Pope Leo XIV has wanted to underscore the value and relevance of the priesthood with the recent apostolic letter A Fidelity that Generates the Future. This is explained by Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik, prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy, in an interview granted to Vatican News, in which he presents the document as a clear call to safeguard and renew the ordained ministry from fidelity to Christ and to the Church.
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According to the Korean cardinal, the letter responds to a cultural context in which the priesthood is often seen as a superseded or weakened reality due to scandals.
Fidelity as a Condition for the Future
In the face of this vision, Leo XIV reminds us that the priesthood is not a remnant of the past, but a gift and an indispensable ministry for the Church’s mission as willed by Jesus Christ. Cardinal You emphasizes that the central axis of the pontifical text is fidelity.
In a culture that tends to despise lasting commitments, the Pope affirms that there is no future without fidelity, understood not as immobility, but as interior adherence to the call received and to the mission entrusted by the Church. That fidelity —the prefect points out— is the measure of charity itself and the basis for an authentic priesthood.
Priestly Fraternity and Synodality
One of the points that the Pope considers priority is the real experience of communion and synodality in priestly life. No presbyter can live or exercise his ministry in isolation.
Fraternity with the bishop, the relationship with other priests and deacons, and co-responsibility with the laity are not secondary elements, but essential areas for living the vocation fruitfully. This communal dimension is presented as an antidote to self-referentiality and isolation.
Vocations and Proclamation without Discounts
Regarding the so-called “vocational crisis,” Cardinal You nuances that it does not affect the entire Church in the same way, but especially those contexts marked by strong secularization. In his view, the difficulty is not limited to the priesthood, but extends to all Christian vocations.
For this reason, Leo XIV invites us not to lower the evangelical proposal, but to proclaim without fear the beauty of all vocations, promoting truly generative pastoral styles.
Social Networks and Priestly Witness
The apostolic letter also addresses the responsible use of social networks by priests. The prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy highlights the Pope’s call for digital presence not to become personal exaltation, but a witness that always refers to Christ.
In a context dominated by image and visibility, the document invites discernment and adequate preparation to evangelize without losing the sense of the hiddenness proper to the ministry.
For Cardinal You Heung-sik, A Fidelity that Generates the Future marks a clear roadmap to strengthen a faithful, fraternal priesthood fully inserted into the Church’s mission.