Pope Francis asks Catholics during the month of May to join him in praying for a "human, pastoral, spiritual and communitarian" formation for religious and seminarists.
As usual, the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network has made public the Pontiff's prayer intention. After the month of April dedicated to women, the Holy Father wants to focus on the "vocational journey" of women religious, seminarians and religious.
Thanks to an adequate formation in all areas of the person, the Bishop of Rome wants those who have given their lives completely to Christ to be "credible witnesses of the Gospel". Because, the Pope insists, "a good priest, a nun, must first of all be a man, a woman formed, worked by the grace of God". In this way, he continues in his message, they will be "people aware of their limits and ready to lead a life of prayer, of dedication to the witness of the Gospel".
Training with a view to the future
Formation is one of the keys on which Francis frequently insists and warns that it "does not end at a given moment, but continues throughout life". It is an aspect on which he insists a lot, especially when seminarians visit the Vatican and meet with him.
It is customary for the Pontiff's agenda to include audiences with young men preparing for the priesthood. On April 20, 2024, during a reception with the seminary community of Seville (Spain), the Holy Father advised the seminarians to "make good use of this intense time of formation, with God's heart, with open hands and a big smile to spread the joy of the Gospel."
In the same way, the Pope also receives visits from religious men and women, whom he also asks to take care of formation, since it also serves to prepare for life in community, which is "enriching," says Francis in his message for May, "although at times it can be difficult."
Thanks to the care of formation, the Pope affirms in his message, it is possible to "polish" and "work", giving "shape on all sides" to each vocation, which he defines as "a diamond in the rough".
