VATICAN - Benedict XVI meets the priests and deacons of his diocese of Rome: “The Risen Christ calls us to be his witnesses and he gives us the power of his Spirit to do so. It is therefore necessary to be with Him in order to render witness with our whole life”

Vatican City (Fides Service) - This morning the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI drove across Rome to the Vicariate office of Rome diocese at the basilica of St John Lateran where in the Hall of the Conciliation he had a meeting with the diocesan office staff. After a brief visit to the Papal Apartment in the Lateran, the Pope went down to the Basilica where the clergy of Rome were waiting for him.
In his address to his clergy the Bishop of Rome said “the extraordinary experience of faith that we lived with the death of our much-loved Pope John Paul II, revealed a Roman Church profoundly united, full of life and rich in enthusiasm...with humble adhesion to Christ the only Lord together we can and must foster this “exemplary” nature of the Church of Rome which is at the genuine service of the Sister Churches present all over the world”. The identity crisis which travailed many priests would appear to be over, nevertheless “it is indispensable to always go back to the root of our priesthood. This root, as we well know, is one: Jesus Christ, the Lord” the Pope said recalling that “this is also the authentic nature of our priesthood. In fact all that which is constitutive of our ministry cannot be the product of our personal capacity”.
“Dear priests of Rome, the Lord calls us his friends, he makes us his friends, he entrusts himself to us, he entrusts his body to us in the Eucharist, he entrusts to us his Church. We have to be His true friends, to share His feelings, to want what He wants and not want what He does not want… Since it has in Christ its root the priesthood is by nature, in the Church and for the Church… The ministerial priesthood has a constitutive relation with the body of Christ in its twofold and inseparable dimension of Eucharist and Church, Eucharistic body and ecclesial body”.
Benedict XVI also recalled what he had said in his homily prior to the conclave, when he referred to "holy restlessness; a restlessness to bring everyone the gift of faith: “My dear brother priests of Rome, the Risen Christ calls us to be his witnesses and gives us the power of his Spirit to do so. It is necessary to remain with Him in order to render witness to him with our whole life.” Quoting Saint Paul, “be everything to everyone”, the Pope said “this is expressed through daily closeness and concern for every individual and family... it is decisive for closeness and concern for all to be always in the name of Christ and aim constantly to lead to Him”. This closeness and dedication means time, anxieties, expenditure of energy, but, “in order to resist, and indeed grow as persons and as priests, above all intimate communion with Christ is fundamental… we need time to restore our energies and above all to pray and meditate, to re-enter into ourselves and to find within our selves the Lord. Therefore time to be in the presence of God is a real pastoral priority, in ultimate analysis the most important”.
The Holy Father continued: “My dear priests, we can never say too often that our personal response to the call to holiness is fundamental and decisive. It is the condition not only for our personal apostolate to be fruitful but also, more widely, for the face of the Church to reflect the light of Christ”
Lastly the Pope recalled that his ministry as Bishop of Rome follows that of his Predecessors, “particularly the precious legacy left to us by John Paul II: along this path, dear priests and deacons we will walk together in serenity and trust. We will continue our efforts to build communion in the great family of the diocesan Church and to collaborate to increase the missionary orientation of our pastoral”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 13/5/2005; righe 42, parole 611)