Pope Leo XIV Tells Seminarians “The priest is sent to all so that he may proclaim to all the beauty of Faith in Jesus Christ, the good news of salvation" FULL TEXT
ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV
TO THE SEMINARIANS OF THE PONTIFICAL REGIONAL SEMINARY OF PUGLIA “PIO XI” IN MOLFETTA
AND THE EPISCOPAL SEMINARY OF AVERSA
Clementine Hall on Thursday, September 3, 2026
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In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Peace be with you.
Dear brothers in the Episcopate,
priests, seminarians, family members,
First of all, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your presence here today.
You come from two different paths and two different lands, but this year your homes are celebrating an anniversary together. In Molfetta, you commemorate the first centenary of the new headquarters, commissioned by Pope Pius XI, after whom your seminary bears its name, while in Aversa, you celebrate the tercentenary of the opening of the current headquarters.
In meeting you, I would like to emphasize one aspect of your formative journey: your relationship with the One who called you. Study, discipline, and the stages of the journey are important elements to keep in mind, but they are only valid if grounded in a relationship with God.
St. Mark, in his Gospel, recounts that Jesus "went up […] on the mountain and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve of them—whom he called apostles—to be with him and to be sent out to preach" ( Mk 3:13-14).
These few words already contain everything. Reflecting on this brief passage, we can discern a wonderful summary of the experience, valid for everyone called, for all who wish to deepen the truth of their vocation. There is a mountain to climb, where we can reach Christ and, above all, where we can be with Him. The heart of the seminary experience lies here: learning to be with the Master, the Lord Jesus.
The evangelist reports that the Lord "called to himself those he wanted," and immediately highlights God's freedom, from which every vocation springs. There is no competition, no ranking, nor is it written that he chose the best: he chose those he wanted. In a world so eager to celebrate self-realization, it is truly important to reiterate that none of you, and none of us, are here because we deserve it, but only by free choice on the part of God the Father, a sign and pledge of a gratuitous love that always anticipates us and never disappoints.
Dear seminarians, your very presence in the seminary is a sign of hope for the entire Church. Not of vague optimism, but of the certainty that the Lord always calls, in every era of history and in every place. As I look at each of you, I contemplate the wonder of God, who never tires of whispering to the hearts of young people the beauty of giving one's life for Him and for the Church.
Every vocation is born from an intimate dialogue with God, cultivated in silence and prayer, which often occurs "despite the sometimes deafening noise of the world" (Leo XIV, Message for the 63rd World Day of Prayer for Vocations , 16 March 2026). It is there that everything is decided, and for that dialogue to happen, we must learn to be with Him.
You have many examples, but I believe that for all of you the venerable Bishop Don Tonino Bello shows with particular clarity what it means to be a Priest and a Bishop: not in words, but in every gesture and in every decision, and by bearing witness to it to the very end.
This is why seminary time remains necessary, today no less than it was yesterday. In a world that is in a hurry and that views any prolonged pause with suspicion, one might think it is a luxury, or an outdated institution, but that is not the case. Precisely because our time is fast and noisy, we need a place and a season of life where we learn to be, to discern, to allow ourselves to be formed without shortcuts. Seminary is not a postponement of the mission, but rather its condition. Let us not underestimate it.
After hearing the voice of the Lord, in fact, you have to reach him and climb the mountain, and this can sometimes be tiring, because you climb on foot, at times out of breath, without yet seeing the summit.
The toil of spiritual life, however, is sustained by the beauty of brotherhood and the sharing of mission. Indeed, on the mountain, Jesus calls not just one man, but twelve, with the most diverse and sometimes unlikely personalities in our eyes. The Lord gathers them, keeps them side by side, so that they learn that the Church is lived together: it is not the property of any one of us, and we are all called to love and serve it as one body. You who come from Molfetta experience this in a special way, because in the regional seminary, communion among the Churches of Puglia is not an ideal, but a concrete friendship that has been born in these years and will accompany you as priests throughout your lives.
Because, just as "no pastor exists alone" (Leo XIV, Apostolic Letter A Faithfulness That Generates a Future , 8 December 2025, 15), not even a seminarian can conceive of a private journey with the Lord: he must always feel and experience the beauty of ecclesial mediation. The seminary, therefore, even before being a place to acquire information, "should be a school of affection" ( ibid ., 12). And I ask you, dear formators, to be the first teachers of that care and fraternity that manifest themselves in authentic relationships, personal and communal, made of truth and charity. One cannot improvise as a formator: yours is a very delicate ministry for which one prepares with knowledge, patience, and love.
Then comes the final step: the one in which one descends from the mountain, because the mountain is not a refuge. Jesus does not lead the Twelve up to safety, but so that, after having experienced God, they can be sent to communicate this newness of life to the world.
You will therefore be called to come down from the mountain, to be sent to the people of your lands: to those families struggling to get by, to the young people who at twenty pack their bags to look for work, to the elderly living alone, to the marginalized, to those who have lost the meaning of life. The priest is sent to all so that he may proclaim to all the beauty of faith in Jesus Christ, the good news of our salvation. It is the salvation given to us through Mary. Entrust yourselves to her, as to the one who first did what is asked of you today. Ask Mary for the grace to learn to say your "yes" to the Lord Jesus every day.
Dear seminarians, before we say goodbye, I want to thank you. Thank you, on behalf of the Church, for the "yes" you have spoken and that you repeat every day: it is not easy, nor can it be taken for granted in today's world, and the Church knows this well.
And I wish to extend a special thanks to the families present here. A vocation is never born without a suitable environment, and often it needs a home, parents who pray and know how to let go. To you, dear families, my gratitude and that of the entire Church.
I greet and bless the deacons who will be ordained priests in a few days. I keep you in my personal prayers, that you may always be faithful, joyful, and courageous disciples of the Lord. We will pray for you all.
I bless you all from my heart, together with your Bishops, your formators, your families, and those communities who await you and are already praying for you. Thank you.
Translated from Source: https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2026/09/03/0691/01288.html
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