Pope Francis ordains priests at Mass in Bangladesh
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis reflected on the nature
and goals of the priesthood in his homily at Mass on Friday morning in Dhaka.
During the Mass on the second day of his Apostolic Journey
to Bangladesh, the Holy Father also ordained 16 young men to the priesthood.
Much to the joy of the Catholic community of Bangladesh,
Pope Francis conferred the rite of Holy Orders on 16 of their sons at a special
Mass in Dhaka’s Suhrawardy Udyan Park.
In his homily, the Holy Father had words of encouragement
and exhortation for these newly-ordained priests.
Nourishment for God’s people
He told them to put into practice the law of the Lord upon
which they meditate.
“Meditating on the law of the Lord, see that you believe
what you read, that you teach what you believe, and that you practice what you
teach,” he said.
This, he said, would make them into “nourishment for the
people of God.”
Pope Francis said that, while God had made the entire holy
people a royal priesthood, Jesus himself “chose certain disciples to carry out
publicly in his name, and on behalf of mankind, a priestly office in the
Church.”
Co-workers of bishops
As priests, he said, they are especially meant to be
co-workers of the local bishop.
Pope Francis said the young priests will exercise “the
sacred duty of teaching in the name of Christ the Teacher” and share the word
of God they have received with joy.
He said they are called to sanctify God’s people in Christ.
“By your ministry the spiritual sacrifice of the faithful
will be made perfect, being united to the sacrifice of Christ, which will be
offered through your hands in an unbloody way on the altar, in union with the
faithful, in the celebration of the sacraments,” he said.
Finally, the Holy Father told the 16 newly-ordained
Bangladeshi priests to focus on the example of the Good Shepherd, “who came not
to be served but to serve, and who came to seek out and save what was lost.”
(Devin Sean Watkins)
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