ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV
TO THE SEMINARIANS OF THE DIOCESES OF THE TRIVENETO
Largo Giovanni Paolo II on Wednesday, June 25, 2025
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Good morning, good morning!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Peace be with you!
Dear brothers in the Episcopate,
dear formators and seminarians of the dioceses of the Tri-Veneto,
I am happy to be able to meet you on the occasion of the Jubilee pilgrimage. I think everyone was present yesterday too , so this is the second opportunity. Your land boasts deep Christian roots, which take us back to the ancient Church of Aquileia. In this memory of faith, spiritual, the testimony of many Martyrs and holy Pastors shines. We remember Bishop Cromazio; we remember Girolamo and Rufino, exemplary in study and ascetic life; as well as Blessed Tullio Maruzzo and Giovanni Schiavo, missionaries who spread the Gospel to different peoples, languages and cultures.
Today it is up to us to continue this exciting work. In particular, you seminarians are called to insert yourselves into this rich history of grace, to guard it and renew it in following the Lord. Do not be discouraged if at times the path before you becomes difficult. As Blessed John Paul I said to the clergy of Rome , train yourselves in the discipline of a "continued, long and not easy effort. Even the angels seen in Jacob's dream did not fly, but took one step at a time; imagine us, who are poor men without wings" ( Address to the Roman Clergy , 7 September 1978). Thus spoke a Pastor in whom the best virtues of your people shone: in him you have a true model of priestly life.
I would also like to recall a passage from the conversion of St. Augustine, as he himself tells us in his Confessions . On the one hand, he was eager to decide for Christ, on the other, he was held back by scruples and temptations. Deeply troubled, he withdrew one day to reflect in the garden of his house; and there the virtue of Continence appeared to him personified, saying to him: "Why do you hold on - and not hold on - to yourself? Throw yourself into God without fear. He will not draw back and make you fall. Throw yourself down with peace of mind, he will welcome you and heal you" ( Conf. VIII, 27).
As a father, I repeat to you these same words, which did so much good to the restless heart of Augustine: they are not only valid in reference to celibacy, which is a charism to be recognized, protected and educated, but they can guide your entire journey of discernment and formation for the ordained ministry. In particular, these words invite you to have boundless trust in the Lord, the Lord who called you, renouncing the claim that you are sufficient unto yourselves or that you can do it alone. And this is true not only for the years of seminary, but for your entire life: at every moment, especially in those of desolation or even sin, repeat to yourselves the words of the psalmist: "I abandon myself to the faithfulness of God now and forever" ( Ps 51:10). The Word of God and the Sacraments are perennial sources, from which you can always draw new life for your spiritual life and also for your pastoral commitment.
Do not think of yourselves as alone , nor do you think of yourselves by yourself . Without a doubt – as the Ratio fundamentalis states – each of you «is the protagonist of his own formation and is called to a path of constant growth in the human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral spheres» (Congregation for the Clergy, The Gift of the Priestly Vocation , 130); but protagonists does not mean soloists ! Therefore I invite you to always cultivate communion, first of all with your seminary companions. Have full trust in your formators, without reluctance or duplicity. And you, formators, be good companions on the journey of the seminarians entrusted to you: offer them the humble testimony of your life and your faith; accompany them with sincere affection. Know that you are all supported by the Church, first of all in the person of the Bishop.
Finally, the most important thing: keep your eyes fixed on Jesus (see Heb 12:2), cultivating the relationship of friendship with Him. In this regard, the English priest Robert Hugh Benson (1871-1914) wrote this after his conversion to Catholicism: "If there is one thing that leaves no doubt in the Gospel, it is precisely this: Jesus Christ wants to be our friend. […] The secret that made the saints is all here: the awareness of the friendship of Jesus Christ" ( The Friendship of Christ , Milan 2024, 17). He asks, as Pope Francis wrote in the Encyclical Dilexit nos , "not to be ashamed of acknowledging your friendship with the Lord. He asks you to have the courage to tell others that it is a good thing for you to have met him" ( n. 211 ). Meeting Jesus, in fact, saves our life and gives us the strength and joy to communicate the Gospel to everyone.
Dearest, thank you for this visit. Have a good journey! May the Madonna always accompany you, and also my blessing. Thank you!
[Recitation of the Our Father]
[Blessing]
Have a nice day! Many thanks, and have a good journey of faith!
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