Pope Benedict XVI Address to the Superiors and the Seminarians

(January 26, 2012) Pope Benedict XVI expressed his great appreciation towards the concrete contribution of Italy’s Regional Seminaries towards the maintaining of the Dioceses, deepening the knowledge, the capacity of collaboration and the enrichment of ecclesial experiences between the future priests, formators and the pastors of the particular churches. Besides this, the regional dimension indicates the valid mediation between the universal church and the exigencies of local situation avoiding all dangers of particularism. The Pontiff was addressing the Superiors and seminarians of the Regional Seminaries of Italy in Rome on Thursday on the occasion of the hundredth year of their Foundation. The birth of the three regional seminaries in 1912 must be understood in the broader work of deepening the formation of candidates to the priesthood which began with Pope Leo XIII and continued by Pope St. Pius X, said the Pope. He appreciated the role played by the Society of Jesus which was entrusted with the early management of the Seminaries along with reform of theological studies and the human enrichment. Pope Benedict XVI emphasised the fact that the cultural context of today requires a solid philosophical and theological preparation of future priests. This is not merely to learn new things but also to know and understand the internal structure of the faith enabling them to respond to human queries. In addition, the study of theology must always have an intense bond with the life of prayer and thus listen to call of the Lord who has invited the seminarians to spend their life serving God and neighbour. The Pope reminded them of the words of Blessed John XXIII on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the foundation that the world awaits above all, the saints. We need holy priests even before educated, eloquent, learned ones in our world.