Holy Mass with the Ordination of 11 Priests

On Friday, 9 August 1985, the Holy Father celebrated Holy Mass in Kara (Togo) with the Ordination of 11 Priests. In his homily, the Pope spoke of the missionary priests of the Society of the Divine Word, from the African Missions of Lyon.

1. “Pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” ( Lk 10:2).

Dear brothers and sisters, today we must thank the Lord of the harvest, because I am about to ordain eleven new priests, eleven new apostolic workers who will be sent for the harvest of the Lord. They are all sons of the Church of Togo, born in this country, in the south, in the center or in the north: they come from the dioceses of Lomé, Atakpamé, Sokodé, and from different ethnic groups. They will receive the same priesthood of Jesus Christ. They have prepared themselves together, in the major seminary of Saint-Gall in Ouidah, with their brothers from Benin. They bring to the service of Christ the fruits of this preparation, with their personal talents and the qualities of their native country, of their human families.

2. During the first period of evangelization, there were missionary priests who worked here: missionaries from the Society of the Divine Word, from the African Missions of Lyon, Franciscans, and other religious. In their apostolic ministry, they were helped by many religious women. They came from other countries, where they themselves had been nourished by the Gospel which they then brought here freely, as they had received it freely. The Church lives from this sending on mission, from this mutual help, from these exchanges, since the time of the apostles. Today, a certain number of these expatriate priests still work in this country where their service is much appreciated, necessary, and where they are witnesses of the universal Church. They deserve deep gratitude. Without them, the Church would not have been founded here. In these days, we would not have the spectacle of these beautiful Togolese communities, happy in their faith. Let us never forget these pioneers, let us appreciate these servants of today. How can one not be sensitive to the testimony of a group of young people from this country who recently wrote to me: “History . . . has left us the image of the missionary concerned with leading the flock to green pastures and risking his life in the name of Christ. The work begun by the missionaries must be continued by the sons of the country and each at his own level, starting with the native bishops and priests”.

Today, the Church of Togo has, in fact, for a large part, its priests and its bishops. It is also experiencing a flourishing of priestly and religious vocations, and it also has a local religious congregation, the Sisters of Our Lady of the Church. It is composed of a large number of baptized people, with an impressive percentage in certain regions, and of catechumens. Its catechists and teachers continue their work of formation in the faith and, more broadly, its Christian laity is awakening to its responsibilities and is structured into movements. I joyfully greet this entire Church of Togo, and in particular this diocese of Sokodé which welcomes us. I thank Monsignor Chrétien Matawo Bakpessi for his words of welcome. I do not forget the diocesans of Aiakpamé and Dapaong who I cannot visit on site and who continue a beautiful missionary work. We also thank the houses that today form candidates for the priesthood, the minor seminaries, the adult seminaries and the major seminaries of Ouidah and, now, of Lomé.

3. Dear brothers and sisters, what is a priest? What is the essence of his priesthood?

Of course, the priest carries out many activities. These derive from the fact that he is, first of all, a man of God. Moreover, this is what all the religions that entrusted him with the task of offering sacrifices of every kind to God have foreseen. But the priest of whom we speak is the priest of the new alliance established by Jesus Christ, sealed by his sacrifice. And the apostle Peter tells us the essence of what the priest is, in his letter read this morning, when he addresses an exhortation to the "elders", or "presbyters", that is, to the spiritual leaders appointed by the apostles to direct the first Christian communities. He says: "As an elder together with them, a witness of the sufferings of Christ" ( 1 Pt 5:1). In today's Church, as in that of yesterday, the priest is the witness of the passion of Christ , in a particular sense. In fact, every day he carries out, by celebrating the sacrament of the Eucharist, the sacrifice that Christ himself offered on the cross. Yes, each time, in the Eucharist, it is this sacrifice that is made present, renewed, accomplished under the sign of bread and wine, as Christ instituted it at the Last Supper. Christ himself accomplishes this holy sacrifice and it is the priest who is its sacramental minister, who acts in the name of Christ, “in persona Christi” .

4. The apostle Peter added: “ A partaker of the glory that is to be revealed” ( 1 Pt 5:1). The priest also shares in the glory with which God the Father has filled his crucified Son in the resurrection. By offering the sacrifice that was accomplished with the death of Christ, he proclaims at the same time his resurrection and glorification “at the right hand of the Father”. He finally announces the definitive coming of Christ in this glory that “will be revealed” at the end of the world. In a sense, the priest bears witness with the Eucharist that the world is not saved by itself, but with Christ, and that this world is not limited to what currently exists, but that it will end with the glorified Christ.

