Pope Benedict XVI in English - Weekly General Audience
“This week marks the four hundreth anniversary of the death of Saint John Leonardi,
the founder of the Clerks Regular of the Mother of God and a priest whose missionary
zeal found expression in the establishment of the congregation of Propoganda Fide.
Saint John was born near Lucca, and after training as a pharmacist, became a priest
committed to offering “the medicine of God” to the men and women of his time. At
a period of great reform and renewal in the life of the Church, he made the crucified
Christ the centre of his preaching and the criterion of all his activity. John understood
that all true reform is born of fidelity to Christ and love for the Church. It was
love for Christ which inspired his efforts to catechize the young, to promote missionary
activity and to renew Christian life and practice. Saint John was convinced that
Christ is the true measure of man, and so he worked with great realism and zeal to
promote holiness and the reform of society. During this Year for Priests, may the
figure of this great missionary inspire priests and laity alike to “start anew from
Christ” and embrace their vocation with passionate enthusiasm. * * * I
offer a warm welcome to the English-speaking visitors at today’s Audience, including
the Sisters and friends of the Congregation of Jesus and the Institute of the Blessed
Virgin Mary, celebrating the four hundredth anniversary of their foundation by Mary
Ward. My particular greetings go to the groups of faithful from Iraq, from the Archdiocese
of Samoa-Apia, and to the Diaconate ordination candidates from the Pontifical North
American College accompanied by their families and friends. Upon all of you I invoke
God’s blessings of joy and peace!”