World Today Needs Priests More Than Ever: Apostolic Nunciature

VELANKANNI, Tamil Nadu, Feb. 11, 2010, 10.20 Hrs (SAR News):

“The ongoing celebration of the Year of Priests is meant to deepen the commitment of all priests to seek and be a forceful, incisive witness to the gospel in today’s world. It is a great privilege to be part of the Indian Priests Congress, to reflect the meaning and essence of priesthood, said Monsignor Chibuike Onayeaghala, charge de affairs, Apostolic Nunciature, at Velankanni, one of world’s most popular Christian pilgrim centres, February 9.

Monsignor Onayeaghala addressing a large gathering of priests said: “The world today needs priests more than ever despite anti-clerical movement to stop us from preaching the goodness for salvation. The modern man hungers and thirsts for the Word, it is a time for us priests to reflect how we can make the Word of God relevant to modern man, convincingly without diluting as preached by Christ.”

“It is true there is a drop in priestly vocation, the Church’s image affected due to sexual abuses. It is easy to criticise the clergy. But this Year of Priests is an opportunity for priests and the people to reflect in prayer the gratitude of priesthood.”

The Charge de Affairs for India said that it was a great opportunity for the Catholic community to acknowledge how much they appreciated priesthood and the service of priests.

“Priesthood is a call for holiness, priests should reflect the faithfulness of Christ. Priests’ fidelity to priesthood is a promise as manifested in the Eucharist given by Christ. Priesthood is a challenge to lead a life worthy of his calling.”

He said the Year of Priests was a loving challenge to follow John Maria Vianney who cherished the beauty and power of priesthood as a gift. The Church did not invent priesthood but received it from the Lord. The Church did not offer a new idea or new theory as a marketing venture to advertise the importance of priesthood but to lead by the example of priesthood, he said.

“John Maria Vianney did not live in an ideal world. He lived in an obscure village. He was an incompetent priest but did not feel sorry for himself. He sought God first, prayed and prayed, fasted and fasted and above all kept Christ close to everything,” he concluded.us and others to undertake and appreciate other religions,” he said.