5. Great is therefore the vocation of the priest, and sublime his mission . Great is his dignity. He is united in a particular way to the mission of salvation of Jesus Christ. I will ask future priests: “Do you wish, day by day, to unite yourselves more and more to the high priest Jesus Christ?” Not only do priests carry out his sacrifice, but they carry out the different aspects of his ministry: the ministry of the word and the ministry of sanctification through the sacraments.

Others, in the Church - and this is a grace - announce, transmit, explain the word of God, such as catechists, teachers, Christian parents, men and women religious. But the priest receives the responsibility of ensuring that the Gospel is well announced to all, that the Catholic faith is correctly exposed, commenting on it himself in the liturgy.

The priest is especially consecrated to celebrate the mysteries of Christ, to transmit his graces to believers through visible and effective signs such as the sacraments: divine life to the baptized, purification from sin to the penitent, nourishment of the body of Christ to the communicant, divine comfort to the sick. He unceasingly leads the Christian people to the sources of life.

6. In all this, the priest participates in the mission of the Good Shepherd . Our Savior Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd who knows his sheep, gathers them, protects them, saves them from the wolf who wants to steal them, gives his life for them, leads them to abundant life (cf. Jn 10:10-18), to the point that the sheep can say, as we have just sung: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want . . . He restores my soul, he leads me in right paths . . . You prepare a table before me” ( Ps 23:1-5).

The apostles participated in this mission of the Good Shepherd. The apostle Peter heard the Lord Jesus say to him several times after the resurrection: “Feed my sheep . . . feed my sheep” ( Jn 21:15-18). Believe me, dear brothers and sisters, that I personally often meditate on these words!

But Peter, in turn, says to the "elders" of the Church, to the priests: "Tend the flock of God that is entrusted to you" ( 1 Pt 5:2). And today, the Bishop of Rome, who is the successor of Peter, says the same thing to all the bishops and to all the priests of your country; he says it especially to you who receive the sacrament of the priesthood and, with that, the pastoral mission. Yes, you truly participate henceforth in the mission of the Good Shepherd, in collaboration with your bishop, the pastor of your diocese, in union with the Bishop of Rome. Thus you will be able to "make Church with Peter".

7. “Shepherds of the people of God entrusted to you”: what does it mean today? The true shepherd gathers the flock. The priest has the mission of gathering Christians, not only for the Eucharist or the prayers over which he presides, but by continually watching over their unity. In addition to the many small communities of believers that can be formed for the purpose of prayer, catechesis or charity, which have their usefulness and their limits, the priest is the one whose task it is to broaden this horizon, to make these groups communicate, to connect them in the one Church, to gather them, for example, in the parish context, for the common Eucharist. He is not the man of a family, of a group, of an ethnic group: he is the man of everyone.

The true shepherd is the one who walks at the head of the flock; that is, the priest must clearly indicate the way, testify with his word and with his actions what the faith or Christian life is, without fear, with courage and freely . I will ask the ordinands: "Do you want to become priests to serve and to guide the people of God under the guidance of the Holy Spirit?". You will have to lead this people towards the full truth with a constantly deepened catechesis; towards that which nourishes Christians, towards that which educates them to an authentic piety, to a more mature moral life.

The true shepherd cares for each sheep, not forgetting those who struggle to follow him, who get lost, who are in danger, who are far away . Priests, you carry the pastoral concern of all your faithful, without neglecting those who seem less faithful, or those who are not yet faithful, not being of this fold (cf. Jn 10:16).

Of course, the priest does not have a monopoly on all Christian animation. His role is not to do everything by himself, to order everything; on the contrary, his pastoral quality is measured by his ability to inspire zeal, initiative, apostolate among the religious and lay people who surround him. But in their midst he remains the representative of the Good Shepherd who watches, who discerns, who authenticates what must be, who orients in the direction desired by the Church, in the name of Christ.

8. St. Peter also shows us how the priest must be the shepherd of souls.

He had been the witness of Christ who, although in truth a teacher and lord, had presented himself to the apostles as "he who serves" ( Lk 22:27), and who on several occasions had made them understand that: "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" ( Mt 20:28), rejecting the attitude of domination typical of the pagans or the power such as is exercised by the great (cf. Mt 20:25). Peter then specifies to the "elders": watch over the flock, "not under compulsion but willingly, as God desires; not for vile gain, but willingly; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock" ( 1 Pt 5:2-4).

Of course, dear priest friends or future priests, when you exercise your office in the name of Christ, you have the authority of an envoy of Christ, and you must be welcomed and respected as such by believers who understand your priesthood. But this authority excludes all authoritarianism: “Without lording it over others”; it excludes the pursuit of personal riches: “Not for interest, but with a good heart”; it excludes all harshness: “Not by force, but willingly”. Yes, always be the courageous and firm shepherds I spoke to you about, but good, humble, welcoming, devoted, disinterested. This is what the Lord, the Good Shepherd, awaits. This is what the faithful of your flock await. And this will allow you to be particularly close to and concerned about the poor, the sick, those who suffer. You will share their concerns and their lives as much as possible. In essence, your authority will manifest itself naturally as you will be models for the flock .

