Pope Benedict XVI in English - Weekly General Audience

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
As the Year for Priests draws to its close, I would like to devote the catecheses of this Easter season to a series of reflections on the ordained ministry. I wish to speak in particular of the priest’s configuration to Christ, the head of the Church, through the exercise of the three munera of teaching, sanctifying and governing. In their ministry priests act in persona Christi, “in the person of Christ”. The three munera are in fact actions of the Risen Christ, who even today, through his priests, continues to teach, sanctify and govern his Church. The first of the three munera is that of teaching, so important for our times. The priest is called to preach and teach not himself, but Jesus Christ and his revelation of the Father. This teaching, far from an abstract doctrine, is a living proclamation of the person of Christ, who is himself Truth, the source of our joy, peace and spiritual rebirth. The priest’s munus docendi demands that his whole life testify to the truth of the message that he proclaims, in harmony with the apostolic tradition and often in opposition to the spirit of the dominant culture. Following the example of the great Curé of Ars, may every priest proclaim Christ faithfully and speak in such a way that all can hear in him the voice of the Good Shepherd.


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 I welcome all the English-speaking visitors present at today’s Audience, especially those from England, Wales, Scotland, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Korea, Canada and the United States of America. Upon you and your families I cordially invoke the joy and peace of the Risen Christ!