(26 May 10 – RV) “Not even the Pope can do what he wants, on the contrary the Pope is the guardian of obedience to Christ, to his Word" who " must precede in obedience to Christ and his Church. " "Outside of a clearly and explicitly supernatural vision the priests own duty to govern is incomprehensible. Instead it is supported by true love for the salvation of every believer, it is particularly precious and necessary in our time".
This was Pope Benedict XVI’s message at the heart of his Wednesday audience delivered to thousands in St Peter’s Square. With little over two week to the conclusion of the Year for Priests (June 11th) the Holy Father delivered the third in a series of lessons on the duties of the priestly ministry. The first two were dedicated to the priests duty to educate and sanctify the People of God, the third task, as outlined by the Pope, is to exercise authority in the Lord’s name:
“Authority, in the Christian understanding, is a service to the true, ultimate good of the person, which is our salvation in Christ; exercised in the Lord’s name, it is an expression of the constant presence and care of the Good Shepherd. The spiritual authority conferred in Holy Orders should be matched by the priest’s interior fidelity to his pastoral mission and his personal readiness to follow obediently the lead of Christ. Understood in the light of faith, this authority, while involving the exercise of power, remains a service to the building up of the Church in holiness, unity and truth. Christ’s power was expressed in the washing of feet, and his kingship by the wood of the Cross; so too, the priestly ministry of governance must be expressed in pastoral charity.”
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