9. You will be these models if the sanctification of your priesthood reaches not only the acts of your ministry or your pastoral behavior, but your whole life, your interior spiritual life : "You will live what you do."

By initiating others to prayer, you yourselves remain men of prayer, in public, in the intimacy of your prayer, of your adoration. The Virgin Mary will have a very special place in your prayer and in your life, she who meditated in her heart all the mysteries of Jesus, and remained unceasingly "the handmaid of the Lord".

By offering the sacrifice and inviting others to offer the sacrifices that Christian life asks of them, “conform yourselves to the mystery of the cross of Christ,” as I will say when I return the bread and wine of sacrifice to the new priests.

You form your faithful in the faith: you will take care to continue to deepen the theology learned in the seminary with ongoing formation, personal or community, with wise updating, continuing the study of Sacred Scripture, of the whole of dogma and spirituality, pastoral reflection.

You exhort the Christian people to live the beatitudes, especially the spirit of poverty: you yourselves will take care to live simply , among the poor. Christ said to his disciples: “Do not carry a purse, or a bag, or sandals” ( Lk 10:4).

Your preaching is centered on charity: you will show the example of fraternal life among the priests of the north and the south, Togolese and expatriates. The Lord sent his disciples two by two.

You help spouses to live a demanding, faithful and pure conjugal love: may they always be encouraged by the example of the total gift of your power to love Christ and your brothers, in the chastity that is oblation and availability.

You ask the faithful to obey the Church: you will take care to collaborate with your bishops in everything that the Church desires.

The consecratory prayer for the ordinands asks God: “That they receive from you the task of supporting the episcopal order; that they incite to purity of morals with the example of their conduct”.

Yes, be role models for the flock.

10. For all this, so that the ordinands may enter and live in the “order of priests”, we lay our hands on them, thus praying to the Lord: “Spread once again, in the deepest part of them, the Spirit of holiness”.

In the days of Moses, God had set apart seventy elders, filled with wisdom, to help Moses, and had communicated to them a portion of the Spirit that rested upon him.

The Lord Jesus began his ministry by declaring: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me” ( Lk 4:18). After his resurrection, he sent his apostles as the Father had sent him, saying: “Receive the Holy Spirit” ( Jn 20:22). This Holy Spirit will imprint on your soul, dear ordinands, an indelible character of priest; of servant of the Lord; it will be a permanent source of light, of strength, of holiness.

11. And Christ sends you on a mission , as he sent seventy-two disciples in addition to the apostles. Yes, Christ himself.

Because, while we celebrate the Holy Eucharist, it is Christ who accomplishes it among us, through our ministerial priesthood. And while we celebrate the sacrament of Orders, Christ himself also accomplishes this sacrament which is closely linked to the Eucharist and has its origin in the Last Supper: “do this in memory of me” ( Lk 22:19).

Christ is therefore here, among us. And to the newly ordained priests he says: “Go, I send you . . ” ( Lk 10:3). “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” ( Mt 20:19). Say: “And the kingdom of God is near you”. Comfort the sick and all those in need, and proclaim peace in all homes. Do not fear the welcome that will be reserved for you (cf. Lk 10:5-11).

Yes, go and bring the good news to the sons and daughters of your people , of your homeland, to each and every one, in all the cities and villages where the Lord himself wants to be present (cf. Lk 10:1). Be available for all the tasks of evangelization that your bishop will entrust to you: in the body of the Church the functions are different, each has its importance, all must be fulfilled. It is also desirable that the dioceses of this country help one another, because some still have few Togolese apostolic workers. May priests accept being missionaries elsewhere and may the faithful know how to welcome the priest of another ethnic group. Jesus said to his disciples: “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me” ( Mt 10:40).

But, dear friends, the missionary horizon is not limited to your country. It is necessary to bring the good news to the sons and daughters of all Africa , of the whole world. You have your part, now that more and more priests are coming from you. Your mission is as deep as the mystery of Christ and at the same time as vast as humanity! In the ordination prayer it is said that you are ordained "to bring the message of the Gospel to all humanity and so that all peoples gathered in Christ may be transformed into the one people of God".

Our brothers and sisters, who starting next Sunday will gather in Nairobi for the 43rd International Eucharistic Congress , the first in black Africa, know well this universal dimension of the Church, which forms a single body, the body of Christ.

12. Dear brothers and sisters, we all desire that God raise up a greater number of priests, holy priests, with other apostolic workers, religious and lay. Do not cease to listen to the words of our Master and Redeemer : “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” ( Lk 10:2).

Yes, pray. Do not stop praying.

Amen!

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