitors present at today’s Audience, including the
pilgrims from India and Nigeria. Our catechesis considers Saint John Eudes whose
feast we celebrate today. He lived in seventeenth-century France which, notwithstanding
considerable trials for the faith, produced many outstanding examples of spiritual
courage and insight. Saint John Eudes’ particular contribution was the foundation
of a religious congregation dedicated to the task of giving solid formation to the
diocesan priesthood. He encouraged seminarians to grow in holiness and to trust in
God’s love revealed to humanity in the priestly heart of Jesus and in the maternal
heart of Mary. During this year let us pray in a special way for priests and seminarians
that, inspired by today’s saint, they may spiritually “enter into the heart of Jesus”,
becoming men of true love, mercy, humility and patience, renewed in holiness and pastoral
zeal. My dear Brothers and Sisters, upon you and your families I invoke God’s blessings
of joy and peace!