The Archbishop of Oviedo, Jesús Sanz Montes, has upheld the figure of the priest as a “sign of contradiction” in a society marked by secularization, the loss of Christian values and growing hostility toward the Church. He did so on the occasion of the priestly and diaconal ordinations celebrated this Sunday, May 24, in Oviedo Cathedral.
In a reflection published on his blog, the Asturian prelate acknowledged the seriousness of the vocational crisis affecting much of Western Europe, while also highlighting the growth of the Oviedo seminary in recent years.
“That is why they will go against the current, being for so many a sign of contradiction that is both gentle and prophetic,” the archbishop wrote, referring to the new priests.
“They will not have it easy”
Sanz Montes stated that the new priests will have to proclaim “the Truth” in a world where “the lie” is used as a form of power, defend peace against violence, and proclaim goodness and beauty in a culture that, he laments, is morally degrading.
“They will not have it easy, but their lives will open paths that have a goal, and they will heal wounds that others cause to bleed,” he assured.
The archbishop also described the priesthood as a life of total self-giving in the service of God and the faithful, centered on preaching, the celebration of the sacraments, and the spiritual care of the sick and sinners.
Criticism of secularization and attacks against the Church
In his letter, the Archbishop of Oviedo attributed the decline in priestly vocations to various factors: the demographic crisis, growing secularization, the loss of Christian values in families, and the hostile climate toward the Church.
“The attacks we Christians suffer, ridiculing and unfairly focusing only on the Church what are in fact the ills of society as a whole,” he stated.
Despite this, Sanz Montes highlighted that when he arrived in Asturias in 2010 the seminary had barely eight seminarians, whereas now there are forty-two young men training for the priesthood in the Archdiocese of Oviedo.
Seven new priests and two deacons
The ordinations took place this Sunday in Oviedo Cathedral. In total, seven deacons were ordained priests and two seminarians received the transitional diaconate.
Of the seven new priests, two belong to the Metropolitan Seminary, four to Redemptoris Mater and one to the Lumen Dei association.
Among them is Edgar Michel Perales, a native of Chiclayo (Peru), the diocese where the current Pope Leo XIV served as bishop for years. According to the Archdiocese of Oviedo, the new priest was able to meet the Pontiff last February in Castel Gandolfo.
“He encouraged me to be faithful, to give myself and above all to trust in God,” Perales explained about that conversation with the Pope.
The new priest also highlighted the closeness of Leo XIV: “He devoted quite a bit of time to me, he was interested in the things I was telling him, he asked about my family, and that says a lot about him.”
“A whole life made ministry”
Sanz Montes concluded his reflection by defining the priesthood as “a whole life made ministry,” lived “without schedules or worldly interests,” and gave thanks for the new vocations that have arisen in the Asturian diocese.
The archbishop finally entrusted the new priests and deacons to the protection of the Virgin Mary.