The Vatican’s Secretary of the Congregation for the Clergy, Archbishop Mauro Piacenza, wrote a beautiful, inspiring piece this week in L’Osservatore Romano warning priests of the dangers of self-interpretation and subjective views of the Gospel, stating, “No priest proclaims himself or his own ideas, nor his personal or subjective interpretations of the one and eternal Gospel” (see CatholicNewsAgency.com)
He emphasized the importance and seriousness of the priest’s role in proclaiming the Gospel. Because the Gospel is the undeniable Word of God, it must be preached with dignity and wisdom, with no room for personal interpretation, especially such that rationalizes passing societal fancies. Archbishop Piacenza explained that priests must find this dignity . . .
. . . from daily intimacy with Him, from lectio divina, as part of the great tradition of the fathers, from deep meditation that gradually transforms each priest into a “living Gospel.”
We know well that the “Gospel is not only words, Christ himself is the Gospel” and we are called to be conformed unto Him, through the exercise of the ministry of proclamation as well.
He also addressed preaching itself, reminding priests that the only absolute is God, and human opinion cannot be substituted for Him:
Wise preaching always considers first the real demands of those who receive it, never imposing arbitrary and insufficient interpretations, but rather always preferring the one true thing that is necessary: the real encounter with God of those entrusted to our care.
. . . always (be) aware of the work of God in each proclamation: it is He who prepares the hearts, it is He who encounters men, it is He who brings forth the flowers of conversion and ripens the fruit of charity.
Archbishop Piacenza did acknowledge one form of relativism that priests should undertake: To “be totally (related) to God.” The Lord, he wrote, ”loves those who give with joy and never leaves His servant alone.”
In this Year of the Priest, I’m sure His Excellency’s words were especially appreciated by his brother priests.
