by Watipaso Mzungu Jnr
Head of the Catholic Church Pope Benedict XVI has called upon his priests worldwide to lead a Christ-like life and not conform to the whims of the world.
The pontiff made the call at the Mass he concelebrated to mark the closing of the Year for Priests, which took place in Rome. The call comes amid sexual scandals involving Catholic priests worldwide.
But in his homily, Pope Benedict XVI said that priesthood is not a secular office and, therefore, its holders need to be exemplary in the society.
He urged priests to look upon all that happened as a summons to purification, as a task which they bring to the future and which makes them acknowledge and love all the more the great gift they received from God.
“We too insistently beg forgiveness from God and from the persons involved, while promising to do everything possible to ensure that such abuse will never occur again; and that in admitting men to priestly ministry and in their formation we will do everything we can to weigh the authenticity of their vocation and make every effort to accompany priests along their journey, so that the Lord will protect them and watch over them in troubled situations and amid life’s dangers,” said the pontiff.
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